Eagle Crater

E484839

Eagle Crater is a small impact crater on Mars that gained prominence as the landing site and initial exploration area of NASA’s Opportunity rover.

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Statements (42)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Martian surface feature
impact crater
accessedBy airbag-assisted landing system of Opportunity
associatedMission Mars Exploration Rover mission NERFINISHED
catalogedIn USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature NERFINISHED
contains rock outcrop exposures along inner rim
rock outcrop named "Opportunity Ledge" NERFINISHED
coordinateSystem areocentric coordinates
diameter approximately 22 meters
discoveredBy Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity NERFINISHED
entryEvent Opportunity came to rest inside the crater after landing
evidenceIndicates past presence of liquid water in Meridiani Planum
explorationStart January 2004
exploredBy Opportunity rover NERFINISHED
floorMaterial fine-grained regolith and exposed bedrock
gainedProminenceAs initial exploration site of Opportunity rover
geologicContext Noachian to Hesperian-aged terrains of Meridiani Planum
imagedBy Navcam on Opportunity rover NERFINISHED
Pancam on Opportunity rover NERFINISHED
imagedFromOrbitBy Mars Global Surveyor NERFINISHED
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter NERFINISHED
landingDateContext Opportunity landed in January 2004
landingSiteOf Mars Exploration Rover B NERFINISHED
Opportunity rover NERFINISHED
locatedInRegion Meridiani Planum NERFINISHED
locatedOn Mars NERFINISHED
missionPhaseRole initial landing and checkout site for Opportunity
namedAfter eagle (common noun, not a specific person)
nearbyFeature Endurance Crater NERFINISHED
Meridiani Planum plains NERFINISHED
notableFor evidence of past water activity on Mars
hematite-rich spherules ("blueberries")
layered sedimentary rocks
operatedBy NASA
planetaryBody Mars NERFINISHED
rimType low rim
scienceObjective search for evidence of past liquid water
study of Martian sedimentary processes
scientificSignificance key site for early Opportunity mission discoveries
shape nearly circular
surfaceType sedimentary outcrop exposures
terrain relatively flat plains with small impact features

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Meridiani Planum containsFeature Eagle Crater
Opportunity exploredFeature Eagle Crater
Opportunity rover notableSiteExplored Eagle Crater
subject surface form: Opportunity