QUOTE (Sunspot @ Nov 1 2005, 06:30 PM)
How old are those pictures? With all image websites updating differently or not at all recently, im totally lost now lol 
Those are Sol 630. To-sol. Nice that Exploratorium is working again!
Full Version: Erebus
Those are Sol 630. To-sol. Nice that Exploratorium is working again!
Hey, it seems no Dust Storm far and wide so far! Especially visible in the Navcams (Doug's pan). L2 Pancams normally get sometimes such a dark exposure.
I guess the MER Pancam tracking site isn't accurate at the moment.
There she is, right on the doorstep.
This is odd. Look at the first image (PanCam, Sol 630), the right wheel track has light toned "splats" at every wheel revolution. Can't recall seeing this before. I wonder if it's related to the scuffing/trenching that happened three days (~72 hrs) earlier, shown in a Rear HazCam image.
This might be caused by the light evaporite dust collecting in the wheel's rim and dribbling out as the wheel turns, but then...
--Bill
This is odd. Look at the first image (PanCam, Sol 630), the right wheel track has light toned "splats" at every wheel revolution. Can't recall seeing this before. I wonder if it's related to the scuffing/trenching that happened three days (~72 hrs) earlier, shown in a Rear HazCam image.
This might be caused by the light evaporite dust collecting in the wheel's rim and dribbling out as the wheel turns, but then...
--Bill
Some quick parallax calculations give the following results:
- Distance to the nearest outcrop: ~35m
- Sol 627 driving distance: ~45m
- Distance to the nearest outcrop: ~35m
- Sol 627 driving distance: ~45m
QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Nov 2 2005, 06:03 AM)
There she is, right on the doorstep.
This is odd. Look at the first image (PanCam, Sol 630), the right wheel track has light toned "splats" at every wheel revolution. Can't recall seeing this before. I wonder if it's related to the scuffing/trenching that happened three days (~72 hrs) earlier, shown in a Rear HazCam image.
This might be caused by the light evaporite dust collecting in the wheel's rim and dribbling out as the wheel turns, but then...
--Bill
This is odd. Look at the first image (PanCam, Sol 630), the right wheel track has light toned "splats" at every wheel revolution. Can't recall seeing this before. I wonder if it's related to the scuffing/trenching that happened three days (~72 hrs) earlier, shown in a Rear HazCam image.
This might be caused by the light evaporite dust collecting in the wheel's rim and dribbling out as the wheel turns, but then...
--Bill
Looks to me like the "splats" started after the whells on that side crossed the last ripple. The tracks look pretty deep there; that would be my guess for where the material was picked up.
James
What I like about this..
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...pe=post&id=2090
Is the darkness of the solar cells despite all the recent dust deposition we seem to have had on the Hazcams. The dirtier the cells get, the lighter they appear.
Doug
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...pe=post&id=2090
Is the darkness of the solar cells despite all the recent dust deposition we seem to have had on the Hazcams. The dirtier the cells get, the lighter they appear.
Doug
QUOTE (djellison @ Nov 2 2005, 10:30 AM)
What I like about this..
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...pe=post&id=2090
Is the darkness of the solar cells despite all the recent dust deposition we seem to have had on the Hazcams. The dirtier the cells get, the lighter they appear.
Doug
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...pe=post&id=2090
Is the darkness of the solar cells despite all the recent dust deposition we seem to have had on the Hazcams. The dirtier the cells get, the lighter they appear.
Doug
Well spotted Doug, they do look pristine in that frame. With all the dust being blown around at Meridiani lately (from the tracks, and onto the hazcams) I was wondering about possible cleaning events.
Here's hoping,
James
This may have been posted already, but I like it, I'm posting it again. 
This is the wide version.
Here is the anaglyph version. Edit: Changed to make it a bit brighter.
This is the wide version.
Here is the anaglyph version. Edit: Changed to make it a bit brighter.
With regard to a possible recent cleaning event,
Two colour sundial images from MMB. L456, Sol 609 on the left, Sol 620 on the right, taken with the sun from as similar an angle as I could find.
Note the vertical red 'stripe' on the sundial mast appears to have vanished!
=> Enough wind across rover deck to move dust.
=> More power for Oppy (maybe).
Looks like this happened between Sol 614 and 616.
James
P.S. Had a quick look back and I think that stripe has been there since the late 400's
Two colour sundial images from MMB. L456, Sol 609 on the left, Sol 620 on the right, taken with the sun from as similar an angle as I could find.
