For the anaglyphiles, some great dunes

Thesheiner, it is good to know about the ultimate update trace that you made. I feel more comfortable to plan the route with polar projection.

Now the scientists wants to approach to rim in order to approach to any rock in order to compare their composition between Eagle, and Endurance. So, I think the rover must put the pants and try to approach to rim as possible. The recent pictures, I saw many avenues to approach to rim and when she is there, there will have a better visual about the ways to rim.

Rodolfo

Here is the Navcam pano from Sol 616.

Taken with the L0 Navcam.


jvandriel

Thanks this is a nice shot. I assume that Erebus is seen in the upper left. I was curious about the 3 inch crater in the dust pile seen on the lower right. It is interesting that Mars' atmosphere is so thin that meteors small enough to make such a dimple can make it to the surface. That tells me a little bit about what a long term habitat will need to have for armor.

This is a discussion that we've had at length in the "Tiny Craters" thread here

Images from sol 618 drive are available.

fwd-hazcam: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...A7P1212L0M1.JPG
rear-hazcam: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...A7P1315L0M1.JPG
navcam: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...A7P0765L0M1.JPG

The rover seems to have moved NW and is also heading NW looking to the sea of dunes/ripples, searching for a possible path...

I seem like that the fwd-hazcam, Oppy is heading to South-West toward to Erebus rim instead of North-West. (see at the bottom of picture there are big ripples).

Rodolfo

You are right.
What is heading NW is the navcam panorama (5 images), and it is usually taken looking to where they plan to drive next.

The actual heading of the rover is not too significant because it's also a common thing to turn it right after driving in order to better orient the high-gain antenna.

Ah The high gain antenna is not capable to turn around to point to the Earth. I thought it can do to any x-y-z coordenates..

By the way, it is not used at all unless the small ones stick of UHF to communicate with any of three passing orbiters (ME, MGS or ODY).

Rodolfo

I agree. She's doing a next-drive Pancam pan, the Navcam pan shows that from a W-NW sequence. I figure (hope?) that Oppy will drive South to the new outcrop and then back North and do a W-NW drive around the dune field.

--Bill

I think the turn is primarily to line up for better UHF passes not the HGA which can, as you say point in pretty much any direction (although they may take shadowing of the HGA by the PMA etc into account as well, i'm not sure)

James

Looks like there is a route past those ugly dunes!
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...A7P0765L0M1.JPG

Here is the view west-northwest on Sol 618.

We will know quite soon...
Sol 619 is (was) driving day too.

Here is the first Sol 616 L0 Navcam panoramic view taken early in the Sol.

jvandriel

and here the second one ( complete ), taken later in Sol 616 with the L0 Navcam.

jvandriel

The first one of Sol 617 with the R0 Navcam.

jvandriel

and the last one from Sol 617 taken with the L0 Navcam.

jvandriel

Wooow, what a view! That's the steaning land!

Btw jvandriel, since you process the pics with Michael's anti-vignetting program, they are very nice and even the horizon (Navcams) is sometime stitched too.

Sol 619 images are on the net.
Oppy is travelling again on sandy terrain...

Oppy two probably routes: Blue toward to Erebus rim and Yellow encircling the rim thru ripples.

Rodolfo

This is the first tricolor image in a while. It is an L257 of image 1P183045612EFF6300P2401L2M . The Payson outcrop at the Mogollon Rim is centered near the horizon.

--Bill

Another failed attempt to cross a ripple
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...C5P1235L0M1.JPG

Just some careful driving I think:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...DGP1655L0M1.JPG

A pancam L2 panoramic view around Erebus taken on Sol 617.

jvandriel

It appears that Oppy approached the new and unusual outcrop, decided it wasn't new enough or unusual enough, and is now threading a cautious path westward.

This is fascinating; hats off to the team of rover drivers, this is great driving. One of my hobbies/interests is remote aerial photgraphy from a radio-controlled airplane and I can well appreciate their efforts.

Thanks for the L2 panorama; I'm looking forward to your and Dilo's next panorama and route map!

--Bill

Here is the next one Bill.

No more bedrock, only dunes.

A panoramic view with the L2 Pancam on Sol 618.

How about this quick service.

jvandriel

Don't put your money on that ones.

