Distant vistas, Endeavour, Iazu, and beyond |
Distant vistas, Endeavour, Iazu, and beyond |
Jan 31 2010, 02:33 PM
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#31
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Member Group: Members Posts: 221 Joined: 25-March 05 Member No.: 217 |
Hi all
It seems all I can say when posting here is "brilliant views" I remember when Columbia Hills was about the same size as Endeavour is now on the horizon and how keen I (we ) were to get there. Now I've never been so torn between seeing whats at our feet and everything that's up ahead. Either way everyday from now is going to be brilliant views. Thanks again to all for the stuff on this website. Roy F |
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Jan 31 2010, 02:53 PM
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#32
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
What's kind of cool is that these images of the horizon were taken 16 hrs ago. Seriously - just 16 hrs ago.
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Jan 31 2010, 03:06 PM
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#33
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
...and I made my pan at 7am, so they were just 8 hours old then?!?! That's fantastic!
(And ESA still hasn't released those 'crescent Mars' images taken by Rosetta years ago. Just saying.) -------------------- |
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Jan 31 2010, 03:55 PM
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#34
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
(at least some cameras ESA flies near Mars have a rapid turnaround: (*cough*) http://webservices.esa.int/blog/post/6/958)
-------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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Jan 31 2010, 04:02 PM
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#35
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2262 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Melbourne - Oz Member No.: 16 |
Here are the horizon features plotted alongside another 'inverse-polar' map from this position.
I've drawn guide lines from the peaks to appropriate positions on the map in yellow and orange lines highlight the visible extent of Izau (I'm still thinking about identification of peaks) James -------------------- |
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Jan 31 2010, 04:25 PM
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#36
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10231 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
The great thing about this is that the view is just going to get better all the time. Apart from the possibility of losing it very briefly behind local drifts in the next one or two km, we'll always have it, and it will get closer and the middle distance will open up more all the time. Exploration at its greatest, as some guy once said.
Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PDF: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
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Jan 31 2010, 04:26 PM
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#37
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
That's excellent, thanks James! Now we can clearly see that the very nearest rim hills (maybe in fact a slumped portion of the original rim?) are still entirely out of sight below the level surface we are looking across. I thought that might be the case from my attempts to decipher the spot heights on the map, but I'm pretty wary of those now. Seeing is believing.
EDIT: Why the interest in those invisible hiils? I think that's the location of some curious shoreline-like landforms we discussed a while ago and possibly a future destination. |
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Jan 31 2010, 05:17 PM
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#38
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4256 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
Fantastic views! Thanks everyone for putting together these mosaics.
Looks like a real feature but I am having some hard time figuring out what it may be comparing with satellite imagery... I've ID'ed Ustrax's dark feature - see the white line I added to James' superb inverse polar. It looks like it's a "head" at the closest point of the plateau around Iazu. Interesting that we're now seeing that that plateau is almost as high as the rim of Iazu.Also, it's cool that we're really starting to see features on the features now, at least on the Endeavour rim. I've made a very tentative ID of a crater on the far rim of Endeavour (white circles). As others have said, the view will get better and better. But on top of improved sight lines, as we head into winter the transparency should improve as well, so we should see more features on these features too. Edit: I guess I was so excited I forgot to add my pic! Here it is: |
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Jan 31 2010, 05:18 PM
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#39
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
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Jan 31 2010, 07:33 PM
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#40
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 71 Joined: 19-January 10 From: Grimsby, N.E. Lincs, UK Member No.: 5179 |
Like many previous posts I am just in awe of both the views we are beginning to experience and the expertise of those UMSF members who take the time and trouble to allow us to see these vistas in such a quick, easy and beautiful manner. A big thank you to you all.
I am trying to keep my excitement down to bearable levels (I have already learnt how tiring the emotional rollercoaster highs and lows associated with these two rovers can be!) so i'll simply ask these two questions; 1 - Are the current power levels on Opportunity any cause for concern re reaching Endeavour? (I just have this nightmare of us running out of juice 5 metres from the rim!) 2 - From the photos above it appears that whilst Endeavour is the larger crater and is our target, i think it would be fair to say it looks as though Lazu has an amazing rim. Would there be anything to be gained from trying to get there as well? (I do appreciate it is a long way away but is there anything to suggest it is significantly different from endeavour?) Finally, I agree with Teshiner, we are definitely in HOAV area! However, I think that bar might be raised in the upcoming months... Neil |
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Jan 31 2010, 08:02 PM
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#41
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 |
I remember when Columbia Hills was about the same size as Endeavour is now on the horizon and how keen I (we ) were to get there.... Opportunity still has a much longer way to go than Spirit did. While Spirit has had a much rougher trek, Opportunity has been the long distance runner. Here is an inset showing the distance covered by Spirit from Bonneville crater to the Columbia Hills. I estimated the scale based on 2.5 km from Bonneville to the Hills compared with a little over 4.5 km from Victoria to Concepcion. |
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Jan 31 2010, 08:06 PM
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#42
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 |
1 - Are the current power levels on Opportunity any cause for concern re reaching Endeavour? 2 - ...Lazu has an amazing rim. Would there be anything to be gained from trying to get there as well? 1. Power should be no problem, barring another killer dust storm. The biggest problem in my opinion would be mechanical or electrical failures because of age. (Hopefully the rover is now too smart to get stuck in the sand.) 2. Ask again in two years. |
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Jan 31 2010, 08:18 PM
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#43
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4256 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
Neil, Squyres was asked about Oppy's power levels at the recent briefing and he said they weren't a concern.
Here's a comparison between the view at sol 1987 (from Astro's mosaic) with the 2140 view (from James' mosaic). Both at 3x vertical stretch. Stunning improvement indeed for Endeavour west rim/Iazu. And significant perspective change - note white line connecting the west rim peaks. Changes within Iazu as well due to near/far rim perspective change, as I remarked earlier when I posted my long baseline anaglyph. |
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Jan 31 2010, 08:26 PM
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#44
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Member Group: Members Posts: 221 Joined: 25-March 05 Member No.: 217 |
Hi Centsworth_II
I did realize that Oppy is further from Endeavour than Spirit was at Bonneville and thank you for the comparison map all maps are always welcome especially maps with helpful inserts. Roy F |
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Jan 31 2010, 09:03 PM
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#45
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Member Group: Members Posts: 194 Joined: 3-January 10 Member No.: 5156 |
Cool. Spirit needed only 68 Sols from Bonneville to the Hills (Sol 86 to 154). I estimate the route to endeavour from conception as 4,5 times the route from Bonneville to the Hills (11.25 km? a little short I think) , that means we only need 306 sols to get there :-) But that's of course a minimum guess, maybe we see some interesting stuff on the road ...
-------------------- Need more input ...
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