Bright Dust

         The Opportunity rover acquired this mosaic of bright dust on Sol 1641 (Sep. 4, 2008).  As winds blow across the rim of Victoria Crater, which is off to the right of this image, sand and dust are deposited in distinct ways and areas.  True dust deposits such as this are uncommon on Mars, and Opportunity spent several sols studying the material with her IDD (Instrument Deployment Device) instruments.  The mosaic's field of view is roughly 30 degrees across and 15 degrees high.
         This mosaic was created using Pancam's 753-nm, 535-nm, and 432-nm filters. Two versions are offered here at full resolution: an approximate true color rendering, and a false color stretch to bring out subtle color differences in the scene. Also provided is an overhead view showing the approximate location of the rover at the time of imaging.
 
        View the changes in this area between sols 952 (Sept. 27, 2006) and 1641 in this animated gif.

Jim Bell
Pancam Instrument Lead
February 8, 2011