[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: May 11-16, 2016

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 20 May 2016 16:46:44 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201605202346.u4KNkird018782_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/status.html#opportunity

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Opportunity Collects a Panorama and Uses Wheel to
'Scuff' the Soil for a Closer Look - sols 4372-4377, May 11, 2016-May
16, 2016:

Opportunity is exploring 'Marathon Valley' on the rim of Endeavour
crater, searching specific outcrops for evidence of clay minerals.

The rover is currently conducting an in-situ (contact) science
investigation on an outcrop target, called 'Pierre Pinaut.' The rover
has also been collecting a beautiful full-color panorama of the
surrounding location.

On Sol 4372 (May 11, 2016), Opportunity collected a Microscopic Imager
(MI) mosaic of the target previously ground by the Rock Abrasion Tool
(RAT). This was followed by the placement of the Alpha Particle X-ray
Spectrometer (APXS) on the same. On the next sol, the RAT brush was used
to clean the ground target of tailings and another MI mosaic was taken
with another APXS placement. Following on the next sol, the APXS was
offset just a half inch (1.25 centimeters) for another elemental
integration. With the contact work complete, on Sol 4375 (May 14, 2016),
Opportunity backed away and collected some Panoramic Camera (Pancam)
color imagery of the target.

On Sol 4377 (May 16, 2016), the rover used the left-front wheel to scuff
a red vein feature to break up and expose its compositional material for
further investigation.

As of Sol 4377 (May 16, 2016), the solar array energy production is 672
watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.542 and a solar array
dust factor of 0.770.

Total odometry is 26.59 miles (42.79 kilometers), more than a marathon.
Received on Fri 20 May 2016 07:46:44 PM PDT