Opportunity's Martian 'postcards'

Nasa's robotic probe Opportunity has been sending back striking images of its amazing landing site on Mars.

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View 360 degree panorama from the Opportunity probe's landing site

'Mission success'

This expansive view of the Martian surface surrounding Opportunity is the first 360-degree, high-resolution colour image taken by the rover's panoramic camera.

The airbag marks seen in the soil trace the route by which Opportunity rolled to its final resting spot inside a small crater at Meridiani Planum.

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The first colour image returned to Earth by Opportunity

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First colour image

Opportunity sent back this colour image of its landing site hours after touching down.

Images like this will help Nasa decide where to send their robot explorer once it rolls on to the Martian surface. Opportunity will carry out tests on rocks and soil at sites of special interest to mission scientists.

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A partial panoramic view of Opportunity's landing site

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First panoramic image

This partial panoramic view was taken by Opportunity's navigation camera.

It was one of the first images beamed to Earth after the Nasa probe touched down and shows a rocky outcrop emerging from smooth soil at the rover's Meridiani Planum landing site.

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The bedrock is just the sort of feature scientists hoped to find

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The rocky outcrop

This outcrop of bedrock will allow scientists to examine rock from beneath the surface of Mars without having to dig.

Scientists believe the dark soil that covers much of the 20-metre (66-feet) crater where Opportunity landed is rich in grey haematite. This mineral often forms in the presence of water.

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Opportunity viewed from above

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Opportunity from above

This mosaic image taken by Opportunity's navigation camera has been reprocessed to show a clear overhead view of the lander sitting on the smooth, flat soil of Meridiani Planum.

The camera is mounted on the top of a pole.

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The soil appears to have unusual properties

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Imprints in the Martian soil

This image, taken by Opportunity's panoramic camera shows imprints made by the lander's airbags in the Martian soil. The drag marks in the foreground were made as the lander retracted its airbags.

The images suggest the soil at Opportunity's landing site has unusual properties.

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The light and dark soil has intrigued scientists

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Light and dark soil

This image from the rover's panoramic camera was one of the first views of the Martian soil returned to Earth after landing.

Scientists have suggested that the different-coloured soil could be caused by a light-coloured fossil dune emerging from darker soil that covered it in the past.

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A large crater lies near Opportunity's landing site

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View from descent

This image was taken as the lander descended towards the planet's surface.

A large impact crater about 150 metres (500 feet) in diameter can be seen off to the right. It lies about one kilometre (half a mile) from where Opportunity touched down.