More questions for JB - drop them in there - probably be doing a new update in a couple of weeks

Doug

The forum has noticed some changes at Low Ridge Haven, both nearby and across the valley at El Dorado. Has the team noticed these yet? Now would be an excellent time to try out the updated dust devil detection software!

If you can sneak one or more of these in for me Doug..?

* How much are the MER team aware of the mission's significance in society, popular culture and "the wider world"?

* How do they feel knowing that people are creating their own images from raw MER data, potrtraying the rovers in adverts and films, being inspired by them to write poetry and short stories?

* Does it ever hit them that they aren't just exploring Mars with Spirit and Opportunity,but making history, and that their efforts and achievements will be studied and celebrated by the native martians of the future?

Somebody here sugested that the rover could take a picture of MRO passing overhead. First, is that possible ? Second, can they try the DD detection on it ?
Another one : how Jim feel about having seen the actual shadow of Oppy's mast/Pancam?

Has the team developed any contingency plans for extended missions should one or both of the MERs become immobile yet otherwise operational? Spirit's winter stops may have already provided some of these ideas, but here they are anyway:

-Long-term atmospheric optical property observations
-Long-term nighttime meteor watch (objective: gain some idea of how many annual showers hit Mars, plus a rough estimate of their density; might identify some unknown comets that way)
-Navigational beacon duty for future advanced landers (really extended mission)

Now, it is the moment that the MER team are going to study for the best ramp to enter and exit in order to study the surface strata. How far the MRO image is helping to MER team determine the slope in order to assure a safe in entering and exiting from ramp?

From the vertical view and only one image that makes me almost impossible to measure the height of two surfaces: the rim and the last end outcrop in the ramp. How can the team calculate the slope of every ramp?

Rodolfo

Mr. Bell

We know that people over there must be really excited with all the events taking place but...
I've you already managed a way of putting your feet back on the ground?...

"....I've you already managed a way of putting your feet back on the ground?..."

Mommy, Mommy. Why do I keep going around in circles?

Shut-up, Kid, or I'll nail your other foot to the floor.

Well - hopefully it's 'on' tonight....

A lot of the questions are a bit mer-general and not very pancamey, and seing as these are Pancam updates........... - you get the idea.

I'll try and squeeze a few of these in, and then freestyle it from there

Doug

The new software that was uploaded to MER has a new algorathim to detect the clouds. The question is how the software is able to detect the presence of clouds? What kind of clouds does the PANCAM able to detect?

Rodolfo

I think it may have been asked before but for clarity's sake:
Is the Pancam resolution wavelength dependant\diffraction limited? Specifically is L7 able to resolve finer detail than L2/L3 for example.

The new SW update is able to automatically detect *changes* between two images taken on different times. It's not able to detect clouds but would be able to detect clouds movement.

I'm thinking out loud here - but I wonder if sequence could be written where by Navcam goes cloud watching and when it identifies something - then Pancam cycles L2-5-7-2-5-7-2-5-7-2-5-7 looking at the same spot, and essentially uses the motion of the clouds as a push-frame technique for colour imaging....it's a thought isn't it

Doug

I like the sound of that, Doug. Was Jim in on the recent APOD choice, and does he know that clouds are now a fashionable subject at UMSF? Clouds are the new rocks!

Rocks are SO Sol 200

I'm going to be accused of being a heritic here - but I prefer Navcam pans etc 'au-naturelle'. That's not to say that I didn't love that APOD Cloud mosaic, and obviously - I like the two pans from the fab-four that made it into AWST and APOD, but in each case I think I've prefered Navcam pans to be as nature ( or the engineering team ) intended...greyscale....and I know that's a stance I share with JB....but I'll put it to him when it comes to one bit of the q'n'a I've got marked down appropriately

Doug

Hmmm. I'm thinking out loud too.
I'm now making an analogy with those sequences/actions that don't get executed in case of an aborted drive. It seems the capability to trigger or not a(n) (imaging) sequence depending on the result of a previous action or the state of an internal condition already exists, so why not use it to your proposed scenario?

After the replies of Tesheiner and Doug, now I realize that MER is not capable to detect the clouds due to its limitations of storage and cpu hardware to process every pixels and I think the MER must conduct in a periodic sampling images with different sequence of filters as Doug says (It is reasonable since I can imagine since when I see clouds with different sun eyeglasses colors -I am not sure that PANCAM different filters L0-L7 can simulate as seen with different colors).

Rodolfo

If Navcam had color filters like Pancam or was a zoom-out wide-angle mode of Pancam, the best ice-cloud watching filter would be the shortest wavelength filter. Because of the reddish dust color, the diffuse scattered light from the dust is least at the shortest wavelengths and water or CO2 ice clouds would have the most contrast.

Dust clouds, as from a dust storm or dust devils will be reddish, and contrast with the sky will vary much less with wavelength.

FYI - we recorded last night - and hopefully it'll go online late tonight some time.

Doug

I'm ready and waiting to post it ...

--Emily

Emily! Are you back at work already?

Officially, as of this coming Monday, yes. Today I'm beginning to get caught up on what's been happening the last few months; thank goodness Mars is in conjunction now, it's giving me a little breathing room! Hopefully the Jim'n'Doug show will help catch me up on the rovers. I understand Oppy has found a big hole in the ground...

--Emily

Welcome back!!!
You have new avatar too...that is your daughter?

Welcome back Emily! We all missed you!

Yes, Oppy found a really big hole. There's a dragon living in it too...!