New Mars Forums

cassioli

Member

From: Italy

Registered: 2004-02-23

Posts: 218

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

awww, another busted link!
why not use your Geocities page instead

Becuase they gives only 10 MB! 
I'll check that damned link, anyway.

GJG

Member

From: VA

Registered: 2004-04-20

Posts: 22

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

YLR.
At the same site, look at their forward Hazcam images for today.  They show the trip in and the tracks on retreat.

Greg

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

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

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

*Awesome pic!    Can definitely see what appears to be the gradual and gentle (?) downward sloping.  Nice angle.  And I still can't get over those funky rectangle-shaped "patches" of rock. 

--Cindy 

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Josh Cryer

Moderator

Registered: 2001-09-29

Posts: 3,830

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

Regarding Spirit and Opportunity surviving the winter. Absolutely astounding! Who says we can't make probes with good survivablity anymore?!? Rock on!

---

Some useful links while MER are active. [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html]Offical site[/url] [url=http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Web.html]NASA TV[/url] [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/]JPL MER2004[/url] [url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html]Text feed[/url]
--------
The amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth totals some 3.9 million exajoules a year.

No life on Mars

Banned

From: Newyork

Registered: 2004-02-25

Posts: 50

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

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … L]Entering endurance crater

No life on Mars

Banned

From: Newyork

Registered: 2004-02-25

Posts: 50

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

And then driving back maybe some problems or only testing
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … 1.HTML]Out again

REB

Banned

From: Houston, Texas

Registered: 2004-04-07

Posts: 555

Website

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

Are those stars at the top of the picture?

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ...1M1.JPG

We are looking up at Columbia hills.

They could just be missing pixels in the data.

I could be wrong, but I believe that if the air was clear of most dust, and one looked overhead, on Mars, they should be able to see stars in a deep purple sky.

---

"Run for it? Running's not a plan! Running's what you do, once a plan fails!"  -Earl Bassett

REB

Banned

From: Houston, Texas

Registered: 2004-04-07

Posts: 555

Website

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

It does not look so bad inside Endurance.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ...M1.HTML

Opportunity should be able to get back out. I love this picture. Looks like a crazy tile job was done. Notice how small the blueberries are compared to the wheels.

Here is another view;

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ...7M1.JPG

Some of the blueberries appear to be on pedestals. Look at the layered blocks of rock towards the bottom. The laying looks finer (Volcanic ash) Opportunity may need to go down there and check it out. Some good fault joints separating those big blocks.

---

"Run for it? Running's not a plan! Running's what you do, once a plan fails!"  -Earl Bassett

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

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

Are those stars at the top of the picture?

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ...1M1.JPG

We are looking up at Columbia hills.

They could just be missing pixels in the data.

I could be wrong, but I believe that if the air was clear of most dust, and one looked overhead, on Mars, they should be able to see stars in a deep purple sky.

*Well...I definitely see 3 (at least) "specks" in the sky.  [::edit::  This was -before- the pic downsized the 2nd time I opened it; when it initially opened and remained full-screen I saw 3 "specks"  ::end edit::]  Could be artifact?  Also, there's no orientation...what time of day was the pic taken?  Towards twilight or pre-Solrise, then perhaps.  IIRC, Columbia Hills are west of landing site?  (It's getting hard to remember all the details...!) 

--Cindy  ??? 

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

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

It does not look so bad inside Endurance.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ...M1.HTML

Opportunity should be able to get back out. I love this picture. Looks like a crazy tile job was done. Notice how small the blueberries are compared to the wheels.

Here is another view;

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ...7M1.JPG

Some of the blueberries appear to be on pedestals.

*Hmmmmmm...not really seeing the "pedestals" you're referring to REB, in reference to the berries.    Could be my eyes. 

Yes, they're tiny huh?  All over that area like a rash.  Very cool pics. 

