Watson Lecture: Marvelous Mars Rovers

PASADENA, Calif.- Spirit and Opportunity, the unflappable exploration rovers, have each spent over 600 days trekking across the surface of Mars--more than 500 days longer than either was expected to last. "The rovers have done much more than we ever hoped they would," says geologist Joy A. Crisp of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, the lead scientist for the rover project at JPL. "Although they've passed their warranty, Spirit and Opportunity could keep on going for years," Crisp says.

On November 2, Crisp will discuss the phenomenal success of the rovers, including their discovery of past water on Mars, and an environment that might once have been favorable to life. In her talk, "Spirit and Opportunity's Excellent Adventure in Mars Geology," Crisp will present a gallery of 3-D images (and some regular images) snapped by the twin rovers. 3-D glasses will be provided to audience members.

The talk, the second program of the 2005-2006 Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series, will take place at 8 p.m. in Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Avenue south of Del Mar Boulevard, on the Caltech campus in Pasadena. Seating is available on a free, no-ticket-required, first-come, first-served basis. Caltech has offered the Watson Lecture Series since 1922, when it was conceived by the late Caltech physicist Earnest Watson as a way to explain science to the local community.

For more information, call 1(888) 2CALTECH (1-888-222-5832) or (626) 395-4652. ###

Contact: Kathy Svitil (626) 395-8022 ksvitil@caltech.edu

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