Note the vertical red 'stripe' on the sundial mast appears to have vanished!
=> Enough wind across rover deck to move dust.
=> More power for Oppy (maybe).
Looks like this happened between Sol 614 and 616.
James
P.S. Had a quick look back and I think that stripe has been there since the late 400's
Pray for power. It's looking good.
Those outcrops ahead look pretty sweet, especially in the anaglyphs. We have some vertical section here, unless faulting has caused the relief. This place is worth a look.
Those outcrops ahead look pretty sweet, especially in the anaglyphs. We have some vertical section here, unless faulting has caused the relief. This place is worth a look.
Today, sol 631 is drive day .
.
Looks like Oppy has arrived at the large outcrop on the north-west corner of Erebus.
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2401L5M1.JPG
or is this an old photograph?
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2401L5M1.JPG
or is this an old photograph?
QUOTE (general @ Nov 2 2005, 10:07 AM)
Looks like Oppy has arrived at the large outcrop on the north-west corner of Erebus.
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2401L5M1.JPG
or is this an old photograph?
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2401L5M1.JPG
or is this an old photograph?
Elapsed time since acquisition: 13 days, 08:20:37
>This place is worth a look.
Indeed.
Here is a crop from a 5x1 pano of the current Sol, exaggerated 5x vertically showing the start of the road to Mogollon. Straight down the trough, turn right and I believe that the dark area is the first contact of the mysterious dark unit. And thence, a straight shot to Payson, et al.
But first, it'd be nice to have a close look at the stratification in the adjacent ripple...
--Bill
Indeed.
Here is a crop from a 5x1 pano of the current Sol, exaggerated 5x vertically showing the start of the road to Mogollon. Straight down the trough, turn right and I believe that the dark area is the first contact of the mysterious dark unit. And thence, a straight shot to Payson, et al.
But first, it'd be nice to have a close look at the stratification in the adjacent ripple...
--Bill
QUOTE (djellison @ Oct 31 2005, 05:51 PM)
RN - your info is a bit outdated.
A typical sol will start with the DFE X-Band uplink containing commands for that sol, (although with Spirit they're trying it via UHF). Then typically around 4pm, a UHF relay will occur and data from that sol will get sent down. More data gets sent down, sometimes, at 4am as well. Anything that doesnt get down that sol, will get sent in the next available opportunity based on priority.
Odyssey is in a 4pm orbit - it overflies any area roughly at 4pm, and that means that a rover can have 1, 2 or sometimes 3 consecutive orbits with visibility of Odyssey in a single sol, and potential for a similar number 12 hrs later. Typically, however, they just use the one PM UHF pass, and if they're not using deep sleep, 1 AM UHF pass.
In any case, it's only very very rarely that the rover can not see Odyssey at least twice in any given sol.
Doug
A typical sol will start with the DFE X-Band uplink containing commands for that sol, (although with Spirit they're trying it via UHF). Then typically around 4pm, a UHF relay will occur and data from that sol will get sent down. More data gets sent down, sometimes, at 4am as well. Anything that doesnt get down that sol, will get sent in the next available opportunity based on priority.
Odyssey is in a 4pm orbit - it overflies any area roughly at 4pm, and that means that a rover can have 1, 2 or sometimes 3 consecutive orbits with visibility of Odyssey in a single sol, and potential for a similar number 12 hrs later. Typically, however, they just use the one PM UHF pass, and if they're not using deep sleep, 1 AM UHF pass.
In any case, it's only very very rarely that the rover can not see Odyssey at least twice in any given sol.
Doug
Thank you for the further clarification. I love to know it too. Where did you get a more detailed information?
Rodolfo
QUOTE (djellison @ Nov 1 2005, 03:15 AM)
I think that's what you get when you shuffle back and forth whilst steering with only 3 of the 4 steering wheels
Perhaps a slight turn in place to optimise UHF passes?
Doug
Perhaps a slight turn in place to optimise UHF passes?
Doug
The UHF antenna of MER is of a kind stick, no an arch disk. So the UHF does not need to orient its position and their radio waves travels in radial the same to all directions. The same type signal as ones of TV, mobil phones, etc.
So discard the hypothesis of what Oppy was trying to align its UHF.
Rodolfo
QUOTE (RNeuhaus @ Nov 2 2005, 03:56 PM)
The UHF antenna of MER is of a kind stick, no an arch disk. So the UHF does not need to orient its position....
