Spirit & Opportunity *3* - ...continued from previous threads

remcook · 2004-02-03 11:32:06

hurrah! new raw images available!

[http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … unity.html]http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … unity.html
[http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit.html]http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit.html

if you look at the MI from Opportunity and the Science cam from Spirit, both sites look rather pebbly.

1smlstp · 2004-02-03 21:38:24

Link,
Ah yes, I see it now. I don't think I could have found that with out your help. Thanks. It does look strange doesn't it.

remcook,
I can't get enough new images. They're excellent. I think the Spirit images are still a little behind. Spirit is on sol 31 and the images are still at sol 17 but there was a week plus of down time in there. I still can't wait until they get more images up.

Edit: thanks for pointing out the microsocpic imager images remcook. I especially like the one below.

The spherical objects in the upper right corner and center left are especially interesting. To a lay person like me, they look like vitrified rock that is common to impact craters. And since were in a crater that makes sense. I'm just surprised that that they haven't blown away or weathered.

JasonF · 2004-02-04 02:04:14

I swear those rocks with holes, look just like dead coral.

Arccos · 2004-02-04 03:46:15

They really do. But another explanation is possible too. Like volcanic particles or so.
But any microorganism fossils are welcome .

Link · 2004-02-04 04:11:08

JasonF,

I agree, I own a reef tank, I could throw a little coral debris around the sand and take a picture just like that. Probably just in our dreams tho.

Link

JasonF · 2004-02-04 07:02:30

JasonF,
I agree, I own a reef tank, I could throw a little coral debris around the sand and take a picture just like that. Probably just in our dreams tho.
Link

I have a couple of reef tanks myself. My eyes were definitely drawn to the reef rubble, when I saw that pic.

remcook · 2004-02-04 12:45:04

New press conference today

with a nice image with the hematite concentration. IT seems a very thin layer, because where the bounces were the hematite is gone. Or could there be another reason why it is gone?

Dr. K · 2004-02-04 13:58:35

In case y'all are interested in how that dirt picture came to be, here is a very detailed and interesting
[http://athena.cornell.edu/pdf/tb_micro.pdf]Microscopic Imager Technical Briefing (PDF 56 KB) from Athena Science Team (responsible for instruments on the rover).

This is another fairly [http://www.planetary.org/mars/mer-inst-mi.html]technical overview of the MI from Planetary Society.

Got both these links real quick from this page:
[http://axonchisel.net/etc/space/mars-ex … ights.html](AXCH) 2004 Mars Exploration Rovers - News, Status, Technical Info, History

Palomar · 2004-02-04 14:27:19

The spherical objects in the upper right corner and center left are especially interesting. To a lay person like me, they look like vitrified rock that is common to impact craters. And since were in a crater that makes sense. I'm just surprised that that they haven't blown away or weathered.

*Great images/information.

Speaking of "haven't blown away or weathered," I am repeatedly "taken" with how fine the Marsian soil (not the rocks; the soil) looks in these close-up pics. There is what seems to me a wonderfully strange "eveness" to it...hmmmmm. I suppose eventually the correct adjective(s) will come to mind of what exactly it reminds me of. :laugh:

--Cindy

::EDIT:: I can't help wondering how deep (or otherwise) an impression a booted foot might make in that soil.

Shaun Barrett · 2004-02-05 01:14:48

In response to Remcook's point about the lack of haematite where the airbags have bounced, I'm prepared to throw in an explanation.
I mentioned previously that the regions of the regolith affected by the impact of airbags seemed slightly raised, at least to me (maybe I'm wrong, I'm not sure). An explanation occurred to me, which I put forward at the time, based on the notion that the regolith has briny water mixed in with it, quite close to the surface.
I continued by comparing the pressure of the impact of an airbag with the effect of a human foot on wet beach sand at the edge of the sea. Initially, the pressure of a foot causes a 'dry' area around it and then water wells up from below when the pressure is removed.
Imagine a similar effect on Mars. The sub-surface brine, in the process of welling up after the airbag has moved on, might create a muddy briny slurry, which soon freeze dries in the thin cold martian air. This would explain the 'magic carpet', which surprised NASA, and might help with the haematite question too.
I'm assuming the haematite granules are denser than the other material in the regolith. So, when the surface is temporarily converted into a briny slurry, the heavier haematite granules sink while lighter material floats to the surface, thus obscuring the haematite.

