APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Shadow of a Martian Robot
Explanation: What if you saw your shadow on Mars and it wasn't human ? Then you might have been the Opportunity rover exploring Mars. Opportunity explored the red planet from 2004 to 2018, finding evidence of ancient water , and sending breathtaking images across the inner Solar System . Pictured here in 2004, Opportunity looks opposite the Sun into Endurance Crater and sees its own shadow . Two wheels are visible on the lower left and right, while the floor and walls of the unusual crater are visible in the background. Caught in a dust storm in 2018 , last week NASA stopped trying to contact Opportunity and declared the ground-breaking mission , originally planned for only 92 days, complete .
| Date | February 17, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit: Mars Exploration Rover Mission , JPL , NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |