shiny object on far rim of Bonneville crater

I was looking at the large Spirit panorama of the Bonneville crater.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...lor-A071R1.jpg

On the far rim, about 1/3 of the way from the left is a shiny object.

Anyone know what that is?

Phil

"Phil" wrote in message
om...
I was looking at the large Spirit panorama of the Bonneville crater.


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...x_pubeng_bonne
villecolor-A071R1.jpg

On the far rim, about 1/3 of the way from the left is a shiny object.

Anyone know what that is?

It is believed to be the remains of the heatshield from the
MER spacecraft.

Phil wrote:
I was looking at the large Spirit panorama of the Bonneville
crater.


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...0315a/x_pubeng
_bonnevillecolor-A071R1.jpg

On the far rim, about 1/3 of the way from the left is a shiny
object.

Anyone know what that is?

Hi Phil

It's the heat shield which protected and slowed the spacecraft as it
descended through the Martian atmosphere at umpteen hundred kph. I
expect it was jettisoned around the time that the parachutes deployed,
which is why it ended up a few hundred metres from the lander. They
already knew it would be there because it was spotted in an image from
one of the orbiters. I expect they'll have a closer look at it
though, if only to see if it disturbed the surface enough to give any
interesting observations.

HTH and all that :-)

John.

"Phil" wrote in message
om...

I was looking at the large Spirit panorama of the Bonneville crater.
On the far rim, about 1/3 of the way from the left is a shiny object.
Anyone know what that is?

Chosp wrote:

It is believed to be the remains of the heatshield from the
MER spacecraft.



in my photoshop, this 27meg jpg (13Kx3K+) has it at x=3400
y=880. there is a faint sliver of what appears to be more
at [3180,850] just behind the rise of the bonneville crater
wall, almost cut off. [0,0] is the top left corner, of
course.

i guess i should check where that heat sheild was supposed
to be, as i thought it was in another direction. ;-)


- nate