The world of rovers · 122
The route of the Opportunity rover
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The MER missions aimed to “follow the water”: observe rocks and layers, infer what the site was like in the past, and assess whether it could have supported life. Opportunity aimed to study Meridiani Planum, the one region known to be rich in hematite. Hematite is an iron ore. It gives Mars its red colour, but also has a grey variety. It forms from iron-bearing basalt in lakes or hot springs, or from magnetite.