Barnacle Bill was the first rock to be explored by the Rover. It was found north by northwest of the Mars Pathfinder lander.
Barnacle Bill was a dark rock, which means it is probably of basaltic or andesitic basalt origin. It had many small holes over its surface (vesicles) but otherwise did not appear to be well weathered. These features help scientists figure out the possible origin of Barnacle Bill. Barnacle Bill might possibly have been put in place by flowing water. Rocky outcroppings 30 km away also seem to be made of basalt or andesitic basalt. On the other hand, Barnacle Bill might be left over from the formation of the nearby crater called "Big Crater".
The Mars Pathfinder (MPF) mission was sent to investigate the geology of Mars. Its principal objective was to analyze the rocks and soil of Mars. The MPF consisted of 2 components, a lander and a mobile...more
The rocks explored by the Mars Pathfinder's Rover have been classified into three kinds by scientists analysing the Rovers' findings. Potentially the rocks may all be the same kind of rock, all having...more
Basalt is a hard, black extrusive igneous rock. It is the most common type of rock in the Earth's crust and it makes up most of the ocean floor. The prevalence of dark minerals such as pyroxene and olivine...more
The rocks explored by the Mars Pathfinder's Rover are classified into two groups according to how they weather. Differing weathering properties may indicate differing conditions of deposition because impact...more
The Mars Odyssey was launched April 7, 2001, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. After a six-month, 285 million-mile journey, the Odyssey arrived at Mars on October 24, 2001 (02:30 Universal...more
On September 12, 1997, the Mars Global Surveyor successfully entered a highly elliptical orbit around Mars. To get into the near-circular, near-polar, low-altitude orbit necessary to map the surface of...more