Temple Hill Vista
Contributed by Ken Herkenhoff
This image is part of a Mastcam-Z panorama acquired on Sol 395 as Perseverance was driving toward the delta on the western side of Jezero Crater. This view, looking toward the north, shows other landforms in the crater that the rover is unlikely to visit, at least in the near term. I like this image because it shows a nice variety of the geologic features in Jezero crater. There are lots of meter-scale boulders nearby, similar to those that Perseverance explored earlier in the mission. The cone-shaped “Temple Hill,” about 3.3 km away, is thought to be a remnant of the delta that has been mostly eroded away from this area. Previous images of Jezero crater, taken from orbit and by Perseverance, show that much of the delta has been removed, likely by wind erosion. A much larger part of the remaining delta rocks is visible behind Temple Hill, with some of the rocks on the right side forming steep cliffs. Along the skyline is the northern rim of Jezero Crater, and fields of sand dunes are visible below the rim crest. All together, these interesting features make for a gorgeous view!
March 31, 2022