Spirit & Opportunity *6* - continue on from thread "5"

chaosman · 2004-06-01 12:19:53

wow !

http://www.lipfordm.com/wtsi/a00-09.JPG … a00-09.JPG

cassioli · 2004-06-01 12:53:34

wow !
http://www.lipfordm.com/wtsi/a00-09.JPG … a00-09.JPG

Wow what?!? :rant:

Stu · 2004-06-01 22:35:47

If you squint, I think you can just make out what look like...deep breath... outcrops on the slopes up there...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit … ...7M1.JPG

Now THAT's worthy of a "WOW!!!"

(Tried several times to access that "wow" link, it froze every time. What was it? Anyone manage to see the page?)

Arccos · 2004-06-02 08:01:54

(Tried several times to access that "wow" link, it froze every time. What was it? Anyone manage to see the page?)

I do. It's a mosaic of microscopic images from Opportunity. Nice.

Arccos · 2004-06-02 08:10:05

Stu, outcrops or not, these new images are really amazing. At last they look like rendered PR images from the mission web pages .

atomoid · 2004-06-02 13:31:52

Stu, outcrops or not, these new images are really amazing. At last they look like rendered PR images from the mission web pages .

even http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/mer/2004 … d.jpg]NASA thinks so now. The outcrops look like a distinct layer and if there has been enough erosion, they might even reveal rocks that predate the gusev watering hole time period, but im really hoping for some sedimentary layers.

Palomar · 2004-06-03 14:09:50

*I have just one simple question:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-general-04o.html]Is Johnny Depp starring in this? Hmmm? HMMMM? ???

(Visualization Lab @ NW University).

--Cindy

P.S.: I still have not heard from JPL about the questions Rik and I had. :-\ Did they fall asleep on the job or what? It's been weeks now. I re-wrote them a few days ago. Two short polite notes. My e-mail didn't bounce back, so I presume they got both notes.

cassioli · 2004-06-03 14:34:08

New version of http://jumpjack.altervista.org/animazio … pproaching hills animation (2.3 MB)

It covers sols 88-147.

Luca

atomoid · 2004-06-04 17:31:00

New version of http://jumpjack.altervista.org/animazio … pproaching hills animation (2.3 MB)
It covers sols 88-147.
Luca

awww, another busted link!
why not use your Geocities page instead (i looked at your stereoviewer kit, someday ill think about making it but i've gotten use to the simplicity of the red/blue glasses).

thanks for all the cool stuff you post (do you still think this forum is dead?)

Palomar · 2004-06-05 05:37:49

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u … vers_1]You probably know this already --

*Are going for the "incremental approach." Hopefully the little scooter will be able to get herself back out of Endurance.

Is this maneuver "worth it" if Opportunity -can't- get back out?

--Cindy

atomoid · 2004-06-06 17:19:23

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u … vers_1]You probably know this already --
*Are going for the "incremental approach." Hopefully the little scooter will be able to get herself back out of Endurance.
Is this maneuver "worth it" if Opportunity -can't- get back out?
--Cindy

jeez, i thought theyd be little more sensible and go check out a few interesting things before relegating the rover to this very uncertain fate! Scenes http://www.lyle.org/mars/imagery/1N1396 … .html]such as this dont look too steep, but consider the tough time it had trying to get up the even flatter Eagle crater. Im hoping that they may be able to shimmy it out eventually and trek on south to the "etched terrain".

Things to check out first:
- the heatshield impact site, probably only a day's drive away!
- <insert your suggestion here>

Shaun Barrett · 2004-06-06 21:40:37

I'm quite happy that Opportunity's being sent down into the crater. In fact, I'd like them to RAT the 'dunes' at the bottom and dig into the dirt with the wheels.
I still haven't quite finished with the idea that those 'dunes' might be dust-covered ice because I've seen enough to be suspicious that there's a water-table near the surface in that region. I admit I may be wrong but, if Opportunity's going into the crater anyway, why not investigate things properly?

[P.S. I still haven't given up on the (remote) possibilty of a serendipitous macro-fossil discovery!]

cassioli · 2004-06-07 02:39:14

I'm quite happy that Opportunity's being sent down into the crater. In fact, I'd like them to RAT the 'dunes' at the bottom and dig into the dirt with the wheels.
I still haven't quite finished with the idea that those 'dunes' might be dust-covered ice

We'll soon see Opportunity playing with LittleGreenMen launching snowballs...

