Opportunity is very close to Solander Point, so let's start the new thread. Here's a view just to get things rolling. There will no doubt be more and better images soon.
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2013-08-05/1P428526666EFFC6E2P2415L7M2.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2013-08-05/1P428872684EFFC700P2418R2M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2013-08-05/1P428700237EFFC6TLP2417L2M3.JPG
I have a sudden itch to put on my sturdy hiking boots!
It's amazing how abrupt the contact between the blocky material of the hillside and the sulphate-sandstone plains is. Hardly any hillside rocks have been scattered out onto the plains. How many billions of years has this scene been sitting undisturbed, waiting for us...? <drifts off into planetary reverie>
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2013-08-05/1P428526666EFFC6E2P2415L7M2.JPG
So that's where I left that box of old floppy disks...
Phil
The monthly report by Salley Rayl is available here: http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/mer-updates/2013/07-mer-update-opportunity-arrives-at-solander-suburb.html
I just started reading it but would like to highlight this paragraph:
3389 position and perspective view of the two frame navcam pan.
Phil
Some pictures available from sol 3391, telling that Opportunity backtracked a few meters from the previous site.
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2013-08-08/1N429231997EFFC7A0P1952L0M1.JPG
And several features were imaged before driving, but they are still on the downlink queue:
03391::p2547::32::4::4::0::0::2::10::pancam_Mula_Mula_L257R2
03391::p2548::32::4::4::0::0::2::10::pancam_Tick_Bush_L257R2
03391::p2549::32::13::13::0::0::2::28::pancam_Red_Poker_L234567Rall
Red Poker is the target she has just been looking at (she backed up a bit before taking the image to get a better view).
Tick Bush is where she drove to, ~4.5m away
A new update! :-)
http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/rover-field-reports-from-mars.html
An earlier view of Solander Point with some sky added for effect
Long-baseline stereo view of the east side of Solander and across to Tribulation, from sols 3381 and 3385:
This is Phobos partially eclipsing the sun, yes? The eclipse comes out much clearer in reverse where some light is getting refracted in Oppy's lens. From sol 3396:
Yep, Phobos transit. Like we've seen before with transits, the jpl jpegs are stretched badly so we'll have to wait for PDS to get a better view. I'm not sure why the stretching gives such a different result for transit images than for the regular tau images...
Most Sun images are taken with an automatic "Sun" subframe, that is nice and small. The Sun is a big part, so it stretches OK. The transit images are optimized for speed, which perversely forces a larger frame. The Sun is a small fraction, and the contrast stretch blows it away.
Looks like we've moved right up to the contact now:
http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03398/1N429848747EFFC7C0P1925R0M1.html
Phil
The boulder that she seems http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03398/1N429848618EFFC7C0P1925L0M1.html on Sol 3398 is "Quandong Mulla Mulla" (really curious if anyone can track down the origin of that one). The big boulder on the far left of this view is "Cheese Tree".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulla_mulla and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santalum_acuminatum are Australian plants.
Ah, okay, thanks. Via @mikeseibert on Twitter, "Mulla Mulla" is the name of the boulder. "Quandong" must be a second target seen in the same Pancam image (my guess would be the outcrop next to Mulla Mulla).
I spent a fair amount of time working on this long-baseline anaglyph from sols 3381-3385 before I realized I don't have any 3D glasses with me. So... somebody let me know if it works. Normally I wouldn't post an anaglyph without actually testing it, but I'm taking a chance. (I realize the images were taken outside the range of sols for this topic, but the subject is obviously Solander Point.)
Looks OK to me.
Sol 3400 Climbing Solander Point.
Sol 3401. Anaglyph of basaltic (?) rock containing vesicles.
A nice map showing the planned route up the hill for this fall:
http://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/4-mars/mer/20130818_3394_Srat_sci.jpg
I got it from this http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2013/crumpler-sol3397.html.
With the December 12 position about 17m higher than the current position, that should give us a great view of the surroundings.
Yeah, that's what I thought. The http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/mer-updates/2013/02-mer-update-opportunity-wraps-up-science-on-matijevic-hill.html concept was mentioned in this TPS update, and may have been mentioned elsewhere.
