This approximate true color image, acquired by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity’s panoramic camera, features the rock abrasion tool hole ground into “Bounce” rock, which measures approximately 35 centimeters (14 inches) long and 10 centimeters (4 inches) high.  The depression measures 6.44 millimeters (0.25 inch) deep and about 4.5 centimeters (1.7 inches) across.  The grinding procedure took place on the rover’s 66th sol on Mars and lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes.  A combination of limited solar power, added safety measures and the rock’s jagged texture led the rock abrasion tool team to set more aggressive grinding parameters to ensure that the end result was a full circle, suitable for a thorough read from the rover’s spectrometers. 

Bounce’s outer ring consists of the cuttings from the rock, pushed out by the brushes on the grinding instrument.  The small impressions filled with red dust on the outer ring were caused by the instrument’s contact mechanism which serves to stabilize it while grinding.

This image was created using the panoramic camera’s blue, green and red filters (456-nanometer filter).            

Image Credit:  NASA/JPL/Cornell

APPROVED BY: Jim Bell & Steve Gorevan (original caption for b/w pancam of RAT hole on Bounce approved by Squyres – this one varies only slightly)

CAPTION WRITER:  Colleen Sharkey 818/625-0653 cell

RELEASE DATE:  April 7, 2004

IMAGE FILE NAME:  _xpe_pubeng_approved_040604_color_pan_RAT_Bounce.jpg

SOURCE FILE NAME(S): 1P134224771IOF08ASP2581L6C1

SUMMARY INFORMATION:  color pancam of RAT hole on Bounce

NAME OF SUBMITTER: Steve Gorevan

INSTITUTION: Honeybee Robotics

THEME/TEAM/GROUP: RAT

SOL OF OBSERVATION:  66

EARTH DATE OF OBSERVATION:  March 31, 2004

TITLE OF IMAGE: A Bite Out of Bounce

CAPTION:  Above


<br> USERNAME: shlieven