At about 11:05 PM (CST) on Saturday, January 24th,
2004, Opportunity will land at Meridiani Planum. Meridiani Planum
gets its name because it is a flat area (plain) near the equator
(meridian) of Mars.
Scientists are interested in this region of
Mars because of a large deposite of grey hematite. Grey hematite
is an iron ore that, at least on Earth, is formed from iron that
is dissolved in water. The presence of this ore at Meridiani may
be evidence of an ancient lake or sea! |
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