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Opportunity Approaching 'Concepcion' Crater Rim
Pasadena CA (SPX) Feb 03, 2010 Sol 2131-2136: Opportunity has been driving towards "Concepcion," a 10-meter (33-foot) diameter crater to the south of Marquette Island. Concepcion crater is assessed to be geologically very young with visible rays of ejecta radiating from the center of the crater. The Sol 2136 (Jan. 26, 2010), imagery shows many fragments of ejecta on the surface all around the crater. Opportunity is currently 20 meters (66 feet) north of the crater's rim. In the plan ahead, Opportunity will approach within about 3 meters (10 feet) of the rim and begin a clockwise circumnavigation imaging campaign. Large eject fragments that would allow direct measurement with the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and the Moessbauer (MB) spectrometer are potential candidates for in-situ (contact) investigation. Opportunity will continue on towards Endeavour Crater once the Concepcion campaign is completed. The right-front wheel currents continue to be well-behaved. No improvement has been observed yet in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer (Mini-TES) elevation mirror, which continues to opened regularly for allow cleaning by the wind. As of Sol 2136 (Jan. 26, 2010), the solar array energy production was 296 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (tau) of 0.458 and a dust factor of 0.517. Total odometry is 19,302.88 meters (12 miles).
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