"This stunning vista is just a glimpse of what we'll soon witness with our own eyes," said Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator. "NASA's groundbreaking missions, starting with Artemis, will propel our unstoppable journey to take human space exploration to the Martian surface."
Captured by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument, the images were taken under rare dust-free conditions, providing exceptional clarity. "We have enhanced the color contrast to emphasize differences in terrain and sky," noted Jim Bell, Mastcam-Z principal investigator at Arizona State University.
One notable feature is a large "float rock" balanced atop a crescent-shaped sand ripple about 14 feet (4.4 meters) from the rover. Likely transported from elsewhere by landslide, water, or wind, it predates the ripple's formation. Nearby, an abrasion patch marks the 43rd rock Perseverance has ground since landing. The two-inch (5-centimeter) feature was created on May 22 to examine subsurface material before deciding on a core sampling attempt.
The team is particularly interested in Falbreen's geology, as it may represent some of the oldest terrain Perseverance has explored, possibly older than Jezero Crater. Rover tracks leading from the location trace back toward a previous science stop named Kenmore.
The panorama also reveals a clear geological transition, with olivine-rich light-toned rocks closer to the rover giving way to older, darker, clay-bearing formations farther afield.
Related Links
Perseverance Mars rover
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more
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