My god, that's beautiful! Thattiny crater just sitting there among the endless ripples, the rim and those perfect little rays shining brightly against the dark sand. Can't wait for the pancam images, but I suspect it actually works better in B&W -- I see some real possibilities in that scene.
Looks like something leftover from an Aerology 101 field demonstration: "Now stand back, kids, and put on your safety goggles -- all THREE eyes, Flxidiqt! -- and watch as Mr. Zzyyzx pushes the plunger... BOOM!"
Seriously, would be a good textbook illustration of how cratering processes scale down. We don't get them that small on earth, of course, and most lunar and martian surfaces are too saturated, eroded, and/or low-contrast to see little craters very clearly.
I don't envy the mission planners: do you spend a few weeks on this outcrop, and see how it differs (maybe we've up or down section a bit), or, do you give it a fairly quick look and continue towards those beckoning exposures of rock in Endurance...?
Space/Science » in reply to Opportunity visits new Crater - Fram
re: Opportunity visits new Crater - Fram
