NASA - Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B) "Opportunity" patch.
April 17, 2014
Cleaned Solar Arrays Gleam in Mars Rover's New Selfie
Image above: A self-portrait of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity taken in late March 2014 (right) shows that much of the dust on the rover's solar arrays has been removed since a similar portrait from January 2014 (left). Both were taken by Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam). Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.
In its sixth Martian winter, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity now has cleaner solar arrays than in any Martian winter since its first on the Red Planet, in 2005. Cleaning effects of wind events in March boosted the amount of electricity available for the rover's work.
Self-Portrait by Freshly Cleaned Opportunity Mars Rover in March 2014
Image above: A self-portrait of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity taken by the rover's panoramic camera (Pancam) in late March 2014 shows effects of recent winds removing much of the dust from the rover's solar arrays. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.
A new self-portrait from Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam), showing the cleaned arrays, is online at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA18079
The mission is using the rover's added energy to inspect "Murray Ridge," on the western rim of Endeavour Crater, to learn about wet environments on ancient Mars.
Self-Portrait by Freshly Cleaned Opportunity Mars Rover, False Color
Image above: This version of the image is presented in false color to make differences in surface materials easier to see. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.
During Opportunity's first decade on Mars and the 2004-2010 career of its twin, Spirit, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Project yielded a range of findings proving wet environmental conditions on ancient Mars -- some very acidic, others milder and more conducive to supporting life.
JPL manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about Spirit and Opportunity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rovers and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov
You can follow the project on Twitter and on Facebook at: http://twitter.com/MarsRovers and http://www.facebook.com/mars.rovers
Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA / JPL / Guy Webster.
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