 | |
| Planet | Mars |
|---|---|
| Region | Meridiani Planum |
| Coordinates | 2°06′S5°30′W / 2.1°S 5.5°W /-2.1; -5.5 |
| Quadrangle | Margaritifer Sinus |
| Diameter | ~350 metres |
| Depth | Effectively zero depth |
| Discoverer | Opportunity rover |
| Eponym | HMSErebus |
Erebus is acrater lying situated within theMargaritifer Sinus quadrangle (MC-19) region of the planetMars, this extraterrestrial geological feature was visited by theOpportunity rover on the way to the much larger craterVictoria. It is named after the polar exploration vesselHMSErebus which was used byJames Clark Ross in 1841 to discover theGreat Ice Barrier, now known as theRoss Ice Shelf. The rover was in the immediate vicinity of the crater from approximatelysol 550 to 750 (October 2005 to March 2006).
This crater features two other minor named outcrops on the edges of this topographical depression. These includePayson Ridge andOlympia Ridge (see gallery below).
Erebus is located roughly 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) south of the much smaller craterVostok, which was previously visited byOpportunity. It is located within a type of terrain that a team of scientists led by J. M. Metz described as "etched terrain". The etched terrain is characterized by heavily eroded rocks that form polygonal structures separated by ridges and valleys.[1]
Erebus is about 350 metres (1,150 ft) wide, twice as large as the craterEndurance. However, it is very old and eroded, and is barely visible from the ground; it appears merely as a number of flat rocky outcrops encircling a region ofdunes.
Features onMars visited byOpportunity | ||
|---|---|---|
| Craters |   | |
| Endeavour | ||
| Rocks(list) | ||