The one that walfy posted was taken down and replaced later with the version you just posted. http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=7691&view=findpost&p=202440
A 3D micro from the latest batch, Sol 3403, that was much easier than usual to put together:
Many nice images of late, many rendering wonderfully in 3D. Such desolate, ancient objects! And we can almost touch them. That big rock up close from Sol 3405:
Nice shot along the "banks," the planned route before heading up the hill:
Return of the partial-color drive direction mosaic on sol 3407. Yay!
Special request.
The panoramic view taken on Sol 3389 taken with the L0 Navcam.
Jan van Driel
Here's part of a "post-drive" navcam mosaic shot on sol 3410.
"Coal Island", Sol 3412. After taking these Pancam images she turned around and advanced slightly toward the target.
So is "Coal Island" the outcrop of what, from a distance, looks as if it could be more vesicular basalt, or the transition from planar to cross stratified laminae in the left image?
This is the sol 3410 panorama posted by jvandriel (Thanks!) in a circular version. It gives a nice view of the tracks and surrounding features.
Phil
Another circular view from jvandriel's nice panoramas - this is sol 3407.
Phil
they seem to be doing some stereo imaging by pitching the camera vertically.. a new technique? i hadn't noticed this before. I rotated the images ccw with shadows down here as that goes easier on the eyes at least for these Sol 3415 crosseyes.
False color (very false) of the scarp from sol 3417. Interesting little 'red' pebbles here and there. Not really red of course.
Phil
A few more interesting cross-eyes (ccw90 rotated)
Sol3378-->
I'm sure many of us were surprized at how close we got to Mulla Mulla. It turns out it really was a close call. From the latest http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/mer-updates/2013/08-mer-update-opportunity-begins-science-at-base-of-solander.html
I guess Oppy wasn't in autonomous navigation mode, but I wonder there wasn't any sort of proximity alarm and automatic safe stop for such situations, eventually triggered by hazardcams!
The F/R-Hazcams "per se" can't do that. You need a sort of hazard avoidance SW built on top to do that function. And IIRC autonav includes this feature but it is quite slow.
I'm struggling to understand how colliding with a rock at a speed of a few centimetres per second could have been "mission catastrophic". (Just as well my car is more robust.)
It would probably damage solar panels quite badly. Moreover, you're then hung up on a rock with the arrays - you need to get 'off' that, which will cause more damage.
I would have thought that constant monitoring of tilt and engineering data from wheels etc. would stop the drive before anything got hung up too much. But obviously much better to avoid it than to test my assumptions.
Phil
In stereo, it didn't look to me like Mulla Mulla was tall enough to hit the arrays. Unless she tilted more - which could easily have been in the cards I guess.
Wopmay looked scarier
Not tall enough but its size was only known with a given margin when it was seen from the position before that drive was executed. It might not have contacted the wings but damaged the wiring under them.
Regarding tilt and other data monitoring, I think that would not be enough to stop the rover in this kind of scenario.
Referring back to post 51, the PS update confirms that "Coal Island" is the contact between the planar and tilted laminae. But the planar bench ("Grasberg unit") was designated altered material eroded from old Endeavour rim "Shoemaker" material. Is this implying that the tilted laminae represents pre impact sedimentary layering rather than Grasberg unit material tilted due to a local subsidence?
The Grasberg unit is the lowest layer of the Burns Formation, the stack of sulfate-rich sandstones seen all over Meridiani. They sit on top of the layer of debris eroded off the Endeavour rim hills. The scarp here, the little step up above the bench, is presumably that eroded debris. The exact relationship is not easy to figure out just looking at the images here, but it seemed to be clearer at the north end of Cape York.
More interesting to me is the origin of the basalt boulders like Tick Bush. Are they ejecta thrown in from a distant impact? I don't see any sign of basalt flows in the vicinity.
