The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM)
took this image of the Nili Fossae region at 0643 UTC (2:43 a.m.
EDT) on June 21, 2007, near 21.15 degrees north latitude, 74.24
degrees east longitude. CRISM's image was taken in 544 colors
covering 0.36-3.92 micrometers, and shows features as small as
20 meters (66 feet) across. The region covered is just over 10
kilometers (6.2 miles) wide at its narrowest point, and is one
of several dozen that CRISM has taken to map the minerals at
candidate landing sites for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
mission, which will launch in 2010. The Nili Fossae region is
critical to understanding the history of water on Mars and
whether water ever formed environments suitable for life,
because the region is underlain by a layer of phyllosilicate
(clay) minerals. This type of mineralogy formed where water was
in contact with Mars' crustal rocks for very long periods,
altering the silicates in volcanic rocks. In addition,
phyllosilicates can encapsulate and pr