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Opportunity rover studying grooves

by Staff Writers Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 19, 2016 JPL

Opportunity is wrapping up exploration of 'Marathon Valley' on the rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover has driven to an area were the rock outcrop has interesting grooves. The science team is using Opportunity to conduct an extensive visual documentation campaign at this area.

The rover is collecting both short-baseline and long-baseline multi-spectral stereo image data with the Panoramic Camera (Pancam).

On Sol 4459 (Aug. 9, 2016), Opportunity drove about 43 feet (13 meters) to the northwest to set up for the first station of the long-baseline stereo imaging. After several sols of imaging, the rover bumped about 16 feet (5 meters) north to set up for the second station of the long-baseline stereo imaging.

Over the next few sols, Opportunity collected many more Pancam multi-spectral image frames. The science team is constructing a detailed digital elevation model of the terrain containing the grooves.

As of Sol 4465 (Aug. 15, 2016), solar array energy production is 588 watt-hours, with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.638 and a solar array dust factor of 0.654.

Total odometry as of Sol 4465 is 26.78 miles (43.10 kilometers).

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