Through the Eyes of a Mars Rover
By: Briana Daniels
Through my eyes I see many extraordinary things. Before I tell you what I see, I'm going to tell you a little a about me, a Mar's rover. I have many different gadgets that help scientists, and other people understand more about Mars through my eyes or view. Just to name a few, there's a digital cam system (pan cam), infrared spectrometer (MiniTES), and there's many more.
My digital cam system is used to pan around on Mars to take pictures of its surface. Then there's the infrared spectrometer that identifies substances and study's its chemical properties, like for example the mineral composition. I can also study the way the atmosphere heats up and cools down, due to the daily weather patterns, and occasional dust storms. I have a robotic arm to study rocks and soil up close. Then there are engineering systems for power, communications, temperature control, and onboard data processing. Being a Mars rover also requires having solar panels to retrieve power in the daytime from the sun.
Now, I'll tell you what I see. I see many different land formations like plains, canyons, volcanoes, valleys, gullies, and polar ice. As I inch closer to a plain, I can see that it's smooth. The dirt is reddish-orange everywhere. Mars is sometimes referred to as the red planet, and now I know why. It's also very cold due to the fact that Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and has a
thin atmosphere. Most of the features on Mars are characteristics of erosion and deposition by water.
There's a lot of wind circulating on Mars. The dust from the reddish-orange ground creates large dust storms, which is making it hard to see right now. I am trying to maneuver my way over to what looks like a humungous crater. OWWWW! ! ! ! I fell in, but I'm ok. I guess dust storms are a real hazard.
Next, I'm roaming my way over to a polar icecap. While taking pictures, I discover that the icecaps are made of frozen water and frozen carbon dioxide. As I make another long journey or what seemed like a long journey, I came upon a large volcanic system. It's amazing, and from this view, I can see from a distance one of Mar's moons.
Mars is an amazing planet, and top take pictures on Mars is just incredible. I got to see Mars up close, which is even more incredible. Maybe one day we can finally find some real evidence that there's life on Mars, but for now you can just admire Mar's amazing features from my eyes.