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

dicktice

Member

From: Nova Scotia, Canada

Registered: 2002-11-01

Posts: 1,764

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

Makes you wonder: Next time, skip the wheels and just slide about the surface of Mars on "blueberry ball-bearings." I know--that's frivolous--but who could have predicted the prevelance of all those uniformly-sized little objects (what the heck are they, really?) from the landscape pictures sent back to us by all the earlier landers, down through the years? Human explorers are definitely needed if only to save time!

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

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

Makes you wonder: Next time, skip the wheels and just slide about the surface od Mrs on "blueberry ball-bearings." I know, that's frivolous, but who coulc have predicted those little uniformly-sized things from the landscapes from all those earlier landers? Human explorers are definitely needed, to save time!

*You gave me a laugh, dicktice.

"Blueberry ball-bearings." 

Maybe Marsian astronauts could rig up skateboards, slide around on them.  :laugh:  Have downhill sliding contests, etc...whoops, this isn't the "Sports on Mars" thread. 

--Cindy   :;):

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Stu

Member

From: Kendal, Cumbria, England

Registered: 2001-09-04

Posts: 318

Website

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

Is anyone else wondering why there have been no hi-resolution panoramas for **ages**? I really miss those ultra-crisp takes-two-hours-to-download 4Mb spectaculars that JPL used to unveil with such pride... still enjoying seeing the daily Nav- and Pancam shots, don't get me wrong, but you can't enlarge them very much and zoom-in on interesting-looking individual rocks... I was really hoping for a hi-quality panorama of the Columbia Hills, of the same quality as those original panoramas taken in the days immediately after landing, but I think the days of the stunning panoramas are over... 

Still, at least there are still dozens of new pictures of that ************!!! sundial every day...

---

Stuart Atkinson

Skywatching Blog: [url]http://journals.aol.com/stuartatk/Cumbrian-Sky[/url]

Astronomical poetry, including mars rover poems: [url]http://journals.aol.com/stuartatk/TheVerse[/url]

Stu

Member

From: Kendal, Cumbria, England

Registered: 2001-09-04

Posts: 318

Website

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

I hope Spirit brought hiking boots...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit … ...0M1.JPG

:;):

---

Stuart Atkinson

Skywatching Blog: [url]http://journals.aol.com/stuartatk/Cumbrian-Sky[/url]

Astronomical poetry, including mars rover poems: [url]http://journals.aol.com/stuartatk/TheVerse[/url]

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

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

Is anyone else wondering why there have been no hi-resolution panoramas for **ages**? I really miss those ultra-crisp takes-two-hours-to-download 4Mb spectaculars that JPL used to unveil with such pride... still enjoying seeing the daily Nav- and Pancam shots, don't get me wrong, but you can't enlarge them very much and zoom-in on interesting-looking individual rocks... I was really hoping for a hi-quality panorama of the Columbia Hills, of the same quality as those original panoramas taken in the days immediately after landing, but I think the days of the stunning panoramas are over... 

Still, at least there are still dozens of new pictures of that ************!!! sundial every day...

*Aw c'mon, Stu...you love that sundial, you know you do.  [You'll feel better once you admit it.  ]

I have no idea but yeah -- miss those hi-res pics too. 

Sometimes I feel like we're left "high and dry" (and then, of course, the agencies gripe that there's not enough public interest), to scrounge for ourselves too soon. 

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Rxke

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2003-11-03

Posts: 3,669

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

Those really hi-res take several days to 'shoot' so i guess they are waiting 'till Spirit is in the right place (i've seen it mentioned somewhere, it's bound to be quite specacular...)

and Opp? Well... Obviously they're waiting for the Rover toget stuck, then they have plenty of tme to make a *really* hi-res pan! 

'Bout the blueberries... Been imagining the first words on Mars: "I'm climbing off the ladder now..." *BUMP* "What the XXXX? Darn Martian kids left their friggin' marbles all around, watch out, Dave.. it's slippe... *OUTCH*" And so on...

