Victoria (crater)
0.73
The Victoria Crater is an impact crater, the 5.50 ° W and 2.05 ° S in the Meridiani Planum on Mars is located. He was visited by the rover Opportunity. With approximately 730 m wide and 70 m depth, it is almost eight times greater than the Endurance Crater. The Victoria Crater was named after the ship Victoria, is one of five ships of Ferdinand Magellan and the first ship, which carried out a Erdumsegelung named.
The Victoria Crater is very interesting for scientists because it offers the opportunity to study with the Opportunity rover deeper geological structures of the surface, allow conclusions on the evolution of Mars. So lie on the steep slopes of the crater up to 30 m thick sediment layers to light.
Opportunity took 21 months to the Victoria Crater on September 26, 2006 ( Sol 951 ) in the " Duck Bay " to reach. In the vicinity of the crater additional objects were named: "No Name ", " Duck Crater ", " Emma Dean ", " Maid of the Canyon " and " Kitty Clyde's Sister".
On 29 August 2008 Opportunity is again moved out of the crater and then made his way to about 12 km away, Endeavour Crater, which he reached in August 2011.
Examination results
In the crater Change steep cliffs and shallower indentations from along the edge. On the basis of these structures can be estimated that the crater was earlier than today less and was expanded by wind erosion by 25 percent. In addition, he was filled with sand. The cliffs show rocks with layer structures that are up to 9 m thick. The visible layer patterns suggest that these rocks are former sand dunes, which later under the influence of water solidified into sandstone.
Also in the rocks of the Victoria crater called " Blueberries " were found. These stone beads were found anywhere in the Meridiani Planum. They usually form when water penetrates the rock. Since the beads in the deeper layers of the crater are larger than those in the overlying layers, it is assumed that the influence of groundwater in the deeper layers was intense.
On the edge of the crater meteorite fragments were found that may belong to the impactor that created the crater.
In the study of the indentation called " Duck Bay " is found that the lower layers differ in chemical composition from the top ( the lower layers contain less sulfur and iron, but more aluminum and silicon). This dichotomy was found as well in Endurance crater is 6 km away. This suggests that the environmental conditions that changed the rock, had a regional focus, and worked not only locally.