Images of Mars -- Part 2

[silylene old]

I wonder how old that small crater which Opportunity is now visiting just might be?<br /><br />If one knew the rate at which winds moved the Martian soils, one could estimate the crater age by how long it would take to fill it. That particular crater appears to be less than 50% filled.<br /><br />I am surprised the winds don't fill all the tiny craters with soil, and leave them only half-full for us to find. Yes, I know winds could excavate craters too, but I still would have thought filling would be the dominate process.<br /><br />Odd. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[slinted]

I'm not sure if this is the exact method used in that particular instance, but the abstract for " True Color and Chromaticity of the Martian Surface and Sky from Mars Exploration Rover Pancam Observations" can be found here : http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/wais?bb=P21A-0197<br />How they arrive at accurate images using only 3 filters is actually quite a bit more challenging, given that they don't have as much information to work from as they do in 6 filter, and might represent a different method entirely.

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">I wonder how old that small crater which Opportunity is now visiting just might be?<font color="white"><br /><br />It is quit interesting from the standpoint of what kind of fill it has. Check out the the lower right of the<br /> image I posted several images ago 1P162715984ESFL5M1. <br /><br />Is that another muck siting???<br /><br /><br /><br />1P160754241EFF4L4M1 "Sea of Opportunity"</font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

2P162316506EFFAL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[Swampcat]

Oppy, Sol 390 (L2, L5 & L7 filters): <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[Swampcat]

Oppy, Sol 390 (L4, L5 & L6 filters): <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[Swampcat]

And another Oppy image from Sol 390 (L4, L5 & L6): <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[Swampcat]

The latest from Spirit (L2, L5 & L7 filters).<br /><br />Full-size image<br />(724x724, 104kb) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[futureshock]

www.freewebs.com/adventurebooks has ALL the pictures...and lots more.

 

[rlb2]

2P163564205ESFAL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

1P161040546EFFL4M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

1P157572846EFF40AJPL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[Swampcat]

Animation showing transit of Deimos as seen from Spirit on Sol 420 (R8 filter): <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[jaredgalen]

I'm sorry but I couldn't resist posting an image of the newly cleaned panels on spirit!! <br /><br />As far as true color? Well, it's true, the image is in color. But that's about all.<br />But the panels are nice and SHINY!!! (Relatively Speaking of course)

 

[rlb2]

Good job <br /><br />I am looking forward to seeing many more of your images.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Very observant of the solar panel cleaning or are you previ to inside information? <br /><br />It turns out that the:<br /><br /><font color="orange">Mars scientists and engineers are elated about a dust-busting blast that has struck the Spirit rover <br />at its Gusev crater exploration site. <br /><br />Turns out that a martian whirlwind – dubbed a dust devil – likely zoomed over the robot high up in <br />the Columbia Hills. That fleeting flyby effectively cleaned Spirit’s solar arrays, giving the robot a new lease <br />on life.<br /> <br />Engineers report that the rover’s power reading quickly shot up to almost as high as when the rover landed <br />on Mars over a year ago.<br /><br />http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/spirit_dust_050312.html<br /> <br /><font color="white">Here is another look at Spirits clean solar panels.... <br /><br />2P163564205ESFAL5M1.7</font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Here is a different look.<br /><br />2P163828868EFFA7L2M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[jaredgalen]

I wish I did have insider access, something much less glamorous I'm afraid. I heard about it on another forum <br />It's great news though, up on 700 watt hours apparently!! Cool.

 

[rlb2]

Note in the 2P163564205ESFAL5M1.7 image I posted a couple of images back. There is a missing solar panel<br /> in the bottom right of the image. Was it attached to Spirit before the Dust Devil????? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Here is another missing panel of the solar array.<br /><br />2P163829178EFFAL2M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

I find it difficult to believe that a dust devil was on a hill, usually they like flatter terrain. It may be more like<br /> stronger winds above the surface boundary layer that cause the dust removal due to the Hills elevation <br />above the plains. We know very little about the atmospheric conditions, climatic changes and <br />boundary layers - wind speeds at a certain height on Mars.<br /><br />My best guess other than a dust devil or very strong winds for the removal of the dust on the solar panels is:<br /><br />The rover, while driving, hit a large rock and momentarily went airborne, gravitational effect would do that <br />more easier on Mars than Earth. When the rover landed it hit another rock that suddenly stop its motion <br />forwards sending a strong shock wave over the solar panels that disturbed the accumulated loose <br />dust particles enough that they went airborne.......<br /><br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[novi]

Looked at some Spirit shots from Jan 2004 but the "missing" panel was already missing there...<br /><br />so i guess it isn't missing at all or it had been lost during touchdown.

 

[rlb2]

Thanks<br /><br />Your right, I double checked it out from over a thousand images I have processed so far.<br /><br />2P163830072EFFAL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

2P163830596EFFAL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

2P163828540EFFAL2M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>