Phil
Not sure that you are correct there Phil. On CY the Burns Formation sulphate sandstone onlaps the bench (Deadwood - Grasberg unit) which is eroded material from Cape York (Shoemaker), and the same seems true here. The basaltic boulders seem to be eroding out of the upturned rim remnant. Given that Endeavour was formed by an impact into hundreds of meter thick Miyamoto ejecta they could well pre-date the impact. Coal Island is a contact between two units with, in false colour, seemingly different lithology and what I find fascinating is the possibility that the tilted laminae could be a pre-impact deposit.
Re: the Grasberg unit:
https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013AM/webprogram/Paper233091.html
"The bright outcrop margin (the “Grasberg unit”) is the most prominent of several successive onlaps of thinly-laminated sulfate sediments onto the crater rim inselbergs."
And also:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2013/pdf/2292.pdf
"A stop at the site named “Grasberg” confirmed through MI and APXS analysis that this band is a material distinct from either the materials of Cape York or the Burns Formation.
Grasberg is an unusual composition with elevated Cl, and a grain-size finer than the MI resolution, in contrast to the coarse sandstone typical of Meridiani. This is a relatively thin
(several tens of cm thick) unit that unconformably overlies the slopes of an eroded Cape York."
Phil
I think the following paper goes a little deeper into explanation of the bench Phil: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2013/pdf/2294.pdf
To quote, A rock unit ringing the base of Cape York was investigated at Deadwood and again at Grasberg, at Cape York’s northern tip. This unit is bright-toned with platy, millimeter-scale layering. Its elemental composition is intermediate between the rocks of the Shoemaker formation and the Burns Formation, with elevated Ca and S concentrations, interpreted as a clastic sedimentary rock formed by erosion of the Shoemaker Formation and later modified to create the S enrichment. Squires also tributed the bench to shoemaker detritus in his Nature article Ancient Impact and Aqueous Processes at Endeavour Crater, Mars although he differentiated between inner and outer bench material (outer being Burns formation onlap which is quite pronounced to the west of CY). Identifying the bench as eroded rim breccia material seems an important call in defining Endeavour, confirming that the Burns unit was deposited a long time after the impact, when the rim had eroded away.
One wonders whether Oppy's accelerometers are used in general drive usage for instance to adjust drive behavior over small rocks, which should nullify hazards such as this, since any sensed impasse should signal to adjust suspension, wheel spin, etc. in adaptation to the terrain feature encountered... or maybe they are only used to measure degree of tilt? i'm sure im oversimplifying it and someone here is probably familiar with those specs..
interesting.. Thanks! I guess it really is hazardous negotiating boulder fields, Gusev probably proved to be quite the obstacle course in that regard, though I dont recall hearing any worries about that aspect, though that may just be selective memory and no similar scary incidents occurred as far as I know.
broken plate http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/sol/03420.html
I'll tell you one thing -- I doubt that you could have driven the MERs or MSL at, say, the Viking 2 landing site. Way too many blocks to work around at that location, at least for anything larger than a smallish toaster.
It just goes to show that, for rovers of MER and even MSL size, there is a lot of the Martian surface that is not easily trafficable.
-the other Doug
The panoramic view on Sol 3423 taken with the L0 Navcam.
Jan van Driel
Oh, no doubt. I can well imagine that this is what makes sand traps more dangerous than rock fields -- the latter can be much more easily seen and avoided.
Truly, I'm not in any way questioning the abilities of the rovers or their excellent drivers. Just noting that we've seen places -- like the V2 landing site -- where trafficability would be lousy for just about any wheeled vehicle. We've actually been somewhat lucky (or at least better at estimating ground truth from orbital imagery) in that the three rover landing sites -- Gusev, Meridiani and Gale -- show considerably less dense boulder populations than we saw at either Viking site or at the Pathfinder site. Indeed, Meridiani has a remarkably low boulder density, making for generally great trafficability, the odd soft dust ripple notwithstanding...
-the other Doug
I think it's wise to remember here that the Viking landing sites were selected in part based on Earth-based radar interpretations of surface smoothness in the 1970s, which frankly were kinda off the mark.
The VOs didn't have nearly the cam resolution that even MGS had, and all that came before them were the Mariners. We're kinda spoiled nowadays...not that I'm complaining.
Pains me to say it, but we were REALLY lucky that both of the VLs made it down safely. (To be fair, though, the history of science itself is replete with luck; serendipity is definitely a part of of the process of discovery.) As a result, we sent more spacecraft & learned enough about the planet so that we are now able to set down rovers in both terrain-accessible & geologically interesting locales.
Moving on now. Always.
To clarify nprev's comment, only Viking 1 had earth-based radar data to estimate roughness. Viking 2 was too far north. Reflectivity was measured at the sub-Earth point as the planet rotated, giving east-west lines of roughness data at various latitudes depending on the positions of the planets, but the Viking 2 site was too far north for that.
Phil
Meanwhile (back on topic) at Solander Point, there's some fabulous rocks being photographed by Opportunity.
The L0 Navcam images from Sol 3425 and Sol 3426 stichted together
into this panoramic view.
Jan van Driel
I think we are just starting to see again the plains on the right part of the mosaic, aren't we?
I assumed that was Cape York on the horizon above the rightmost solar panel - is that correct?
Yes, you're right.
Phil
I think we're getting close to seeing the plains, but my impression is we're still a bit below plains level and are just seeing the rim. As we climb up Solander the view over the plains should open up quite abruptly. I can't wait...
This is jvandriel's new panorama in circular form. Since then we have driven slightly up onto the slope.
Phil
Sol 3430. Here's the view from the current site, about 12m WNW of the previous one.
Here is the complete Mi Cam view on Sol 3427.
Jan van Driel
"Field Notes from Mars" has been updated on September 18. For anyone who's paying attention, I assume you know you'll want to go read this right away. http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/rover-field-reports-from-mars.html
Fantastic! - love that 1m contour map. (I think it shows we still have a fair bit of a climb before the plains vista opens up.)
The picture Fredk linked to just a few posts back showed some disconnected white spots which, as he suggested, might have been fragments of a gypsum vein. This picture shows another, maybe a bit more obviously linear:
http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03431/1N432777958EFFC8CTP1762L0M1.html
(right between the tracks in the foreground) - so I think we are really seeing the veins here again.
Phil
Here is the complete Navcam L0 view on Sol 3431.
Jan van Driel
Haven't seen one of these posted in a while (not sure why, other good sources? other priorities?), so here's an L257 mosaic from Sol 3428. Not sure about the horizon angle though - slope could be more or less than shown.
This is jvandriel's 3431 pan in circular form. Ready to go to work right on the edge of the rock layer.
Phil
Looks like the climb of Solander Point has begun, maybe? At least a little bit. Sol 3437 estimated drive:
Okay, I guess the climb hasn't really begun; it's just the way Solander Point is tilted. Still, fun.
And another drive is expected thisol 3439.
Charborob's half pan in circular form - looking uphill. For a map view turn it upside down.
Phil
The not complete navcam view on Sol 3439.
The rest will follow later.
Jan van Driel
Some more images have come down. Here is a wider navcam pan (sol 3439):
The Navcam L0 view on Sol 3441 looking forward.
Jan van Driel
just enjoying the graphically striking imagery on these sol3444 hazcams..
Spectacular view today - http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2013-10-05/1P434201509EFFC8MDP2441L2M1.JPG
Has the big crater been named yet? ElkGroveDan suggested "Broadside Crater" eons ago, in response to Stu's very prescient post and pictures (now worth revisiting).
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=6438&view=findpost&p=161723
I'm looking at the crater (not much smaller) on the next frame to the right and I notice it has a very bright rim. What buried material might account for that? Maybe its sampling an interesting layer beneath Endeavour.
The panoramic view taken on Sol 3446-3449 L2.
Jan van Driel
http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/mer-updates/2013/09-mer-update-opportunity-roves-to-solander-west-into-winter-campground.html
A couple quotes:
Part of the Solander Point Ridge Pan.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10169352475/
Very nice! I couldn't resist playing with the far wall of Endeavour a bit to reveal more of its structure. There's even a crater or other feature out on the plains beyond the rim at the right edge.