I know.
BUT
They know in advance the path overhead of Odyssey
They know the items on the rover deck that can cause a line of sight obstruction
They can thus rotate in place to ensure the maximum possible ammount of clean line-of-sight coverage in any one UHF pass - i.e. ensure that the PMA doesnt obstruct during the pass.
If you check back thru the updates on the Mer Website, you'll see they've done it a lot in the past.
QUOTE (Tman @ Nov 1 2005, 08:16 PM)
Hey, it seems no Dust Storm far and wide so far! Especially visible in the Navcams (Doug's pan). L2 Pancams normally get sometimes such a dark exposure.There was/is quite some dust in the atmosphere, though:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/sta...tml#opportunity
--- Sols 628: Output from the solar panels did not climb high enough to wake Opportunity from deep sleep until 7:38:50 in the morning, local solar time. This was nearly five minutes too late for its first scheduled activity of the day ... ---
Solar panels' output:
Sol 627 - 593 watt hours - opacity: 1.6
Sol 628 - 479 watt hours
Sol 629 - 470 watt hours
Sol 630 - 496 watt hours
Sol 630 odometer: 6,373.6 meters
Solar panels' output:
Sol 627 - 593 watt hours - opacity: 1.6
Sol 628 - 479 watt hours
Sol 629 - 470 watt hours
Sol 630 - 496 watt hours
Sol 630 odometer: 6,373.6 meters
Indeed:
I wish they would fix the drive counter issue, but that's a quibble I guess. Looks like this ups the excitement level for Oppy. Nice for us scenery-gazers, too.
I wish they would fix the drive counter issue, but that's a quibble I guess. Looks like this ups the excitement level for Oppy. Nice for us scenery-gazers, too.
Lots of those "cobbles" in that second picture you posted mhoward. By the way, did we ever find out what they were? I know Opportunity stopped to examine one some time ago.
Now that's a wonderful rock garden ... And the best is yet to come
In your 2nd image, mhoward, it looks like something fell right in the middle of the outcrop from high above
Or someone set a camp fire ??
Edit: Or both simultaneously
And the best is yet to come In your 2nd image, mhoward, it looks like something fell right in the middle of the outcrop from high above
Or someone set a camp fire ??
Edit: Or both simultaneously
good to see that Oppy is still capable of doing 50+ meters per day and
120+ meters per week, even in difficult ripple-crossing conditions ... if
driving is her main priority
So I hope that, after having of course extensively studied the Erebus outcrops first,
she'll then soon start the Great Victoria Trek, being put in "full driving-modus" again and
we could actually cover the remaining kilometer or so to Victoria within about 2 months or so ...
120+ meters per week, even in difficult ripple-crossing conditions ... if
driving is her main priority
So I hope that, after having of course extensively studied the Erebus outcrops first,
she'll then soon start the Great Victoria Trek, being put in "full driving-modus" again and
we could actually cover the remaining kilometer or so to Victoria within about 2 months or so ...
Woohoo! Crater's edge and a clear run for some distance... it even look like there might be some rock trending lower into the crater...
I reckon we're at Erebus until February at least.
I reckon we're at Erebus until February at least.
QUOTE
TheChemist said: In your 2nd image, mhoward, it looks like something fell right in the middle of the outcrop from high above.
It really looks like that it came from above. But so have more of those cobbles weve seen earlier they have been on top - if it is some ort of ejecta this could have been one larger piece that broke up on impact.
And thank you for the images mhoward
This is a really beautiful scene to this rockhound's eyes. I was choking on all that recent alluvium. Here's an anaglyph, for those who like them. I couldn't force autostitch include the 5th navcam on the left in this panorama. The pancam view should be spectacular. I wonder if they'll stop around here, or just blow by this place. I just hope they take a lot of pictures along the way, if they don't want to dally with other observations.
The dark cobbles are as curious as ever. They've said they are not meteorites. Here they appear to be a lag deposit, collecting in low areas. We've seen greater concentrations of them as Opportunity has come south. I could imagine them being impact ejecta from Erebus or another crater.
The dark cobbles are as curious as ever. They've said they are not meteorites. Here they appear to be a lag deposit, collecting in low areas. We've seen greater concentrations of them as Opportunity has come south. I could imagine them being impact ejecta from Erebus or another crater.
Oh. I almost forgot. Have any others noticed that some of the reports we have been seeing lately, describe the aeolian features as "drifts."
