Bathurst Inlet (rock)

Bathurst Inlet Rock

Images taken by the Curiosity rover (September 30, 2012). (Above) Context view area 16 cm (6.3 in) x 12 cm (4.7 in);[1] (Below) Close-Up view area 3.3 cm (1.3 in) x 2.5 cm (0.98 in).[2]
Feature type	Rock
Coordinates	4°35′S 137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°ECoordinates: 4°35′S 137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°E

Bathurst Inlet is a rock on the surface of Aeolis Palus, between Peace Vallis and Aeolis Mons ("Mount Sharp"), in Gale crater on the planet Mars. The rock was encountered by the Curiosity rover on the way from Bradbury Landing to Glenelg Intrique on September 30, 2012^[1][2] and was named after Bathurst Inlet, a deep inlet located along the northern coast of the Canadian mainland. The "approximate" site coordinates are: 4°35′S 137°26′E / 4.59°S 137.44°E.

The Curiosity rover inspecting Bathurst Inlet rock on Mars.

The NASA rover team had assessed the rock to be a suitable target for one of the first uses of Curiosity's contact instruments, the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and the Alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS).^[1][2] The rock is dark gray and seems to contain grains or crystals, if any at all, that are finer than Curiosity's cameras can resolve - less than 80 µm in size.^[1][2]

See also

• Aeolis quadrangle
• Composition of Mars
• Geology of Mars
• List of rocks on Mars
• Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory

References

1. Dunbar, Brian; Gelicius, Tony (October 2, 2012). "'Bathurst Inlet' Rock on Curiosity's Sol 54, Context View". NASA. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
2. Dunbar, Brian; Greicius, Tony (October 1, 2012). "'Bathurst Inlet' Rock on Curiosity's Sol 54, Close-Up View". NASA. Retrieved October 11, 2012.

External links

• Curiosity Rover - Official Site
• NASA - Mars Exploration Program
• Volcanic rock classification

Notable rocks on Mars

Adirondack (Spirit)	Barnacle Bill (Sojourner)	Bathurst Inlet (Curiosity)	Big Joe* (Viking)	Block Island (Opportunity) M	Bounce (Opportunity)	Coronation (Curiosity)	El Capitan (Opportunity)
Esperance* (Opportunity)	Goulburn (Curiosity)	Heat Shield (Opportunity) M	Home Plate (Spirit)	Hottah (Curiosity)	Jake Matijevic (Curiosity)	Last Chance (Opportunity)	Link (Curiosity)
Mackinac Island (Opportunity) M	Mimi* (Spirit)	Oileán Ruaidh (Opportunity) M	Pot of Gold (Spirit)	Rocknest 3 (Curiosity)	Shelter Island (Opportunity) M	Tintina (Curiosity)	Yogi (Sojourner)
Notes: * = linked article is about the mission that encountered this rock; M = Meteorite - ()