Rover scores ‘interplanetary hole in one’

THE Mars rover Opportunity appears to have landed in a small crater, the US space agency said after looking at pictures the vehicle has returned.

The images suggest the shallow crater is about 20 metres (66ft) across.

NASA researchers believe the location is ideal to study the local rocks and soil and allows them to see what is beneath the surface without digging. "We have scored a 300-million-mile interplanetary hole in one," enthused lead scientist Dr Steve Squyres.