New shots of Oppy posted. You can see tracks and a lot of landing effects. Well, not new, but new to us. They are from right at the end of the primary mission. They are cProto images. The stated resolution is 0.5 centimeters/pixel, although this almust certainly should read .5 meters/pixel or 50 centimeters/pixel. It would be interesting to take follow-up images in the coming years to see if we can observe the landing evidence fading.

http://barsoom.msss.com/mars_images/moc/20...1/24/index.html

Wow - amazing that it can detect these at all

The resolution of that image is amazing.

Of interest is that it shows the NE-SW lineations of the "Anatolia" features. That trend intrigues me because it implies a regional system of joints and a process to enlarge the fractures.

--Bill

Perhaps the more knowledgeable amongst you can answer a question about the MGS images.

The point where the heatshield impacted looks black in the MOC images, and yet from the ground it doesn't look anything like as dark. If anything, I would have expected the crater to be lighter, given that the blueberries are dark when intact and red when crushed.

It may be a spectral thing. Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

Chris

PS. I think I can see a bright spot next to the impact crater that looks to be in about the right position for the large bit of debris.

perhaps we're seing mainly shadow?

Doug

Good thought.

But if thats true, and we can see the rover(just), then I would expect the big bit of debris to be a lot more obvious. The impact mark isn't exactly deep, either, so I wouldn't expect to cast a big shadow.

Doug, have you done a colour image of the impact site? That might give us more of a clue.

Chris

I think this NavCam image says it all:



The impact apparently created a darktoned dusttail.

Several - check the heatshield thread

The imact crater is much the same colour as the surroundings - but it has thrown a lot of dark debris around. Combining that ejecta in a SE direction, with what would be dark debris ( you wouldnt get the specular reflections at a 2pm local orbit from above ) I guess it sort of makes sense

Doug

You need to take into account the resolution I guess. Suppose the Heat-shield impact spot is several (5-10) meters accross. At the limit of 0.5 meters/pixel you'd have a mark 10 to 20 pixels wide. The 'rays' extending from the tiny impact crater cover a wider area than the crater and at this resolution that is seen, not the hole itself.

Actually - with that foil on the 'big piece' - it probably, from orbit - reflect the ground around it, and not really appear too imposing itself - so most of what we see from orbit is the black ejecta, and the cumulative effect of all the chared heatshield remnants around and about. Form above, the big piece isnt really, all that big

Doug