Gusev Crater, here we come!

At approximately 8:35 PST on 1-3-04 the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit landed near the center of this scene. The image is composed of nine THEMIS VIS frames that have been mosaicked together, producing a complete picture of the region where the rover was predicted to land. The dark streaks are places where wind has either scoured off the brighter martian dust or has covered it up by sand. Note the interesting lobes of material evident along the right side of the image just below the large crater. These may be due to the emplacement of water rich sediments or possibly lava flows. It was hoped that Spirit and all of its instruments will help us to understand the rich geologic history that is on display in this image. UPDATE: After a successful landing, Spirit has spent over a year investigating part of the floor of Gusev crater. Mosaic produced by Noel Gorelick, ASU/THEMIS Team.