A Presidential Panorama of Mars
Scroll right to unfold one of the great panoramas
ever taken on the surface of
Mars.
For best viewing, click and hold the right arrow
icon at the bottom of your browser window.
This image,
dubbed a "presidential panorama" by the
Mars Pathfinder team, shows in colorful detail the surroundings of the
Sagan Memorial Station.
Now look closely at the big rock midway through
the scrolling picture.
That rock is called
Yogi and just to its left is the
robot
Sojourner Rover taking measurements of it.
Other now-famous rocks are also visible including
Barnacle Bill and
Flat Top.
After this picture was taken Sojourner went on to
analyze a rock named Scooby Doo.
The
Mars Pathfinder mission landed on 1997 July 4 and collected
data
for about three months.
Analysis indicates that the Pathfinder site was likely awash in water in the distant past, but has been dry for the last two billion years.