Bopolu (crater)

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Bopoulu
PIA14995 fig1.png
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]

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

See also

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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 "NASA - Rim of Bopolu Crater Far to the Southwest of Opportunity".
  3. "Names Approved for 31 Craters on Mars | USGS Astrogeology Science Center".
  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 Archived 2018-02-10 at the Wayback Machine , Icarus, 19 August 2015
  6. 1 2 "Planetary Names: Crater, craters: Bopolu on Mars". planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  7. "Catalog Page for PIA14995".