Luca

atomoid · 2004-06-07 03:39:16

i bet the sand dunes are a high priority since it seem very odd how distinct they are from the sands that border them. im not a dune-ologist (anyone?), but i'd kind of expect to see the dune formations gradually diminish away from the central sea of dunes rather than end abruptly (for the most part) at the edge of the anomalously flat slope of sand leading down to it. how much wind drifts through this crater anyway?doesnt Opp have a wind meter? anyone heard any data on this?

The central dunefield really does take on a look of a sublimed and windsculpted glacier remnant (i remember you suggesting soemthing along these lines, Shaun).

it must be either that its composed of a different kind of sand and reacts differently to the same winds than the flat slope of sand around it does, or its really the sand and dust insulated remnant of an icepack, perhaps much like the almost-certain icepacks that cover parts of the craters that have the gullies on their slopes...

or the more boring waterless hypothesis: perhaps its a very fine dust that blows around Meridiani (maybe bedrock erosion dust) and this dust tends to collect here at the bottom of the crater since its wind-shielded, this dust would tend to blow around much more easily than the sand on the slopes and could pile into breeze-tossed dunes such as these. but maybe in some times of the year there is some water, dew that precipitates and cements the dust grains together so these dunes may not change that much which is why their edges are so distinct...

Shaun Barrett · 2004-06-07 07:37:12

Many thanks, Atomoid, for your response to my suggestion. It's nice to hear someone else give 'voice' to similar suspicions - I was beginning to think I was "off with the fairies" on this one!! (First stages of senile dementia! )
:laugh:

dicktice · 2004-06-07 08:14:38

I'm sure you echo what we all hope, but don't want to voice for fear of disappointment.

rgcarnes · 2004-06-07 08:51:13

I whole-heartedly agree with Atomoid and others about the suspicious appearance of the material in the bottom of the crater. It certainly suggests dirty snow drifts to me. Whether the powers that be will make any move, (if they have any means on this probe to identify the material's composition) or not, is something we'll watch for and see.

It seems that with the nearly half a billion dollars which this probe cost with the goal of researching past water on the red planet there should be some provision to tell if it's feet could be wet (or frost covered) at the present time.

Stu · 2004-06-07 13:25:49

Absolutely GORGEOUS 3D pic of the Columbia Hills here...

http://www.marsunearthed.com/Spirit/Spi … ...102.htm

...showing very clearly that Spirit will have to negotiate some rather undulating terrain before she reaches the actual foot of the hills... some fascinating detail visible on the slopes themselves, too...

Josh Cryer · 2004-06-07 14:02:39

Yeah, I noticed how the terrain was getting more rocky in the earlier picture. The outcrops intrigue me, but I'm being kind of skeptical until we get closer. There's just something definite about the other outcrops that isn't in those images. It does look like Spirit is going to make it though, no? It's exciting.

Julius Caeser · 2004-06-07 14:35:23

well...havent commented for a while in this forum but i bet that Spirit will rise to Opportunity's status in finding evidence of significant water after examining those rock outcrops on the Columbia hills As for Opportunity,i think we'll have to wait for some time for the rover to get to anywhere near the dune fields at the bottom of E ndurance crater;i would think that Nasa will send the rover to the rock outcrops first and then leave the crater again to go inside the crater later on towards the end of the mission!

GJG · 2004-06-08 09:57:30

I agree they'll probably only do only a "toe in the door" on the first entry if they can get back out. I think the whole reverse of the crater circumnavigation and quick entry decision was based on the the perceived imperative to get to one of the internal underlying outcrops before the MINI-TES fails due to deep sleep cold. Then, if they are back out, they will likely resume the origional exploration plan and return to the crater interier after a good look-around outside.

atomoid · 2004-06-08 20:06:48

dont miss http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-mer … .html]this excellent article! explains a lot.

Rxke · 2004-06-09 05:22:24

Wohoo! looks like S&O might survive the winter!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s … lanet]good news

And... maybe work 'till NEXT WINTER!

Palomar · 2004-06-09 05:47:52

*My god, that is amazing! Given all the other previous info releases from JPL/NASA, I thought S & O would be "goners" for sure by October. I guess they did too...until recently, huh?

Says Spirit is in more peril than Opportunity (higher latitude).

Well, I guess they're going ahead with O into Endurance...best of luck with that aspect of the mission, all the way around (including getting back out).

Glad you posted the article, Rik (very early a.m. here).

--Cindy

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2004-06-09 11:41:33

nice image from Opportunity it has been testing around the edge of Endurance Crater to make sure it's not going to be slipping down the slope

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opport … ...5M1.JPG

The NASA Mars-Opportunity rover began its latest adventure today inside the martian crater labeled Endurance.

:band:

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