Santa Maria (crater)

Santa Maria is an impact crater on Mars, it is on the Meridiani Planum plateau within the MC -19 margaritifer sine - degree field. It is located in the north-west corner of the much larger Endeavour crater has a diameter of about 80-90 meters. Is named the crater after the Santa Maria, the flagship of Christopher Columbus in his expedition of 1492.

Research

Opportunity reached the crater on December 15, 2010. The rover was controlled to the southeastern edge of the crater, where he took some pictures and was then prepared on an approaching solar conjunction. The last communication before the conjunction took place on February 3, 2011. A week later, the connection is established to the rover and the rover was again his field studies continue again on the rocks " Luis de Torres " and " Ruiz Garcia ". The rover left the crater on March 22, 2011 in east towards the Endeavour crater.

Other craters of Opportunity ( MER -B) were visited

  • Eagle
  • Fram
  • Endurance
  • Argo
  • Vostok
  • Erebus
  • Beagle
  • Emma Dean
  • Victoria crater
Endeavour (crater) Eagle (crater) Endurance (crater) Vostok (crater) Erebus (crater)
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