[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: August 8-13, 2013

[Ron Baalke]

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html#opportunity

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Snapping Pictures of the Martian Moons - sols 3392-3397, 
Aug. 08, 2013-Aug. 13, 2013:

Opportunity is at the base of 'Solander Point' on the rim of Endeavour 
Crater. The rover is positioned in front of a large rock, called 'Tick 
Bush' for in-situ (contact) investigation with the instruments on the 
robotic arm.

On Sol 3392 (Aug. 8, 2013), a Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic was collected 
of Tick Bush, followed by the placement of the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer 
(APXS) for multi-sol integration. On Sol 3396 (Aug. 12, 2013), the robotic 
arm repositioned the APXS with a small offset, documented by a Microscopic 
Imager finder frame image. Also on that sol, the rover took advantage 
of a celestial alignment and imaged the transit of both moons, Phobos 
and Deimos. A second Phobos transit was imaged on the next sol while the 
APXS continued to integrate on the rock target.

As of Sol 3397 (Aug. 13, 2013), the solar array energy production was 
376 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.695 and a solar 
array dust factor of 0.532.

Total odometry is 23.73 miles (38.18 kilometers).