NASA Mars Opportunity Rover Data: Charlie Flats Spectra

The chart on the right shows examples of spectra, or light wave patterns, extracted from the region of the Meridiani Planum rock outcrop dubbed “Charlie Flats,” a rich science target for the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The spectra were extracted from the similarly colored regions in the image on the left, taken by the rover’s panoramic camera. The green circle identifies a bright, dust-like soil deposit. The red circle identifies a dark soil region. The yellow identifies a small, angular rock chip with a strong near-infrared band. The pink identifies a sphere-shaped pebble with a different strong near-infrared band. The cyan circle shows a dark, grayish pebble.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell