This map shows the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's travels since arriving on the red planet in early January. It was released Thursday.

Spirit is on its way to a large crater nicknamed Bonneville. On the 45th day, or sol, of its mission (Feb.18, 2004), it stopped off at the shallow depression dubbed Laguna Hollow to investigate the fine-grained soil contained there.

The rover is not far from Bonneville's ejecta, a blanket of rocks and other material expelled from the crater when it was hit by whatever celestial object created it long ago.

So far, Spirit has traveled about 130 yards (120 meters) from its lander.

Data within the yellow box represent a digital map made of images taken by rover's panoramic and navigation cameras. Data outside this box are a composite of images from the rover's descent image motion estimation system camera and the orbiter Mars Global Surveyor.

Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/MSSS/OSU/New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science