Mars Photo of the Day - Jan 12 2012

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Today's Image of Mars is of Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's breathtaking view looking north from the top of Cape York. This image was compiled and colored by The Road to Endeavour's Stuart Atkinson from some of the original images taken by Opportunity.

This is just a taste of the 360 degree panoramic that the MER team has promised to come out with as Opportunity spends the winter at Greeley Haven. The next few months promise to be exciting as Opportunity will be sending back a ton of images showing magnificent views like this!

Clicking on this image will take you to the original, larger image from The Road to Endeavour. I highly recommend checking it out and reading Atkinson's post with this image.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Dec 1 2011

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Today's Image of Mars is of a simulated sunrise on Mars taken from the vantage point Cape York. This image was created by Stuart Atkinson using an image taken by Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. He then inserted the Sun and and sky effects. Atkinson has dubbed this "Endeavour Sunrise." While he claims it is not  accurate, I will venture to say it is about as accurate an interpretation as you're going to get. The only thing more accurate would be if Opportunity was sending back full-color images.

[See a Sunset on Mars]

Clicking on this image will take you to Stuart Atkinson's post on The Road to Endeavour which contains this image. 

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Mars Photo of the Day - Nov 19 2011

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Today's Image of Mars is absolutely stunning. What you see below is Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's view from the highest vantage point of Cape York. You need to click on this image and see the high resolution beauty of Mars. 

And who else could transform the black and white images sent from Opportunity into something so magnificent? Stuart Atkinson from The Road to Endeavour of course! He has some really awesome images, including a false color image of the one below. You really need to check out The Road to Endeavour post including this image and if you follow Opportunity at all you need to keep up with his blog.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Nov 7 2011

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Today's Image of Mars is once again of Homestake, that mysterious vein Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is currently inspecting. This was compiled by Stuart Atkinson from The Road to Endeavour from a collection of images taken by Opportunity's microscopic imager. 

The image shows that Homestead is weathered and covered with grooves. Homestead is denser than the surrounding material, making it more resistant to weathering. But just what is Homestead made of? 

While the MER team has not announced anything officially, Atkinson reports that many MER forums are abound with the theory that Homestead is made of the mineral magnesite. For more information on that particular mineral I suggest you highlight the the word "Magnesite" on my page; The Wikipedia page on Magnesite should pop up into a little window, telling you all you want to know about that mineral, and more! 

This image links to Atkinson's post with this image on The Road to Endeavour.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Nov 4 2011

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Today's Image of Mars is a color closeup of the mysterious vein called Homestake.  Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has stopped to examine it en route to find a safe haven for the looming winter. The MER team is very interested in this protruding rock.

But of all the rocks on Mars, why this rock?

Well according to the MER principle investigator, Steve Squyres,  this rock is "different than anything from anything we've ever seen with either rover, a completely new thing on Mars, never seen anywhere. And we're pretty charged up about it." Now if you ask me, that is something to be excited about! And just look at how much it stands out!

I  promise that I will keep you updated on all developments related to this vein!

Click on the image to see the article containing this image, as well as other amazing images of this vein enhanced by Stuart Atkinson from The Road to Endeavour. If you don's you'll really be missing out!

The image was colored and augmented by Stuart Atkinson from The Road to Endeavour. 

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Mars Photo of the Day - Oct 27 2011

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Today's Image of Mars once again comes from Stuart Atkinson at The Road to Endeavour. It shows a realistically colored image of a rock Mars Exploration Rover recently passed called "New Consort." I'm not sure where the MER team came up with that name, but I've long since given up trying to guess. The original black and white image were sent back today, but it was taken as Opportunity passed by the rock roughly two days ago. 

Clicking on this image will take you to the post from The Road to Endeavour where he discusses the image (and some others). I can't impress enough on all of you how amazing Atkinson is. He brings the raw images from Opportunity to life and his commentary makes you feel like you are right there alongside the Mars Rover. I highly recommend you click this image then subscribe to his blog.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Oct 18 2011

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Today's Image of Mars is of a rock dubbed Sheba by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity team. Sheba is in the area where the highest levels of phyllosilicates have been detected from orbit. 

This is just one of many intriguing science targets Opportunity has passed by in its search to find a north facing slope where the rover will wait out the oncoming Martian winter. 

This image was colored by Stuart Atkinson from The Road to Endeavour and it links to the article containing this image.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Oct 13 2011

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Today's Image of Mars is is a color mosaic of the "Kirkland Lake" boulder field, as compiled and colored by The Road to Endeavour's Stuart Atkinson from images taken by Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.

Opportunity is now leaving all this behind as the MER team directs it toward the location of the low-acidic clays detected by CRISM and HiRISE in orbit. The MER team is hoping that these clays can tell them more about how hospitable Mars was in the past.

This image links to the larger, amazing version from The Road to Endeavour, but the post in which the image is found is here. The small photo below really doesn't do the image justice because the original is extremely detailed.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Oct 4 2011

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Today's Image of Mars is of Shoemaker Ridge, which is the next destination for Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.  Once again, Stuart Atkinson of The Road to Endeavour assembled and colored this amazing image. His work helps excite the whole world about Opportunity's exploration by transforming the raw images into beautiful scenes that make everyone who sees them envious of the Mars rover. 

Shoemaker ridge promises to provide a spectacular view of the surrounding area and very possibly the most amazing photos of Mars yet! We will definitely keep you updated with the Mars Photo of the Day!

This photo links to the post on The Road to Endeavour where this image of shoemaker ridge was compiled and colored from Oppy's raw images. 

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