New dust devils spotted in old Phoenix images |
New dust devils spotted in old Phoenix images |
Apr 28 2010, 07:00 PM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 570 Joined: 20-April 05 From: Silesia Member No.: 299 |
On 20 April 2008, MRO spotted two dust devils at the centre of the landing ellipse, which measures 20 by 100 kilometres across. Based on the shadows the dust devils cast on the surface, researchers estimate that one stretched to about 920 metres in height, while the other reached 790 metres.
I noticed one very big column on picture ss141rad908730636 (Sol 141). This may be dust devil towering hundreds meters high, or .... artefact. -------------------- Free software for planetary science (including Cassini Image Viewer).
http://members.tripod.com/petermasek/marinerall.html |
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Apr 28 2010, 07:26 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 593 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 279 |
With the column on the right, there's an increased density on both edges of the funnel above ground level, which I'd expect to see in a rotating tube o' dust => not an artifact?
Andy |
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Apr 29 2010, 04:25 AM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 890 Joined: 18-November 08 Member No.: 4489 |
peter59
???? by chance did you mean to post this i a year old thread ??? about working with a 32 bit image format on ( i think MS windows box) that is very easy on *nix but not so easy on windows |
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Apr 29 2010, 06:12 AM
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#4
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2113 Joined: 13-February 10 From: Ontario Member No.: 5221 |
For a few moments I thought you were implying that the dust devil is one and the same in both images, but I double-checked the dates and of course that's a month before landing.
Would be rather spooky otherwise. |
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Apr 29 2010, 03:19 PM
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#5
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Martian Photographer Group: Members Posts: 353 Joined: 3-March 05 Member No.: 183 |
Wow. Quite real. Other dust devils have been noted in full resolution images: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/pdf/1799.pdf, and /or http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/08091...ust-devils.html.
Meteorology-sensed dust devils as well as imaged one are discussed in a recent JGR (for those so inclined and with access). Abstract: http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2010/2009JE003413.shtml Anyway, I haven't heard of one (or, now, several) in one of the low-res horizon movies. And I like your enhancements to show details in the structure. Here is a contrast-enhanced version of all 32 frames. The dust devils show up late. You also see cloud and cloud-shadows moving around. I omitted time stamps, but it is about 50 sec per frame. http://www.met.tamu.edu/mars/phx_enhanced_141_1FBC3R2.gif Edit: well this is sad--the activity claims to be a deliberate dust devil search, which explains the low pointing compared to normal horizon movies, which look at clouds. So it should have been seen, oh, 540 sols ago... |
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Apr 29 2010, 04:20 PM
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#6
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Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 5172 Joined: 4-August 05 From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth Member No.: 454 |
I split the dust devil posts into a new topic. Well spotted, Peter59!
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Apr 29 2010, 04:51 PM
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#7
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 3431 Joined: 11-August 04 From: USA Member No.: 98 |
Wow. Can I ask a somewhat vague question: without the contrast enhancement, would the clouds look that dramatic to a human on scene? The contrast-enhanced version looks positively stormy.
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Apr 29 2010, 10:27 PM
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#8
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 3108 Joined: 21-December 05 From: Canberra, Australia Member No.: 615 |
Wonderful enhancement work on those DDs.
Wish I had had the ability to do that kind of stuff way back when I first posted a movie file of the tall DDs that appeared on Sol104. Nobody believed me back then that they were there. Ah, vindication....it feels good. |
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Apr 29 2010, 10:32 PM
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#9
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1597 Joined: 14-October 05 From: Vermont Member No.: 530 |
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