PIA06741: Two Holes in 'Wooly Patch'

Target Name: Mars Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun) Mission: Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Spacecraft: Spirit Instrument: Panoramic Camera Product Size: 1024 samples x 1024 lines Produced By: Cornell University Full-Res TIFF: PIA06741.tif (3.112 MB) Full-Res JPEG: PIA06741.jpg (165.5 kB)

Original Caption Released with Image: The rock abrasion tool on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit ground two holes in a relatively soft rock called "Wooly Patch" near the base of the "Columbia Hills" inside Gusev Crater on Mars. This approximately true-color image from the panoramic camera was taken on sol 200 (July 25, 2004) and generated using the camera's 600-, 530-, and 480-nanometer filters. It shows the natural red and reddish-brown color of the rock. Scientists speculate that this relatively soft rock (compared to others analyzed by Spirit) may have been modified by water. Small cracks in the surface outside the drill holes may be the result of interactions with water-rich fluids. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell