I wanted to start a new thread regarding Victoria when we finally get there. This will be a simple thread and no discussing the scientific aspect of Victoria. I just want to hear in one word or just one sentence how we all feel about what we are seeing before our eyes? This topic will start when we finally see the bottom of Victoria Crater.

I have a feeling it's going to leave some of us speechless

Speechless, yes. I think the best way I could sum it up is in the old word-play sentence, somewhat altered:

Able was I ere I saw Victoria...



-the other Doug

Ai! ROTC IV was I ere I saw Victoria.

In honour of the late great Steve Irwin.

"CRIKEY!!"

Doug

Howthat !

My god, it's full of stars.

Finally!!!

a Victoria haiku:

Here is what I hope:
Victoria will decode
water's past on Mars

Hail Victoria!

We're not in Kansas anymore.

Victoriapalooza.

Let's rock!

Oh Vickey you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind... Hey Vickey! Hey Vickey! ...

[Marvin]
I've seen it, it's rubbish.
[/Marvin]

Abyss!

Chris

One word *** NOT *** to say:

................... JUMP!

"...... and you want me to drive down there ?!!!!"

Actually - I think we all know what we'll all say when those first images come down

****




Doug

No way to get to explore Victoria without a lot of "Endurance"!

I'll go with **** I've said it a few times these last days; I got a cold and I don't like it.

Nico

No words or sentences, just...

Ustrax, you disco-freak..

Nico

These would be my first words upon seeing Victoria as well.

We obviously need meds to cope with the wait

Nico

My only one word is AH!

Rodolfo

We are about due for another WOW moment.

When the first pictures from the landings came down those were
just WOW. We didn't get one from El Dorado and I think the MER
team could use another one.

When we get that first peek over the rim I'm hoping its WOW.

I think this image, captured on the day Spirit reached the crest of Husband Hill, is very high on the "WOW" scale

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/...NDP0645R0M1.JPG

FWIW, I had a big wow at El Dorado..and I'm sure I'll be saying again at Victoria; "ma joenges toch" (Dutch for "Oh, man"..)

Nico

I agree Nix, I think El Dorado was a BIG "wow" moment, not just because of its aesthetic appeal but because it seemed like we had finally reached somewhere that was uniquely ours, as in Mars enthusiasts', you know? After ustrax "discovered" it and drew our attention to it, we kind of claimed it as our own... there was no big deal being made about it (to my knowledge) in official circles, yet we sensed it was something remarkable, and even if some of our ideas were a bit over the top (OMG, did I REALLY think it was a vast scree field...?!?! ) we nurtured it and counted down the days until our first real look at it. No-one else was aware it was such an amazing place until those main images came in, but by then we'd already adopted it as a kind of Enthusiasts Martian National Park... don't know about anyone else but when the media got hold of the pictures I was a bit put out, like they didn't deserve to be there after we'd had it to ourselves for so long...

I think VC is going to be the same, in fact it already is. I wonder how many people "out there" are aware of its existence, or of Oppy's imminent arrival? We've watched this crater grow from a mere feature on a chart - waaay south of Oppy as she explored Endurance etc, waaaaaaay, we thought, beyond our wildest dreams - to a white "something" on the far horizon and now it's just one drive away. We're almost there...

So when we look over the edge, finally, let's congratulate the MER team for getting the rovers this far - but let's allow ourselves a gentle, dare I say smug little smile too, for "knowing" Victoria long before we even got there.

My first words are here.

Stu, after reading you I wish I could make the last 100mts side by side with you, good old martian friend...

We have arrived now. In your own word or sentence. Describe what you are seeing???

****

It looks just like I imagined, only much more awesome.

Word: Bowl

Sentence: Dang... thats one steep sided bowl.

"Doug, I've set the photocopier to print full-size on A3 for my next Victoria swearbox."

Dusty.

Sand trap?

But a **** impressive one! (clink)

Brian

[Keanu Reeves]
Whoa.
[/Keanu Reeves]

The second Mars rover arrives at crater, sees mysterious smoke.

WOW ONE BIG HOLE

Crown

A wok on Mars ?

Nix' gona love this one.
So do I

I should use that one on the site!

Nico

Score!

"its full of Mars"

Supercalafrag.... yadda yadda, whatever...


When Oppy starts down in, the word should be "Geronimo!"

I'm really glad that Opportunity picked a small crater to land in!

Can you imagine how quickly the swear jar would have filled up if the first images from Oppy had been from the centre of Victoria looking up at all these cliffs! Everybody went nuts for just a couple of inches of outcrop as it was!

btw, yes I am aware that we are well outside the landing ellipse and this never could have happened. But just imagine!

James