Magnetic dust was also collected on circular magnets attached to the lander. Images taken by the lander camera reveal that the magnetic dust is red, meaning that some of the iron in the dust is oxidized. Images like this are providing exciting textural information. Half Dome, for example, exhibits pits and a linear texture. The rock is less than 0.6 m tall.
Illumination is from the upper left.
Magnetic dust is being analyzed via a combination of methods. The magnetic attraction is examined by observing how dust adheres to an array of circular magnets of differing strength. The elemental composition of the dust can be determined by placing the APXS on the ramp magnet. The magnetic experiment was organized by a group under Jens Martin Knudsen of the Niels Bohr Institute for Astronomy, Copenhagen, Denmark. Thus an APXS measurement of the ramp magnet may provide a critical clue about the past climate and weathering regime on Mars.