As I sit here on my little desk in front of my little computer, the last thing I'd like to lose is the ability to be astounded. It is important to get groceries and to plan the next big drawing, taxes are also pretty valid concern. But what will get us out of the pit of ignorance and every-day obtuseness is our continuing ability to be astounded. It is pretty astonishing the Mars rover Opportunity has been on Mars 45 times its intended lifespan. And, thank God, there are these crazy people that continue to run it. The rover was designed, built, and operated by JPL, which is managed by Caltech.
NASA"s Opportunity tracks on Mars:
Here is Opportunity's detailed traverse map on Mars:
The entirety of Opportunity's decade of driving on Mars:
Leonardo da Vinci's Codex on Bird Flight is also on Mars.
For all those who submitted your names, Congratulations! Your name was successfully etched onto a microchip and is officially on Mars!
And here is how it all happened - http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname/
And, finally, the ability to be astounded as borrowed from a 3 years old: