NASA Spirit Rover Image: “They of the Great Rocks”-3
This 3-D perspective image taken by the panoramic camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows “Adirondack,” the rover’s first target rock. Spirit traversed the sandy martian terrain at Gusev Crater to arrive in front of the football-sized rock on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2004, just two days after it successfully rolled off the lander. The rock was selected as Spirit’s first target because it has a flat surface and is relatively free of dust – ideal conditions for grinding into the rock to expose fresh rock underneath. Clean surfaces also are better for examining a rock’s top coating. Scientists named the angular rock after the Adirondack mountain range in New York. The word Adirondack is Native American and is interpreted by some to mean “They of the great rocks.” Data from the panoramic camera’s red, green and blue filters were combined to create this true color image.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
