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Erebus (crater)
Encyclopedia
Erebus is a crater
on Mars
visited by the Opportunity rover
on the way to the much larger crater Victoria
. It is named after the polar exploration vessel HMS Erebus
. The rover was in the immediate vicinity of the crater from approximately sol
550 to 750 (October 2005 to March 2006).
Erebus is located roughly 2,500 meters south of the much smaller crater Vostok
, which was previously visited by Opportunity. It is surrounded by what scientists are describing as "etched terrain", a region where rocks peek out from under the sand of Meridiani Planum
.
Erebus is about 350 meters wide, twice as large as the crater Endurance
. However, it is very old and eroded, and is barely visible from the ground; it appears merely as a number of flat rocky outcrops encircling a region of dune
s.
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
visited by the Opportunity rover
Opportunity rover
Opportunity, MER-B , is a robotic rover on the planet Mars, active since 2004. It is the remaining rover in NASA's ongoing Mars Exploration Rover Mission...
on the way to the much larger crater Victoria
Victoria (crater)
Victoria is an impact crater on Mars located at 2.05°S, 5.50°W in Meridiani Planum, visited by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. It is roughly 730 metres wide, nearly eight times the size of the crater Endurance, visited by Opportunity from sols 951 to 1630...
. It is named after the polar exploration vessel HMS Erebus
HMS Erebus (1826)
HMS Erebus was a Hecla-class bomb vessel designed by Sir Henry Peake and constructed by the Royal Navy in Pembroke dockyard, Wales in 1826. The vessel was named after the dark region in Hades of Greek mythology called Erebus...
. The rover was in the immediate vicinity of the crater from approximately sol
Timekeeping on Mars
Various schemes have been used or proposed to keep track of time and date on the planet Mars independently of Earth time and calendars.Mars has an axial tilt and a rotation period similar to those of Earth. Thus it experiences seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter much like Earth, and its...
550 to 750 (October 2005 to March 2006).
Erebus is located roughly 2,500 meters south of the much smaller crater Vostok
Vostok (crater)
Vostok is a crater on Mars that was reached by the rover Opportunity on sol 399 . Vostok is located roughly 1200 meters south of Endurance in Meridiani Planum...
, which was previously visited by Opportunity. It is surrounded by what scientists are describing as "etched terrain", a region where rocks peek out from under the sand of Meridiani Planum
Meridiani Planum
Meridiani Planum is a plain located 2 degrees south of Mars' equator , in the westernmost portion of Terra Meridiani. It hosts a rare occurrence of gray crystalline hematite...
.
Erebus is about 350 meters wide, twice as large as the crater Endurance
Endurance (crater)
Endurance is an impact crater on Mars that was visited by the Opportunity rover from May until December 2004. Mission scientists named the crater after the ship Endurance that sailed to the Antarctic in an exploration voyage organized by Ernest Shackleton.The rover entered the crater interior on...
. However, it is very old and eroded, and is barely visible from the ground; it appears merely as a number of flat rocky outcrops encircling a region of dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s.
Other craters visited by Opportunity
- EagleEagle (crater)Eagle is a 22-metre impact crater located on Mars on Meridiani Planum. The Opportunity rover came to rest inside Eagle crater when it landed in 2004...
- FramFram (crater)Fram is an impact crater in Meridiani Planum, on Mars. It was visited by the rover Opportunity on Sol 84, April 24, 2004.Fram spans about 8 metres in diameter. Opportunity paused beside it while travelling from the rover's landing site toward a larger crater, Endurance...
- EnduranceEndurance (crater)Endurance is an impact crater on Mars that was visited by the Opportunity rover from May until December 2004. Mission scientists named the crater after the ship Endurance that sailed to the Antarctic in an exploration voyage organized by Ernest Shackleton.The rover entered the crater interior on...
- ArgoArgo (crater)Argo is a crater located in the Meridiani Planum, on Mars, that was visited by the Opportunity rover approximately on its 365th Martian sol. The crater is located approximately south of the heat shield and Heat Shield Rock.-External links:*...
- VostokVostok (crater)Vostok is a crater on Mars that was reached by the rover Opportunity on sol 399 . Vostok is located roughly 1200 meters south of Endurance in Meridiani Planum...
- BeagleBeagle (crater)This article is about the crater on Mars. For other uses, see Beagle .Beagle is a crater on Mars in Meridiani Planum which was explored by the Opportunity rover. It was located by the rover in images taken on sol 855 , 310 metres away...
- Emma DeanEmma Dean (crater)Emma Dean is a small impact crater in Meridiani Planum on Mars that was visited by the Opportunity rover from sols 929 to 943. The much larger crater Victoria lies about 100m to the east....
- VictoriaVictoria (crater)Victoria is an impact crater on Mars located at 2.05°S, 5.50°W in Meridiani Planum, visited by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. It is roughly 730 metres wide, nearly eight times the size of the crater Endurance, visited by Opportunity from sols 951 to 1630...
External links and further reading