This is just a hypothesis I've been chewing over and there are doubtless many reasons why it would be shot down in flames by Steve Squyres if he got to hear of it!

Nevertheless, the question was raised and I thought I'd throw my 2 cents worth in.
Any arguments for or against? Or is it really too speculative and unlikely even to warrant consideration?
???

1smlstp · 2004-02-05 01:20:48

Dr. K,
I was just going to ask what physical area the above image represented and your links have that exact information. Thanks much. The AXCH site is excellent too.

Cindy,
I was thinking about the fineness of the soil too. It certainly could get that way from water erosion. I guess it could also get that way from the wind but it would take a LOT longer but I guess it has had millions of years either way.

Did anybody else notice that they're skipping another day between news conferences? I hope this isn't going to be the norm. I can't stand waiting that long between updates. The next one is Friday 10 AM Pacific.

I saw that Opportunity's images have been updated again today and Spirit's are still at sol 17. ARGH! There's a new pan cam image of what looks to be a bunch of those spherical rocks, whatever they are. At least it looks that way to me.
[http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … 70L2M1.JPG]Here's a link to one of the new pictures. (262 Kb)

Palomar · 2004-02-05 06:39:07

[=http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040204/ap_on_sc/mars_rovers_28]NASA works on Spirit's memory problem

*"PASADENA, Calif. - NASA (news - web sites) awakened its Mars rover Spirit early Wednesday and started the delicate process of cleaning old files out of its memory to cure it of the problems that have delayed its search for signs that the planet was once a wetter place.

The process did not begin until after four days of tests.

'It's not an operation that we do lightly,' Mark Adler, a deputy mission manager, said at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The six-wheeled vehicle was ordered to conserve power before being awakened. Two hours later it began the four-hour process of reformatting its flash memory, which involves erasing all the contents."

--Cindy

Arccos · 2004-02-05 07:00:30

This action was already completed later today. It was successful and Spirit is doing well. The rover is full ready for explorations!

Shaun Barrett · 2004-02-05 07:42:47

Thanks everyone for keeping us all up to date. It's great news about Spirit!
I can hardly wait to see what comes to light when we get those little beauties rolling!

Stu · 2004-02-05 13:15:39

I know there's a poetry thread somewhere but can't track it down, so I'll post this effort here instead. Nothing serious, just the results of a slow day at work and too much staring at the Spirit mission success panorama... :;):

Be gentle with me, I have a rotten headache.

THE GHOSTS OF GUSEV

Earth? Blue Earth? Can you hear me?

There are ghosts here?

This land is stalked by namesake-spirits,
Phantoms old when Earth was still new.
No frightening forms of writhing mist,
But memories of icy dew
That glistened briefly when ancient dawns
Bathed these rocks in molten-gold light;
Maudlin memories of blue-sky days
Shimmer just beyond my sight.

By day my unblinking CCD eyes
Stare out on a bone-dry, bleak land;
I watch dust devils dance to silent songs,
Rake dark trails across these frozen sands;
See the shrunken Sun rise, sail across the pink sky
Before surrendering the day to the stars.
I glimpse Earth before dawn - a sharp, sapphire shard,
So far away, so far, so far?

Dust stings my skin now, I feel its touch;
Blown down from Columbia?s Hills
It trails its fingers over my ?face?
And whispers around my wheels
As I stand here, dwarfed beneath cinnamon skies
Without a trace of blue.
But the spirits take me to a different time,
To the Mars God only knew.

Then, cool water fell, deliciously slowly,
From skies blue as kingfishers? wings;
Rain-bloated clouds drifted over the Sun
And though there were no birds to sing
The air was still honey-sweet, warm and rang
To the giggling of sparkling streams,
Water rolled over rocks, spilling into deep pools
Edged with fragile, living green?

Rainbows watched over Them, bright bridges of colour
Slashed the sky open like scythes;
Sunsets blazed at the end of warm days
Before diamond-dust stars filled the night.
Cool nightwinds blew softly over this lake,
Their caresses sending slow waves
Rolling silently towards the far, curving shores
Where the first ? and the last ? Martians bathed.

All gone now. Defeated, devoured by Time,
Fossil dust on a world dead as bone.
Lonely ghosts serenade from their deep desert graves,
Remind me I can never go home.
Only cold rocks remain now; jagged, dust-sculpted
Stones shaped like skulls, ages-old.
Oh Earth, Blue Earth, are you hearing the crying,
The sad sighs of dry Gusev?s Ghosts?

