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‘Lanikai’ Under the Microscope

This image of 'Punaluu' named after the white sand beaches of Hawaii, was taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity showing irregularly shaped, light-colored, millimeter-sized (0.04 inch) clasts, or particles, in a fine-grained soil.
PIA05646
Credits: NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS
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Description

This three-centimeter by three-centimeter (1.2-inch by 1.2-inch) microscopic image of the soil survey target informally called "Lanikai" was taken on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's 52nd sol, or day, on Mars. Named after Hawaii's white sand beaches, this target reveals irregularly shaped, light-colored, millimeter-sized (0.04 inch) clasts, or particles, in a fine-grained soil. Lanikai's angular, less-rounded clast shapes interested the science team when compared to other soil targets in the crater area examined by the microscopic imager.

For mosaic of related microscopic images, see PIA05651.