The "drive-direction" pancams for sol 619 are looking west. It's more or less "two navcam pictures" to the right of your reference image.

Here is a small stitching of two sol 619 navcam frames in which the zig-zagging drive can be seen. Watch the trenching made by the stuck right-front wheel on the first turn (at the left side).

there are plenty choices. I was just betting for a fun time.

Going toward west to circunven around the Erebus rim until reaching the south rim part.

Rodolfo

Thanks for the Sol 218 L2 panorama. I suspected that Oppy would not spend a great deal of time at this outcrop; getting to the Mogollon outcrop is a priority and unless something truly unusual turns up I doubt that Oppy will tarry long.

That zig-zag drive was amazing. Attached is a "for fun" adaption of that image with vertical exaggeration. The dunes in the background are the ones Southeast of The Four Lane and the outcrop in the left near the horizon is on the East rim of Erebus.

--Bill

Phil,

I miss your polar maps. Look forward for your next post. Your previous post is already at the extreme reach.

Rodolfo

It seems that the rover drivers are taking their revenge after last week reset and communication problems.

After five driving days in a row and just a "day-off", today (european time) is driving day again.

----
621 p0755.03 0 0 0 0 0 0 navcam_5x1_az_270_3_bpp
621 p1212.02 0 0 0 0 0 0 front_haz_ultimate_2_bpp
----

Any bets for when Spirit, oooops, Oppy would reach Mogollon rim? I would say around sol 640.

Edited: I believe Oppy will reach the rim earlier then Spirit.

Probably never

(I guess you meant to say 'Oppy' ? )

Oh yes!

I must correct myself. I should either say "... when Oppy would reach ..." or "... around sol 640 000".

Here it is with its next door frame, not a lot of colour imaging being done, but then I'd rather they just did imaging dedicated to good driving. 40m+ is great in these conditions. -
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/doug_images/erebus_3.jpg

Doug

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...RP0755L0M1.HTML

Change of plan?

Initially, I tought the rover will colinde the rim until find a way to enter inside crater but now we see the route is toward north.

It seems like it is going to a flater ripple zone in order to cross westwards until a good west longitude before turn on southward among valley to reach Erebus. This is according to the Squyres's objective to visit in some point around Erebus crater before going to Victoria crater.

I don't see any reason for Oppy to go toward north, a way back home to Eagle crater unless they found any interesting site on that zone.

Rodolfo

New contamination of the Hazcam with dust?
(before sol 619) http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...GP1211R0M1.HTML
(after sol 621) http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...RP1212R0M1.HTML

Here is the first panoramic view around Erebus from Sol 618

Taken with the L0 navcam.

and here the second one from that same Sol 618.

jvandriel

The first panoramic view from Sol 619.

Taken with the L0 navcam.

jvandriel

and the second one from Sol 619.

jvandriel

Here is the first pano from Sol 621.

Taken with the L0 navcam.

jvandriel

and the second one from Sol 621.

Also taken with the L0 navcam.

jvandriel

Did the front hazcam just get a lot more dusty?

Sol 621

Sol 619

Or is it just the lighting conditions?

EDIT: Sorry, Just saw TMan's post up-thread. That's what I get for trying to catch up on all the posts after a weekend off by skimming!

He's coming(?).

Dust Storm: http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=1556

I am afraid that if the following guideline is valid: "the farther is from the big ripples, the less windy is the zone" or also "the farther is from big ripples, the more dust have that zone".

It is natural to see the places where there are big dunes or ripples means that these places has stronger winds and also has some kind bump of land.

It is likely that the power solar panels will get dirtier whenever the Oppy is far from the rim.

Rodolfo

There are no flat planes around there, so no more North heading! From here, the landscape is very homogeneous. So it is time to turn on left to West.
............
............... |...|
............... |...|
-----------|...|
--------------| --> North

Rodolfo

Sol 624 has just started at Meridiani and it's planned as driving sol.
Let's see if Oppy continue her north trek or starts turning west to traverse those rippes.

---
624 p0755.03 10 0 0 10 0 20 navcam_5x1_az_270_3_bpp
624 p1205.05 2 0 0 2 0 4 front_haz_penultimate_0.5_bpp_pri18
624 p1212.02 2 0 0 2 0 4 front_haz_ultimate_2_bpp