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

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

'Bout the blueberries... Been imagining the first words on Mars: "I'm climbing off the ladder now..." *BUMP* "What the XXXX? Darn Martian kids left their friggin' marbles all around, watch out, Dave.. it's slippe... *OUTCH*" And so on...

:laugh:  :laugh:

"Mars Mission's Funniest Home Videos" 

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

Stu

Member

From: Kendal, Cumbria, England

Registered: 2001-09-04

Posts: 318

Website

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

Those really hi-res take several days to 'shoot' so i guess they are waiting 'till Spirit is in the right place (i've seen it mentioned somewhere, it's bound to be quite specacular...)

But I want to see one *now* so I can see how close/far out my story's views were!  :;):

---

Stuart Atkinson

Skywatching Blog: [url]http://journals.aol.com/stuartatk/Cumbrian-Sky[/url]

Astronomical poetry, including mars rover poems: [url]http://journals.aol.com/stuartatk/TheVerse[/url]

REB

Banned

From: Houston, Texas

Registered: 2004-04-07

Posts: 555

Website

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

Great idea, Cindy. A new sport on Mars- blueberry boarding. I bet you could get some 'boss' action going down the Endurance slope.

Remind me to pack my snowboard if I ever get to go to Mars. I don’t get to use it much here in Houston.

Cowabunga!

---

"Run for it? Running's not a plan! Running's what you do, once a plan fails!"  -Earl Bassett

Stu

Member

From: Kendal, Cumbria, England

Registered: 2001-09-04

Posts: 318

Website

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

Boy oh boy oh boy oh boy... 

http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?act= … ...id=1072

Some SERIOUS sight-seeing and driving coming up for Spirit... 

---

Stuart Atkinson

Skywatching Blog: [url]http://journals.aol.com/stuartatk/Cumbrian-Sky[/url]

Astronomical poetry, including mars rover poems: [url]http://journals.aol.com/stuartatk/TheVerse[/url]

REB

Banned

From: Houston, Texas

Registered: 2004-04-07

Posts: 555

Website

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

Stu, wait until Spirit gets to "Lookout Point" and looks down into the Columbia Hill's inner basin at "Home Plate".

Here is some good stuff on Columbia Hills;

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … 0602a.html

Here is a good color picture of one of the Hills;

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ..._br.jpg

Is it just me or is the sky getting purple. Between this picture, and the ones with the possible stars during the daytime, I would say the sky has cleared of most of the dust.

---

"Run for it? Running's not a plan! Running's what you do, once a plan fails!"  -Earl Bassett

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

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

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-mer … tml]Spirit racks up 3 kilometers

*Is now resting 722 feet from "Spur B" of the Columbia Hills.  Strange that the article puts the words Columbia Hills in quotation marks, as if the name is unofficial - ?  Oh well. 

Spirit is my favorite of the two. 

--Cindy

---

We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

synthomus

Member

From: mitropa

Registered: 2004-03-11

Posts: 6

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

blueberries at Columbia Hills?  ???

look at the rock at center bottom of this latest image:

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

REB

Banned

From: Houston, Texas

Registered: 2004-04-07

Posts: 555

Website

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

Might be. And look at the large rock to the upper right. And the one next to it might have some layering.

What do you think this would mean if they are blueberries. Where is all the hematite? This site had water, but it was a different environment from Opportunities site. If the historic chemical composition of the two area’s are different, but they produced similar blueberries, what does that say? Life made them?

Need more data.

---

"Run for it? Running's not a plan! Running's what you do, once a plan fails!"  -Earl Bassett

GJG

Member

From: VA

Registered: 2004-04-20

Posts: 22

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

Oppie successfully in and out twice on the 9th.  See 6/9/04 fwd hazcam series at Exploritorium:

1st in looking down: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opport … ...0M1.JPG

last backout looking at tracks:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opport … ...0M1.JPG

still have not figured how to post links.

Greg