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Best Fit for 'Bounce'

April 14, 2004
The mineralogy of 'Bounce' rock was determined by fitting spectra from laboratory minerals to the spectrum of Bounce taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity including pyroxene, plagioclase and olivine commonly found in basaltic volcanic rocks.

The mineralogy of "Bounce" rock was determined by fitting spectra from a library of laboratory minerals to the spectrum of Bounce taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The minerals that give the best fit include pyroxene, plagioclase and olivine -- minerals commonly found in basaltic volcanic rocks -- and typical martian dust produced by the rover's rock abrasion tool.

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