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Solander Point is at the north end of the west-southwestern ridgeline of
/ref> By July 2, 2013, it was about half-way there. The area was imaged from Martian orbit by
/ref> Its arrival signaled the availability of a northward facing slope, useful for angling to collect more sunlight during the Martian winter. In October and November 2013, the rover climbed up the north end of Solander. By December 2013, the rover reached the top of Solander point hill as the 10 year anniversary of its landing on Mars neared. After Solander point ''Opportunity'' moved along Murray Ridge, and then south to Cape Tribulation. Between Solander Point and, to north of it Cape York, both of which are raised up, is a lower area that is noted to be a part of the Burns Formation. The Burns Formation extends all the way back to Opportunity's landing site by Eagle crater, and it was heavily studied prior to this time by the rover. The Burns Formation is "high in
''Opportunity'' Heads Toward Next Destination, 'Solander Point' - NASA
(June 7, 2013)
GalleryView From Orbit Showing ''Opportunity'' in 'Botany Bay'
(view includes Solander Point)
HRSC - Western ridge of EndeavourThe Road To Endeavour - July 19, 2013
* ttp://www.nasa.gov/images/content/754154main_Arvidson-1_pia17076_full.jpg Westward viewbr>Animation at The Planetary SocietyK. Kremer - "NASA’s Resilient Opportunity Rover Starts Martian Mountaineering" - ''Universe Today''
March 14, 2014)
{{Features visited by Opportunity Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle Mars Exploration Rover mission
Solander Point is at the north end of the west-southwestern ridgeline of Endeavour crater
Endeavour is an impact crater located in the Meridiani Planum extraterrestrial plain within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of the planet Mars. Endeavour is about in diameter. Using ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' data, phy ...
on the planet Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
. It is named after the Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
scientist Daniel Solander
Daniel Carlsson Solander or Daniel Charles Solander (19 February 1733 – 13 May 1782) was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.
Solander was the first university-educated scientist to set foot on Australian soil.
Biography ...
, who was the first university-educated scientist to set foot on Australian soil at Botany Bay
Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...
in 1770.
Solander Point was visited in 2013 by the Mars Exploration Rover
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission was a robotic space mission involving two Mars rovers, '' Spirit'' and '' Opportunity'', exploring the planet Mars. It began in 2003 with the launch of the two rovers to explore the Martian surface ...
-B ''Opportunity
Opportunity may refer to:
Places
* Opportunity, Montana, an unincorporated community, United States
* Opportunity, Nebraska, an unincorporated community, United States
* Opportunity, Washington, a former census-designated place, United States
* ...
'', a robotic rover
Rover may refer to:
People
* Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian
* Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer
* Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist
Places
* Rover, Arkansas, US
* Rover, Missouri, US
...
that was active on Mars from 2004-2018.
By early July 2013 ''Opportunity'' was approaching it from the North, after previously examining outcrops on the northwest edge of the crater, north of Solander. The rover drove south from ''Cape York'' through ''Botany Bay'' to travel to Solander.Mars Rover Opportunity Passes Half-Way Point to Next Destination/ref> By July 2, 2013, it was about half-way there. The area was imaged from Martian orbit by
HiRISE
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is a camera on board the '' Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006. The 65 kg (143 lb), US$40 million instrument was built under the direction ...
on July 8, 2013, data which aids the rover team in understanding the terrain and planning rover traverses. The rover has been making good time on its approach to Solander, giving the opportunity to investigate a curious area of terrain in the crater. At the start of August, the rover was less than 100 meters (328 ft) from Solander, and arrived at its base in the following days.NASA - Sol 33591/ref> Its arrival signaled the availability of a northward facing slope, useful for angling to collect more sunlight during the Martian winter. In October and November 2013, the rover climbed up the north end of Solander. By December 2013, the rover reached the top of Solander point hill as the 10 year anniversary of its landing on Mars neared. After Solander point ''Opportunity'' moved along Murray Ridge, and then south to Cape Tribulation. Between Solander Point and, to north of it Cape York, both of which are raised up, is a lower area that is noted to be a part of the Burns Formation. The Burns Formation extends all the way back to Opportunity's landing site by Eagle crater, and it was heavily studied prior to this time by the rover. The Burns Formation is "high in
sulfate
The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ...
bearing minerals" according to NASA. Solander Point lies at the geological contact line between the Burns Formation, and what is thought to be an even older geological region.
Solander point
Map showing journey of MER-B near Solander Point
Geological regions around Solander
Rover views of Solander
See also
* Cape York (Mars) *Endeavour crater
Endeavour is an impact crater located in the Meridiani Planum extraterrestrial plain within the Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of the planet Mars. Endeavour is about in diameter. Using ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' data, phy ...
* ''Opportunity'' mission timeline
References
External links
''Opportunity'' Heads Toward Next Destination, 'Solander Point' - NASA
(June 7, 2013)
Gallery
(view includes Solander Point)
HRSC - Western ridge of Endeavour
* ttp://www.nasa.gov/images/content/754154main_Arvidson-1_pia17076_full.jpg Westward viewbr>Animation at The Planetary Society
March 14, 2014)
{{Features visited by Opportunity Margaritifer Sinus quadrangle Mars Exploration Rover mission