New Mars Forums

Take a look at this pic of the area of meridiani being explored by Opportunity...

[http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?show … 92entry692]http://mer.rlproject.com/index.p....ntry692

Few things strike me:

1. How few craters there are in the area
2. What an AMAZING stroke of luck it was that Opportunity "holed in one" Eagle Crater
3. How close Endurance Crater is, when you consider how far Opportunity has already travelled since leavinG Eagle, and
4. The interior structure of Endurance... looks like some VERY pronounced rock layers inside there on the slopes... and what is that strange double-groove feature on the crater floor? What's going on there?

Really am impatient - and excited! - about driving up the wall of that crater and looking down into it..! 

Unless we get "Wesley Crusher: The Academy Years"...

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! 

Yup, I agree it's an excellent site, I check it daily. Love his work 

Fascinated by the amount of "rock" Opportunity is finding. Guess I should re-write my story's descriptions of Meridiani... looks like it's not as flat and featureless as sandpaper after all...  :;):

Yeah... and just think of how even MORE amazing the thicker, older rock layers exposed inside Endurance are going to be! 

Starting to see details on the Columbia Hills now...

[http://www.lyle.org/mars/imagery/2P1339 … 1.JPG.html]http://www.lyle.org/mars/imagery/2P1339 … 1.JPG.html

Let's get over there!! 

For our US members...

------------------------

[http://www.ljsilvers.com/press/freeshrimp.htm]http://www.ljsilvers.com/press/freeshrimp.htm

Press Release

NASA FINDS OCEAN WATER ON MARS!
LONG JOHN SILVER'S GIVES AMERICA FREE GIANT SHRIMP TO CELEBRATE

                 ***

Long John Silver's President Calls Discovery
"One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Giant Shrimp"

March 24, 2004

LOUISVILLE, KY - NASA's March 23
announcement of evidence of the past presence of "a body of gently
flowing saltwater" on Mars is big news for America, and giant news
for seafood fans.

In January, Long John Silver's offered to give America free Giant
Shrimp if NASA found conclusive evidence of an ocean on Mars. To
celebrate the success of NASA's Mars Rover project, the company
is going to give America free Giant Shrimp on Monday, May 10.

"This is the big announcement that Long John Silver's has been
waiting for since January - that there is evidence of a past salty sea
on Mars," said Mike Baker, Chief Marketing Officer for Long John
Silver's, Inc. "We can't wait to celebrate NASA's
out-of-this-world success, and there's no better way to recognize
their giant accomplishments than with free Giant Shrimp for
America."

On Monday, May 10, between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., customers
can stop by any participating Long John Silver's restaurant and enjoy a
free Giant Shrimp (one piece per customer).

Long John Silver's President Steve Davis sent a personal letter to
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, congratulating NASA on their
discovery.

"We've been following the Mars Exploration project since the beginning,"
Davis wrote, "and we've been anxiously awaiting word of evidence of an
ocean on Mars. The rovers have been extremely busy since they arrived
on Mars - they've had 'plenty of things on their plate.' Now, with the
discovery of ocean water, America can add one more thing to its plate -
free Giant Shrimp."

Davis ended the letter by writing, "This is one small step for man, and
one giant leap for Giant Shrimp." He also again expressed interest in
Long John Silver's becoming the first seafood restaurant on Mars.

Baker added that the Giant Shrimp giveaway is the perfect way to
celebrate NASA's historic discovery, which has taken place at the same
time Long John Silver's Giant Shrimp introduction has been one of the
most successful product launches in company history.

"NASA is making history on Mars and Long John Silver's is making history
here on earth," added Baker. "Our faith in NASA has paid off. Their
giant accomplishment calls for Giant Shrimp."

The new Giant Shrimp are the largest shrimp Long John Silver's has ever
served. They feature the great-tasting secret batter that has made Long
John Silver's famous for fish, shrimp and chicken for 35 years.

Every person in the U.S. will have an opportunity to obtain one free
Giant Shrimp at participating Long John Silver's restaurants in the
United States. Redemption will take place on Monday, May 10, 2004,
from 2 p.m.  until 5 p.m., local time, while supplies last. Customers
can use the store locator at [http://www.ljsilvers.com]www.ljsilvers.com to find their nearest
Long John Silver's locations.

