• A three-dimensional view of a crater on Mars and the nearby surface. A small ellipse represents a Mars Rover which travelled up a mountain inside of the crater.
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    The Curiosity rover landed in the ~100 mile diameter Gale crater that was formed by the impact of a meteorite in the ancient history of the planet. The rover targeted (black outlined ellipse) the north side of a tall mountain in the center of the crater (dubbed Mt Sharp) in order to access the layers forming the mountain and understand how they were deposited and what conditions were like on Mars during their emplacement.

  • A three-dimensional view of a crater on Mars and the nearby surface. A small ellipse represents a Mars Rover which travelled up a mountain inside of the crater.

Created:

June 11, 2012

ID#:

NASA-PIA15686

Source:

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/DLR/ FU Berlin/MSSS

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Smithsonian Institution

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