NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is conducting a “walkabout” survey of “Marathon Valley,” where the rover’s operators plan to use the vehicle through the upcoming Martian winter, and beyond, to study the context for outcrops bearing clay minerals.
Marathon Valley slices downhill from west to east for about 300 yards or meters through the western rim of Endeavour Crater. Opportunity has been investigating rock targets in the western portion of the valley since late July, working its way eastward in a thorough reconnaissance of the area.
The rover’s panoramic camera has captured a scene dominated by a summit called “Hinners Point,” [above] forming part of the valley’s northern edge. The image also shows a portion of the valley floor with swirling reddish zones that have been a target for study. It is online at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA19819
For several months starting in mid- to late October, the rover team plans to operate Opportunity on the southern side of the valley to take advantage of the sun-facing slope. [More at link]