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Victoria (crater)
Encyclopedia
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 informally named after Victoria
– one of the five ships of Ferdinand Magellan
and the first ship to circumnavigate
the globe – and formally named after Victoria, Seychelles
. Along the edges of the crater are many outcrops within recessed alcoves and promontories, named for bays and capes
that Magellan discovered.
Opportunity traveled for 21 months to Victoria before finally reaching its edge on September 26, 2006 (sol 951), at the newly named "Duck Bay". Around the rover were features dubbed "No Name", "Duck Crater", "Emma Dean
", "Maid of the Canyon", and "Kitty Clyde's Sister". It also imaged several nearby alcoves, informally named "Cape Verde
" and "Cabo Frio", and a small bright crater the size of Beagle
on the opposite end of Victoria.
aboard the ship Victoria
.
The circumnavigation allowed rover drivers to identify possible entry and exit points, create a high resolution topographical map of the crater and test out upgraded drive software. The rover investigated the layering on the walls of the various capes and the nature of the dark streaks to the north of the crater.
The rover left the crater interior on sol 1634 (August 29, 2008) after it experienced a current spike similar to the one which preceded the malfunction of twin Spirit
's right front wheel. After a partial anti-clockwise circumnavigation, the rover set off towards its next major destination, the crater Endeavour
.
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...
located at 2.05°S, 5.50°W in 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...
, visited by the Mars Exploration Rover
Mars Exploration Rover
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission is an ongoing robotic space mission involving two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, exploring the planet Mars...
Opportunity
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...
. It is roughly 730 metres wide, nearly eight times the size of 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...
, visited by Opportunity from sols
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...
951 to 1630. It is informally named after Victoria
Victoria (ship)
Victoria was a Spanish carrack and the first ship to successfully circumnavigate the world. The Victoria was part of a Spanish expedition commanded by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and after his demise during the voyage, by Juan Sebastián Elcano...
– one of the five ships of Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
and the first ship to circumnavigate
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
the globe – and formally named after Victoria, Seychelles
Victoria, Seychelles
Victoria is the capital city of the Seychelles and is situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, which is the main island of the archipelago. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government...
. Along the edges of the crater are many outcrops within recessed alcoves and promontories, named for bays and capes
Headlands and bays
Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment.- Geology and geography :Headlands and bays are often found on the same coastline. A bay is surrounded by land on three sides, whereas a headland is surrounded by water on three sides. Headlands are characterized by high,...
that Magellan discovered.
Opportunity traveled for 21 months to Victoria before finally reaching its edge on September 26, 2006 (sol 951), at the newly named "Duck Bay". Around the rover were features dubbed "No Name", "Duck Crater", "Emma Dean
Emma 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....
", "Maid of the Canyon", and "Kitty Clyde's Sister". It also imaged several nearby alcoves, informally named "Cape Verde
Cape Verde (Mars)
Cape Verde is a large promontory on the rim of Victoria Crater in Meridiani Planum, Mars. The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity perched atop this feature to take a true color mosaic of the crater below...
" and "Cabo Frio", and a small bright crater the size of Beagle
Beagle (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...
on the opposite end of Victoria.
Exploration
After arrival at the crater, the rover undertook a partial clockwise circumnavigation. The trip took approximately a quarter of the way around the crater. The various "bays" and "capes" were named after various landmarks visited by Ferdinand MagellanFerdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
aboard the ship Victoria
Victoria (ship)
Victoria was a Spanish carrack and the first ship to successfully circumnavigate the world. The Victoria was part of a Spanish expedition commanded by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and after his demise during the voyage, by Juan Sebastián Elcano...
.
The circumnavigation allowed rover drivers to identify possible entry and exit points, create a high resolution topographical map of the crater and test out upgraded drive software. The rover investigated the layering on the walls of the various capes and the nature of the dark streaks to the north of the crater.
Interior
After a planet-wide dust storm that delayed entry into the crater for six weeks and threatened the survival of both rovers, the rover entered the crater at a point in Duck Bay. This was preceded by a test maneuver on sol 1291 to determine slippage and confirm exit strategies, followed by entry on sol 1293. During the rover's stay inside the crater, data were collected from rock layers inside the crater and high-resolution imagery was obtained of Cape Verde.The rover left the crater interior on sol 1634 (August 29, 2008) after it experienced a current spike similar to the one which preceded the malfunction of twin Spirit
Spirit rover
Spirit, MER-A , is a robotic rover on Mars, active from 2004 to 2010. It was one of two rovers of NASA's ongoing Mars Exploration Rover Mission. It landed successfully on Mars at 04:35 Ground UTC on January 4, 2004, three weeks before its twin, Opportunity , landed on the other side of the planet...
's right front wheel. After a partial anti-clockwise circumnavigation, the rover set off towards its next major destination, the crater Endeavour
Endeavour (crater)
Endeavour is an impact crater located in Meridiani Planum on Mars. Endeavour is in diameter. Using Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter data, phyllosilicate-bearing outcrops have been detected along the rim of this crater. These minerals may have formed under wet conditions in a low-acidic environment...
.
See also
- List of craters on Mars
- Geography of Mars
Other craters visited by Opportunity (MER-B)
- 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...
- ErebusErebus (crater)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...
- 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....
- Santa MariaSanta Maria (crater)Santa Maria is an impact crater on Mars located at 2.172°S, 5.445°W in Meridiani Planum, visited by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. It sits north west of the much larger Endeavour crater. It is about 80-90 meters across.-Exploration:...