- SA

clark · 2004-02-05 14:52:03

In tribute to your wonderful poem Stu...

I am but the lonely spirit,
Encased in metal and machine,
To live my life on destinies shore,
Bringing sights from far unseen.

My brethren are as I shall be,
First and last of our kind,
Opportunity hailed and the call was heard,
Together, our mission to find

Lost seas and oceans wet,
From echoes of once salty brine;
To find among these shades of red
Proof of blue from ancient time;

When skies of crimson-pink
Bled with purple-blues,
And life, oh life, now unknown,
Was the gift that Mars did lose.

This world, my world, is all I know,
For it I was designed,
To bring mankind ever close,
To prove the ties that bind

All life, all hope, all dreams to be,
For Martian hills, and empty seas,
What could have been, or what may be-
So man will love, finally, what I already see.

Stu · 2004-02-05 23:42:21

Looking at the latest picture, either Opportunity is drunk, or she swerved to avoid a passing martian...

[http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … 11L0M1.jpg]http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery....0M1.jpg

Or maybe she just has a wiggle when she walks... :;):

Nice poem Clark, glad no-one laughed at mine (yet! )

Josh Cryer · 2004-02-06 12:16:31

There's a briefing going on for those interested. I'm getting a chance to see it.

edit: Adirondack before and after RAT brushing

Edited By Josh Cryer on 1076091555

Visited by Moderator during Post Repair 2022/03/01

Palomar · 2004-02-06 12:32:17

Looking at the latest picture, either Opportunity is drunk, or she swerved to avoid a passing martian...
[http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … 11L0M1.jpg]http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery....0M1.jpg

*Aw, poor baby. Get along there, sweetie.

The pattern of the tire/tyre treads in that pic kind of reminds me of how car tires/tyres in the winter time can tend to slip and slide a bit on snowpack, before getting good purchase (traction) and going forward (I'm not implying any moisture being there, btw...just my visual impression).

Thanks for sharing that pic, Stu.

--Cindy

Rxke · 2004-02-06 14:03:00

just read this nice [http://news.bbc.co.uk/aboutbbcnews/hi/t … 465467.stm]BBC article, about the BBC reporters being witness to Spirit's landing. Not a word of envy, only the awe of the event...

atitarev · 2004-02-07 06:39:28

Looking at the latest picture, either Opportunity is drunk, or she swerved to avoid a passing martian...

To Stu. Not sure if she was drunk but the soil look cohesive again as in Gusev crater. Is there any moisture in the soil? or the dust particles just freeze together? Thanks for the link.

Josh Cryer · 2004-02-07 10:41:40

Hmm, pancam should be able to see over the crater edge and on to the horizon once Opportunity gets to within IDD distance to the outcrop, shouldn't it? Actually, maybe it can now? I don't see any pancam images from Opportunity since the drive. Guess we'll have to wait till Monday to find out.

Stu · 2004-02-07 14:19:13

Hey Josh,

Yeah this is puzzling and frustrating me now, too. As fascinated and as excited as I am by the outcrop, I'm straining at the leash to get out of this crater and at least get a good look at the surrounding landscape, my imagination is on overtime wondering what amazing things we'll see!

Stu · 2004-02-07 14:34:22

Found some "raw" Snout images here...

[http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/galler … _p013.html]http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/galler … _p013.html

And what looks to be a 3D close up of the Outcrop here too...

[http://www.marsunearthed.com/Opportunit … y12_3D.htm]http://www.marsunearthed.com/Opportu...._3D.htm

Look at how thin those layers are!!!

[http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/galler … 76L2M1.JPG]http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery....2M1.JPG

Rxke · 2004-02-07 14:37:10

reports say Opportunity actually slipped back a bit on its climb, so the soil might not be that cohesive after all... And did you see the Mossbauer animation of the 'dissappearing' rockbits? looks like fairly loose stuff to me...

BTW check out the other animations (there are actually 2) of Op. driving towards the outcrop, great to see it getting closer an closer...

interesting days ahead, the RAT results should come in, Op. getting to the summit and the outcrop, Spirit may be taking new hires(?) wich should lead to a better 3D (by combining older data) map of the surroundings etc etc...

BTW glad they did some brushing before RATting, looks like that 'clean-swept Gusev' claim was a bit optimistic, Adirondack turned out to be fairly dirty...

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