New traverse maps:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-...nity/index.html
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-...nity/index.html
QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Nov 3 2005, 06:43 AM)
Oh. I almost forgot. Have any others noticed that some of the reports we have been seeing lately, describe the aeolian features as "drifts."
I called them Dunes when I interviewed Steve, and he was quite carefull in using the word Ripples. I think there are probably dictionary definitions for all these things (like Sand, Gravel and Pebble all have quantitative ranges )
Doug
The same panorama as above, just in 2D. Truly a beautiful spot.
Full res (1.14 MB)
50% res (0.34 MB)
Michael
Full res (1.14 MB)
50% res (0.34 MB)
Michael
I think that the large sandpiles-- such as we drove around to get to this area-- are being properly referred to as "drifts", just as the smallish things are called "ripples".
I'm with Tom... I'm still drooling on this area. More later.
--Bill
I'm with Tom... I'm still drooling on this area. More later.
--Bill
QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Nov 3 2005, 08:29 AM)
...
I wonder if they'll stop around here, or just blow by this place. I just hope they take a lot of pictures along the way, if they don't want to dally with other observations.
...
I wonder if they'll stop around here, or just blow by this place. I just hope they take a lot of pictures along the way, if they don't want to dally with other observations.
...
Tosol (632) is planned as driving day too.
QUOTE (djellison @ Nov 3 2005, 10:22 AM)
I called them Dunes when I interviewed Steve, and he was quite carefull in using the word Ripples. I think there are probably dictionary definitions for all these things (like Sand, Gravel and Pebble all have quantitative ranges )
Doug
Doug
Hi Doug, have you published this interview with Steve already, if I missed it in the forum - where is it?
QUOTE (Tman @ Nov 3 2005, 10:16 AM)
Hi Doug, have you published this interview with Steve already, if I missed it in the forum - where is it?
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=1367
Much as I would like to transcribe it, it would take days and days and days - and I just dont have the time.
Doug
QUOTE (djellison @ Nov 3 2005, 11:18 AM)
Much as I would like to transcribe it, it would take days and days and days - and I just dont have the time.
Doug
Doug
Get ten people to do 5 mins each, or five people to do 10 mins. I've transcribed interviews before and would happily transcribe 5/10 mins. Just say from when to when.
A Sol 630 pancam L2 panoramic view around Erebus.
Consisting of 10 images.
jvandriel
Consisting of 10 images.
jvandriel
QUOTE (paxdan @ Nov 3 2005, 12:05 PM)
Get ten people to do 5 mins each, or five people to do 10 mins. I've transcribed interviews before and would happily transcribe 5/10 mins. Just say from when to when.
I'll volunteer to do a chunk...
chris
And on Sol 631 closer to the crater rim.
A navcam panoramic view.
jvandriel
A navcam panoramic view.
jvandriel
QUOTE (paxdan @ Nov 3 2005, 02:05 PM)
Get ten people to do 5 mins each, or five people to do 10 mins. I've transcribed interviews before and would happily transcribe 5/10 mins. Just say from when to when.
Yeayeayeayea, that would be great!!! Especially for those which have some difficulties in English translation like me
which have to consult many words.
TheChemist,
Greece is on Mars too.
---
632 p0605.01 10 0 0 10 0 20 navcam_5x1_az_0_1_bpp
632 p0705.03 10 0 0 10 0 20 navcam_5x1_az_180_3_bpp
632 p1201.03 2 0 0 2 0 4 front_haz_penultimate_1_bpp_crit16
632 p1214.05 2 0 0 2 0 4 front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
632 p1315.02 2 0 0 2 0 4 rear_hazcam_ultimate_0.5_bpp_pri_34
632 p2093.01 7 7 0 0 2 16 pancam_cal_targ_L257R1267
632 p2414.06 14 0 0 14 2 30 pancam_Kalambaka_L257R1267
632 p2415.06 14 0 0 14 2 30 pancam_2x1_Ellas_L257R1267
632 p2600.07 2 2 0 0 2 6 pancam_tau
632 p2600.07 2 2 0 0 2 6 pancam_tau
632 p2600.07 2 2 0 0 2 6 pancam_tau
632 p2630.01 56 2 54 0 2 114 pancam_saw_skysurvey_L4578R2478
632 p2651.06 5 5 0 0 1 11 pancam_dust_devil_hunter_L6
Greece is on Mars too.
