Bopolu (crater)

Bopoulu
Planet Mars
Region Meridiani Planum
Diameter 19 kilometres (12 mi)[1][2]

Bopolu is an impact crater located within the Meridiani Planum extraterrestrial plain of Mars.[2] Bopulu was seen by Opportunity rover in 2010 in the distance, and with some of its rim visible.[2] Bopoplu was officially named in 2006 along with 31 Mars craters.[3] Research has indicated that the impact that is thought to have created Bopulu went so deep that it went through existing layers and ejected older material from Mars' Noachian period.[1] Bopulu is a 19 kilometres (12 mi) diameter wide crater south of the Opportunity MER-B landing site, a rover which operated in the region starting in 2004 and therefore resulted in greater exploration and study of craters in this region.[1] Bopulu was identified as a possible source for the Bounce Rock ejecta fragment[1] Bounce rock, which was examined by the MER-B rover, was found to be similar in composition to the shergottite class of Mars meteorite found on Earth (Meteorites found on Earth determined to be from Mars).[1]

Bopulu is said be younger than the Burns Formation that predominates in the area.[4] Bopolu has been studied, along with Tooting crater, to try and better understand the geology of Endeavour crater which MER-B rover reached and could explore in situ.[5]

Bopolu is named for a town in nation of Liberia (see Bopolu, Africa); the name was approved by the IAU in September 2006.[6] Bopolu crater has a feature ID of 14185.[6]

Context map

Annotated elevation map of Opportunity landing site and some surrounding craters including Endeavour and Airy

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Opportunity Mars Rover mission: Overview and selected results from Purgatory ripple to traverses to Endeavour crater
  2. 1 2 3 4 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/images/pia12980.html
  3. ↑ https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/news/nomenclature/names-approved-for-31-craters-on-mars
  4. ↑ "Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Opportunity Tours Spirit of St. Louis Crater". www.planetary.org. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  5. ↑ The degradational history of Endeavour crater, Mars, Icarus, 19 August 2015
  6. 1 2 "Planetary Names: Crater, craters: Bopolu on Mars". planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  7. ↑ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14995
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