Emily Lakdawalla • Jan 03, 2014
Looking back at 10 years of imaging by the Mars Exploration Rovers (Video)
The Planetary Society is holding a virtual "Rover Party" to celebrate 10 years of the Mars Exploration Rovers exploring the surface of Mars. (I can't believe it's been 10 years!!) Planetary Society President Jim Bell and I got together to look back at just a few of the great images that both rovers have taken, and tell stories about them. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!
A Photographer on Mars: Emily Lakdawalla Talks With Jim Bell Jim Bell leads the camera team for the Mars Exploration Rovers that reached Mars exactly 10 years ago. He's also the best-selling author of
Because the video can't do justice to the great images, here are all the images that we discuss in the video.
![Spirit's lander](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x1692_crop_center-center_82_line/Lander_Pan_Sol16-A18R1.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x846_crop_center-center_82_line/Lander_Pan_Sol16-A18R1.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x541_crop_center-center_60_line/Lander_Pan_Sol16-A18R1.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x406_crop_center-center_60_line/Lander_Pan_Sol16-A18R1.jpg 576w)
![Opportunity's "Lion King" panorama, sols 58 and 60](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x473_crop_center-center_82_line/03-JS-01-LionKingPan-B079R1.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x236_crop_center-center_82_line/03-JS-01-LionKingPan-B079R1.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x151_crop_center-center_82_line/03-JS-01-LionKingPan-B079R1.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x113_crop_center-center_82_line/03-JS-01-LionKingPan-B079R1.jpg 576w)
![Opportunity's first photo from the surface of Mars](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_512x512_crop_center-center_line/1N128285132RAD0000P1500R0C1.png 512w)
![Blueberries at "Stone Mountain," Opportunity sol 14](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x273_crop_center-center_60_line/65688/blueberries.jpg 576w)
![Cross-beds at "Overgaard," Opportunity sol 690](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/65720/1p189455745rad64kcp2564l7c1.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/65720/1p189455745rad64kcp2564l7c1.jpg 576w)
![Opportunity panorama at Burns Cliff, sols 287-294](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x821_crop_center-center_82_line/opportunity-burns-cliff-pano-PIA07110.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x410_crop_center-center_82_line/opportunity-burns-cliff-pano-PIA07110.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x263_crop_center-center_82_line/opportunity-burns-cliff-pano-PIA07110.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x197_crop_center-center_82_line/opportunity-burns-cliff-pano-PIA07110.jpg 576w)
![Spirit rover tracks at Tyrone, sol 1096](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/spirit_1096_tyrone_truecolor.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/spirit_1096_tyrone_truecolor.jpg 576w)
![Spirit's sunset on Mars](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x1847_crop_center-center_82_line/mars_sunset_spirit_sol489.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x923_crop_center-center_82_line/mars_sunset_spirit_sol489.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x591_crop_center-center_60_line/mars_sunset_spirit_sol489.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x443_crop_center-center_60_line/mars_sunset_spirit_sol489.jpg 576w)
![Spirit at El Dorado dunes, sol 708](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x1101_crop_center-center_82_line/A0708_el_dorado.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x550_crop_center-center_82_line/A0708_el_dorado.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x352_crop_center-center_60_line/A0708_el_dorado.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x264_crop_center-center_60_line/A0708_el_dorado.jpg 576w)
![A dusty start to Spirit's winter](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x896_crop_center-center_82_line/20131231_spirit_dust_comparison.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x573_crop_center-center_60_line/20131231_spirit_dust_comparison.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x430_crop_center-center_60_line/20131231_spirit_dust_comparison.jpg 576w)
![Cape St. Vincent, Victoria Crater, Opportunity sol 1167](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x639_crop_center-center_82_line/PIA09695.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x409_crop_center-center_60_line/PIA09695.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x306_crop_center-center_60_line/PIA09695.jpg 576w)
![Late Afternoon Shadows at Endeavour Crater on Mars](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x2958_crop_center-center_82_line/PIA15684.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1479_crop_center-center_82_line/PIA15684.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x946_crop_center-center_60_line/PIA15684.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x710_crop_center-center_60_line/PIA15684.jpg 576w)
![Clay coatings on Whitewater Lake rocks at Endeavour's rim, sol 3074](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/clay_coatings_sol3074.jpg 576w)
![Spirit's last color photo, sol 2191](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/spirit_last_image.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/spirit_last_image.jpg 576w)
Finally, here's a super-cool graphical timeline of the Spirit and Opportunity missions, put together by one of the fine members of unmannedspaceflight.com.
![Mars Exploration Rover graphical timeline](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x1935_crop_center-center_60_line/65735/20190208_MER_Timeline_English_2014.jpg 576w)
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