It looks like we're getting close to some good pavement. Everyone get on their racing goggles and scarves, I think we're going to haul pretty soon!

There's some good terrain a few hundred meters ahead but the best one is still 2-3km away.
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PS: James will recognise those background colors.

Map update for sol 1871, double-checked with the navcam pictures.
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Update after sol 1872.
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Another 50m on the wheels after sol 1873.
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A map update after sol 1884.
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Update after sol 1891.
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Here's the whole map again, updated after sol 1892.
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Not having the patience of a rover driver.. when do we get the next map segment? Do we really have to wait until we finish this plate before we can be served another course (no pun intended)?

I'm usually waiting for the rover to cross the lowest third of the square before working on the next one. Some work for this weekend perhaps.
In any case, you will always have plenty of freedom with the KML file in Google Earth; have you tried it?

Yes, I know there are other options for the big picture, it's just so slooow. My home computer is such a relic, it must be 3-4 years old by now.

Thanks again for being our resident map maker/route plotter/restricted sol tracker/etc

Another 70+ meters during sol 1893.
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FWIW, I'm on a business travel this week so don't expect map updates from my side until the weekend.

In that case

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This is directly from the data tracking - no attempt to line up ripples (I don't have the time, or the full res HiRISE at the moment)

I've taken the liberty of updating Eduardo's Google Earth route map for those of you (like me) who can't live without your daily fix. It's updated to include the last two drives. I trust that Eduardo will verify the placement of the Sol markers when he returns. I think they are really close though... as close as I could get them based on the nav and hazcam images.

A quick screenshot for those who don't normally download the KML...

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With today's 60m(ish) drive that is another 100 sols marked off. Here is my 100 sol route map overview for sol 1900.

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Steady progress

Note, we're now about as far from Victoria as we were at Purgatory!

James

Measuring from your map, when we left Victoria, we were 15 km away from the northern terminus of the west ridge of Endeavour. Now we're 13,2 km away. Slowly getting there!

Nothing but ripples as far as the eye can see. Using James' estimate of 60m as a guideline I was able to find a location that appears to be consistent with the scenery. Anyone care to verify?

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Bullseye, Poolio!

Here's my version, now including a new 1km x 1km square at the bottom.
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Ah, good! You're back!

Does that mean things can get back to normal around here?

For the time being, yes.

Thanks Poolio and James for keeping this thread up to date.

Map update after a 70m drive during sol 1902.
This map section covers up to a big outcrop still some 350m further south.
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Edit: added the KML file.

Add another 70m to the odometer.
Here's the map update for sol 1904.
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Sol 1905.
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Edited: forgot the KML file... done.

That was kind of short. Giving the motors a rest?

Sol 1906.
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Oppy certainly doesn't seem hampered by the terrain lately, even though it is all ripples. That's just about the straightest line we've seen since the early days of leaving Victoria, when driving on the ejecta blanket. And after that there will be a lot of pavement to drive on, which should be even better, isn't that so?

I imagine that the general pattern for the rest of the trip will be following troughs straight South when in a "sea of ripples" and traversing Eastwards when on more solid pavement. Is that it?

Generally yes (imo).
Check here (http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...st&p=141259) for a hypotetical path.

In Google Mars, I only see the first HiRISE shot that covers Victoria, not the second one that covers the rest of the way to Endeavour. Do I have to wait for Google to add that in, or am I supposed to add it in somehow myself from what's available on the HiRISE site?

TIA

I was thinking about the same this morning.
I have a reduced version (5m/pix, 5MB) of that image on my local disk and a KML file which adds it as a layer in Google Mars. It's enough to have a glimpse on the terrain further south but obviously the resolution is not enough. It's possible to do some serious work splitting the huge JP2 into peices and map them on GE but I don't have the knowledge or the time to do it.
Given that we will probably be still on the current image for many months ahead, it will be better to wait for an update by the Google staff.

Map update after sol 1912.
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Here's a snapshot of the current position after driving during sol 1920.
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Sol 1923.
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Sol 1927.
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On the Google Mars app, the route and progress look quite impressive. Go team!


Thanks again for your steady work, Tesheiner!

You're welcome.

For all you following the map in its GE version, I'll recommend downloading SFJCody's map extension posted here and covering the area south and west of the current position up to Endeavour, because now that the western path is the selected one, the route path will soon be out of the HiRISE picture featured in GE. Great job, SFJCody!

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that's amazing! Flying around in the new Google was my latest ~wow!~ moment; this is another one. thanks Cody

Thanks, Tesh, for reminding us to download the map extensions. I grabbed them tonight.

Thanks also, for your efforts, SFJCody.

That's only a temporary version! I'm hoping to do that at full resolution at some point (with help from James Canvin). New version will also have black set as the transparent colour so you don't see the frame at the edge of the image.

I have to replace a couple of broken sticks of RAM first, though.

Thanks. I really appreciate your efforts to bring us more of Meridiani in google,
especially since my aging computer never got IAS viewer to behave,
and the google folks aren't hinting at any updates...

Here's a route map update after the drive on sol 1942.
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Now that Opportunity is heading west, it's time to update the whole picture in order to include new ground to the left, and since we are almost leaving the coverage of the HiRISE picture I was using on the map (PSP_009141_1780) it was the moment to add another one as background (ESP_011765_1780). The map is becoming really big --this version is 3000x5000 pixels and "weights" 1.3MB-- so I will probably post the whole picture not so often and only under certain circumstances like when adding another "square" to the map.
Here it is, updated up to sol 1946.
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Update after sol 1947.
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Sol 1950.
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Here's a map crop, updated after sol 1952.
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Edit: Added "Block Island" to the KML file.

Sol 1954; almost at the same site as on sol 1946.
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Sol 1957.
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Thx for the update... but my question...

is if we were nearing BI on Sol 1457 like on the map we should have been to Endeavour by now right

Oooops! Thanks for the heads up... corrected now.
I think it's due to the summer vacations which are right at the corner. It may be affecting my skills.

I took the liberty for updating the route map for the Sol 1963.

I think it's good, but it needs confirmations.