Opportunity report by A.J.S. Rayl, The Planetary Society

oppy-shadowDecember 4, 2015: Reality Bites but Opportunity Climbs to “Treasure Trove”: Opportunity faced the challenges of winter as well as technological issues in November, but the Mars Exploration Rover pressed on, hiking up hill and into a geological treasure trove that may well present the scientists with the evidence they need to solve the clay mineral mystery of Marathon Valley.

The veteran solar-powered robot field geologist had been conducting a “walkabout” or scientific survey of Marathon Valley since late July. In addition to looking for clay minerals the MER team knows are there, Opportunity was also working her way around the valley to the southern side where she could position herself on north-facing slopes to take in as much sunlight as possible during the mission’s seventh Martian winter.

“We are done with our walkabout for now,” said Steve Squyres, MER principal investigator, of Cornell University. “The key [in November] was really climbing up onto this steep slope and into this area where we see more of this weird red banding.” [More at link]

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