Northwest
This approximately 46 degree wide mosaic looking to the northwest was acquired by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on Sol 4749 (June 3, 2017). The rim crest at the top of Perseverance Valley is off the scene to the right. An east-west running swath, visible across the top half of the image, is lined with dark rocks, especially on the far side. For scale, the width of the swath near the center of the image is roughly 30 feet (9 meters).
One possible history under investigation is that the swath was a channel into a lake perched against the edge of the crater billions of years ago. Another hypothesis is that the linear pattern of the rock piles is related to radial fractures from the impact that excavated Endeavour Crater. One goal of the "walkabout" survey just above the top of Perseverance Valley is to determine whether a close look at the rocks will provide clues to the history of the site.
Pancam's 753 nm, 535 nm, and 432 nm filters were used in making this mosaic. Three versions are provided at full resolution: an approximate true color rendering, a false color rendering which enhances the subtle color differences in the scene, and a stereo anaglyph for 3D viewing through red-blue glasses.
Jim Bell
Pancam Instrument Lead
October 20, 2017
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