The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity successfully entered Victoria Crater this week and began examining a bright spot of exposed bedrock partway down the crater wall.

In a NASA press release, rover principal investigator, Steve Squyres (Cornell) wrote, "By sampling it at several different levels in the crater, we're hoping to figure out the processes that led to its formation and its very distinctive appearance."

In other rover news, Spirit is still busy analyzing the Home Plate region of the Columbia Hills of Gusev Crater. Stay tuned for more information on that front.