---
632 p0605.01 10 0 0 10 0 20 navcam_5x1_az_0_1_bpp
632 p0705.03 10 0 0 10 0 20 navcam_5x1_az_180_3_bpp
632 p1201.03 2 0 0 2 0 4 front_haz_penultimate_1_bpp_crit16
632 p1214.05 2 0 0 2 0 4 front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
632 p1315.02 2 0 0 2 0 4 rear_hazcam_ultimate_0.5_bpp_pri_34
632 p2093.01 7 7 0 0 2 16 pancam_cal_targ_L257R1267
632 p2414.06 14 0 0 14 2 30 pancam_Kalambaka_L257R1267
632 p2415.06 14 0 0 14 2 30 pancam_2x1_Ellas_L257R1267
632 p2600.07 2 2 0 0 2 6 pancam_tau
632 p2600.07 2 2 0 0 2 6 pancam_tau
632 p2600.07 2 2 0 0 2 6 pancam_tau
632 p2630.01 56 2 54 0 2 114 pancam_saw_skysurvey_L4578R2478
632 p2651.06 5 5 0 0 1 11 pancam_dust_devil_hunter_L6
QUOTE (paxdan @ Nov 3 2005, 07:05 AM)
Get ten people to do 5 mins each...
I'll sign up to do a chunk too...
QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Nov 3 2005, 03:40 PM)
Greece is on Mars too.
632 p2414.06 14 0 0 14 2 30 pancam_Kalambaka_L257R1267
632 p2415.06 14 0 0 14 2 30 pancam_2x1_Ellas_L257R1267
632 p2414.06 14 0 0 14 2 30 pancam_Kalambaka_L257R1267
632 p2415.06 14 0 0 14 2 30 pancam_2x1_Ellas_L257R1267
Schiaparelli was very font of classical mythology, and Antoniadi was Greek
Have these two features been identified on actual images ?
Not yet.
We are currently on sol 632 (15:50 Local Time) at Meridiani and no picture has been downlinked yet for tosol.
We are currently on sol 632 (15:50 Local Time) at Meridiani and no picture has been downlinked yet for tosol.
QUOTE (TheChemist @ Nov 3 2005, 12:42 AM)
Now that's a wonderful rock garden ... And the best is yet to come
In your 2nd image, mhoward, it looks like something fell right in the middle of the outcrop from high above
Or someone set a camp fire ??
Edit: Or both simultaneously
And the best is yet to come In your 2nd image, mhoward, it looks like something fell right in the middle of the outcrop from high above
Or someone set a camp fire ??
Edit: Or both simultaneously
I thought that was just a joking comment until I had a good look at it, and by golly it really *does* look like something fell out of the sky. What it looks like to me is the sort of spread of debris from a highly friable clump, like a lump of (wait for it) wet sand. So: is there any mechanism, such as liquid CO2/water ice 'burps', which might account for a plug in the form of a loose clump of material being sent skyward, and landing with a velocity measured in no more than a few hundred MPH? And, if we've really spotted a strange impactor at last, then it neatly explains the mini-craters, too...
Bob Shaw
QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Nov 3 2005, 11:37 AM)
QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Nov 3 2005, 08:29 AM)
...
I wonder if they'll stop around here, or just blow by this place. I just hope they take a lot of pictures along the way, if they don't want to dally with other observations.
...
I wonder if they'll stop around here, or just blow by this place. I just hope they take a lot of pictures along the way, if they don't want to dally with other observations.
...
Tosol (632) is planned as driving day too.
... and that drive was just to place the rover near the "camp fire".
http://nasa.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportu...00P0705L0M1.JPG
http://nasa.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportu...00P0705L0M1.JPG
Look how finely cracked is the outcrop below the debris.
Of note, this spot is hardly the only one with a large collection of cobbles, as can be seen when the rover looks over it's left shoulder:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P0605L0M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P0605L0M1.JPG
Oh thank goodness, they finally incremented the site number and reset the drive number. Life is good!
Wow, I love the drifts. Let's get some pancams of the rim, please.
Wow, I love the drifts. Let's get some pancams of the rim, please.
Here is a "top" view of Sol 632 in MMB. North is approximately up in this picture.
What I found particularly interesting was the "bullethole in glass" pattern in front of the rover. Small but high-velocity impact?
What I found particularly interesting was the "bullethole in glass" pattern in front of the rover. Small but high-velocity impact?
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