New science target...

for Mars rover Opportunity has just been identified: clay-bearing rocks.

"The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has found clay-bearing rocks lying directly in the path ahead for the Mars rover Opportunity, giving the rover the unexpected chance to sample a totally new rock type that could have provided a wet, warm, and non acidic habitat for the formation of early life on Mars."

It's a valuable, er, opportunity, for Opportunity. Fingers crossed.