spacetoday.net: Mars rover, orbiter provide new views of crater

Posted: Sat, Oct 7, 2006, 10:43 AM ET (1443 GMT)
Victoria Crater overhead view by MRO (NASA/JPL)

Complementary images from a long-lived rover and a new orbiter have given scientists a new perspective on a Martian crater. NASA released Friday new images taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, currently at the rim of the crater Victoria on the Martian surface, as well as overhead views of the crater taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The high-resolution MRO images are sharp enough to actually see the rover on the surface, as well as the tracks left by the rover as it approached the crater rim. Scientists are eager to study the crater in greater detail; since it is deeper than previous craters studied by the rover, it may provide new insights about earlier eras of Martian history. Despite lasting ten times as long as originally envisioned, Opportunity remains in good condition.