"Corner Crater", - Interesting stop or a waste of time? Options

[Joffan]

As suggested in the "Victoria and her features" thread, we can discuss here the possible visit to Corner Crater (or whatever it will be called) [[ETA: now officially confirmed as "Beagle Crater"]].

Personally I think this will be a valuable stop, worth at least a run around 1/4 of the crater rim and a few days of MIs. Understanding the cratering process on Mars, especially the weathering afterwards, by examining craters of different ages can only enhance the understanding of the data we collect in other places.

[climber]

Thanks Joffran, I agree with this new topic.
I think that CC is idealy placed, not only for what we'll see inside but even more for the effect it has had on the outcrops next to it since they have been moved more gently than at the place of the impact.

[Bill Harris]

Understanding the cratering process on Mars, especially the weathering afterwads, by examining craters of different ages can only enhance the understanding of the data we collect in other places

That's it exactly. Understanding cratering is related to understanding erosional and depositional processes on Mars which tells us how the present landforms evolved.

--Bill

[Nix]

Here's a simple anaglyph, vertical exaggeration x2 -just to have a look at 'Corner Crater' in this new thread.

Nico

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Bob Shaw]

Hopefully, CC will open a window into the local stratigraphy, thus giving us another point of reference; that's how you go about making geological maps!

Bob Shaw

[djellison]

Corner crater might make an interesting venue for the new flight software uplink (assuming that will be done using long HGA passes ) - and they could even manouver for slight sun-favourable slope somewhere around its rim.

Doug

[MaxSt]

Corner Crater is very interesting.

High contrast makes me think it's not very old.

[Bill Harris]

Here is a de-anaglyphed stereo pair derived from Nix's fine anaglyph for us x-eyed buzzards who can see these things.

Whew, look at the boulders strewn along the way...

--Bill

[CosmicRocker]

I tried to post a more thoughtful reply here last night, but managed to lose it when my fingers inadvertently hit some mysterious combination of keys. Here is the executive summary. Corner Crater is obviously a target for the MER team, since they have been making a beeline toward it for some time now. Is that because it is an important scientific target, or simply because it is a distantly visible, navigation marker?

There is potential for science, no doubt. I think we'll only know that for certain once we get there. I expect at least a 180 degeree panorama. I also think the regional northerly tilt of the rock strata reversed a while back, but it is really difficult to be confident in that observation, considering all of the local variations we've seen along the way. It may be helpful to catch some good observations of the rock layers in this crater prior to climbing onto the main ejecta blanket, if only to attempt to learn where in the sectin we might be.

Ignoring all of the above speculation, making ground truth observations of craters on another world will always be an important objective, considering their value in estimating ages, erosion and deposition rates, elucidating stratigraphy, etc. As we learn more about Mars from the rovers, it seems to me that we learn more about how to make the kinds of estimates we need in order to interpret the geology on other worlds. To use a metaphor of the PI, they are our boots on the ground.

[Bill Harris]

Well put, Tom. My first informal-name for Corner was "Bullseye Crater" since that was what was happening.

On Mars, craters are our roadcuts...

--Bill

[Ant103]

I think that Corner Crater is an interesting spot. The interior of the crater look very dark and the rims are very bright and strangely elevated, as a sort of "wall". This could be an assembly of layered rocks du to the impact. I've a question : is it a single impact or the impact happened when Victoria was created?

[Tesheiner]

Corner Crater is obviously a target for the MER team, since they have been making a beeline toward it for some time now. Is that because it is an important scientific target, or simply because it is a distantly visible, navigation marker?

I think it's a combination of both factors, and a third one: The rover's path is constrained by the dunes/ripples orientation usually between 160º-180º (SSE-S), and that path places Corner Crater on the way.
I would consider CC as a "bonus", and really believe they won't miss the chance to investigate it.

[Bill Harris]

Corner gives us a cross-section through the outer edge of Victoria's ejecta blanket, down to the pre-Victoria land surface.

--Bill

[Shaka]

I think that Corner Crater is an interesting spot. The interior of the crater look very dark and the rims are very bright and strangely elevated, as a sort of "wall". This could be an assembly of layered rocks du to the impact. I've a question : is it a single impact or the impact happened when Victoria was created?

Ant (mind if I call you Ant?), CC is surely interesting for the reasons already mentioned. The apparent depth, the rim "wall", and the ejecta 'rays' that give it an asterisk appearance, all are characteristic of a geologically recent impact. Whether that means a thousand years old or a million may be hard to say, but it certainly is less degraded and so newer than VC. If it is a primary impact, there may be recognizable fragments of the meteorite impactor in the area, but I'm not sure that the PIs will be willing to spend the time looking for them.

[RNeuhaus]

The CC is a very original crater. The whitest ones. taller rims than any visited by Oppy on its way from Eagle. I agree with most that CC is younger than VC since its rims is less eroded and also it is on the VC's influence of impact. Hopefully, Oppy will spend many good sols sniffing on CC which favours my bet of outlook VC arrival date.

Rodolfo