Long John Silver's, Inc. based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world's
most popular quick-service seafood chain specializing in a variety of
seafood items including batter-dipped fish, chicken, shrimp and
hushpuppies.

Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island, Long
John Silver's, Inc. was founded in 1969 in response to growing
consumer demand for quick-service seafood. Today, there are more
than 1,250 Long John Silver's, Inc. restaurants worldwide serving
nearly four million customers each week. Long John Silver's, Inc.
is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., (NYSE:YUM) the world's largest
restaurant company in terms of system units with more than 33,000
restaurants in more than 100 countries and territories.

----------------------

Wonder if Wimpy will do the same thing over here in the UK..? 

...this is *EXACTLY* why I love New Mars so much, this to- and fro-ing of ideas in a lively but respectful debate 

Just take a minute to think how lucky we are, guys... to be able to sit at our computers like this, scattered all around the world, watching stunning pictures coming in live from halfway across the solar system, then discuss them amongst ourselves openly and frankly, swapping our ideas and theories, hopes and dreams without censorship or fear of ridicule or worse...

Who would have imagined, when the rovers blasted off from Earth those many months ago, that we'd be expressing such optimism about fossils being found on Mars? Incredible, just incredible! 

Thank you!!    I thought I was going crazy having exactly the same thoughts!

Yes, I got a real gut feeling Tuesday night, listening to the press briefing, that Steve Squyres et al were quietly preparing us, and the media, for the possible discovery of fossils at Endurance in the weeks ahead, leading everyone gently away from "there's no way we'll find anything biological; we're just looking for traces of water, honest" towards "well, now we know Mars used to be wet here then it's not that huge a surprise that we've found a fossil..."

And it makes sense. The rock layers in Endurance will be thicker, and will be from deeper down ( = longer ago) too, ideal fossil-hunting territory.

I guess tho, they have a big decision coming up - whether or not to risk driving Opportunity down into a much steeper crater, from which it might not get out of...

Personally I think they'll be very tempted to do this, for the following reasons:

1. There appears to be nowhere else for the rover to go after it's explored Endurance - Meridiani looks flatter than a can of week-old Coke, so the team may well be tempted to let Opportunity live out the rest of its days exploring the layers and slopes and floor of Endurance in ever-increasing detail...

2. The pictures taken of Endurance so far - even from as far away as Eagle Crater - show what appear to be very wide layers of rock, possibly many times thicker than the rock layers at Opportunity Ledge. It's taken the team several weeks to explore Opportunity Ledge, so a thorough study of Endurance's equivalent will take much, much longer...

3. I honestly think they're smelling fossils over there in Endurance now. I seriously believe that they are preparing themselves - and us - for at least the possibility of finding something amazing in there. Endurance will offer them (and us!  ) the deepest look "into" Mars yet, our best look into its history, and outr best chance for this mission at least to find biological remains or traces. Once they get Opportunity within sight of its outcrops and ledges they may well think that it's silly to go anywhere else...

Of course, this could all change once Opportunity reaches the lip of Endurance Crater and sees another, more fascinating feature on the horizon from there, but for now I think the team are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of gazing down into Endurance at those layers.

Exciting times lay ahead my friends...

I was thinking more along the lines of what biologicalevidence / traces it might have found, burrowing under the surface with its little mole...

Oh well... (sigh)

Fantastic news, but can't help wondering what Beagle's instruments might have detected under the surface at Isidis... 

Soon tho, soon, I can feel it... 

Summary: Meridiani was once a "shallow, salty sea"...

Quote from Steve Squyres:

"This area has the potential for the preservation of evidence (of life)".

He also just said that in Endurance crater they may be able to see and study "many metres of bedrock"...

Anyone else wondering if the team are now quietly hopeful of finding micro or larger fossils in Endurance..?

Yaay!!! Go get em gal!!!!   

5.30am here in the UK, sky is a gorgeous silvery blue outside... It's going to be a looooooong day waiting for that Press Conference today...