Phil
My version of the Sol 3451 navcam panoramic view.
Jan van Driel
a little late but here is the complete navcam panoramic view
taken on Sol 3439 and 3441.
Looking back
It's never too late for a full pan! Thanks for those. Now... what can I do with them?
Phil
This is jvandriel's pan in circular form. Later on sol 3441 Opportunity moved south a few meters for some work on the rocks.
Phil
And there was another move on sol 3451. Almost 20m SW per the tracking DB.
Here is the complete navcam view taken on Sol 3451.
Jan van Driel
and here's a circular version of that pan to show the general layout of the area.
Phil
A six-frame Pancam L1R12 drive direction mosaic on sol 3453. This must be color anaglyph heaven.
Color clast survey L257, Sol 3455. Bits of things that look slightly like veins but are not bright... interesting?
I would hope so. Also lotsa pretty sparkly little rocks. Hope they take some closer looks at all this stuff.
"Hope they take some closer looks at all this stuff. "
Don't worry, we'll be on this slope for a long time!
Phil
This aint any old slope, right ? Ground truths await...besides the rest we'll see...
Sol 3457 partial navcam pan:
24m ESE, according to the "telemetry".
This is a circular version of charborob's partial pan. When I posted that route map for Solander I should have had the 3451 position a bit further south. Now we are up near the outcrops on the ridge crest.
Phil
The complete L257 colour pancam view on Sol 3453-3455.
Jan van Driel
You can read a rough estimate of our northerly tilt off of the east-facing navcams. I estimate around 17 degrees, although it might be a bit lower (or higher) if this image is not looking directly east:
Thinking way too far ahead, and with my usual optimism: Have there been any general notions of where Opportunity will head next spring? Continuing on the Cape Tribulation path? Or will she head north? Do we get ~into~ the crater next year??
'Into the crater' is probably not nearly as interesting as the rim. Endeavour is full of sediments like those we spent 8 years crossing to get here. The rim is the new stuff, the ancient stuff, and there's plenty of scope here to find different kinds of rock jumbled up in the hills. If long distance travel is considered, going south towards Iazu crater and its ejecta might still be more interesting than going into Endeavour. I would expect to spend at least a Mars year just on these hills and Cape Tribulation.
Phil
Thanks Phil - and many multitudes of thanks for sharing your imagery here. You really know how to 'tie the room together'!
Some of the recent Sol's Navcam's.
Sol-3451
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10358083606/
Sol-3457
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10358276103/
Sol-3458
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10358085236/
Or a Bunny Hill.
And my take.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10423560704/
Opportunity did a neat drive on Sol 3466 and now is at "Waratah" outcrop, according to the database. (Images go to Flickr)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marscat/10465042615/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/marscat/10465066754/
Love it. With all these Aussie names being used for the Endeavour journey, I really hope that they use 'Upper Cumbucter West'.
Other Australians will know the name, but for everyone else, it's a place that doesn't exist.
The name is often used to describe somewhere that is very remote or perhaps a location that is a little strange or as a vague description of where some other place is when you actually don't know where it is. As an example: "Oh yeah mate, that's just down the road from Upper Cumbucter West".
Yes, we're a weird lot
The 3466 Navcam.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10472668526/I'm working on the 3465 Nav Pan now, will post when finished.
Edit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10473053446/
Here is my view of the Sol 3464 L2 pancam panorama.
Jan van Driel
Here is the complete navcam L 2 panoramic view taken on Sol 3468 and Sol 3469.
Jan van Driel
Sol 3471 - up at the next level - and a great view all around.
Phil
http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03471/1P436329045EFFC9BIP2356L2M1.html
http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03471/1N436328572EFFC9BIP1824R0M1.html
Yeah, I like the view from here too. Here's one especially nice frame. Anaglyph:
My take on the 3471 Navcam Pan.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10567666274/
At some point as we climb, Cape Tribulation will start to show above the foreground ridge of Solander Point - that will be quite a sight.
Phil
It's already quite a dramatic view! Love the pans James!
Very true! I was looking further into the future.
Phil
I presume that Oppy is now purposely parked daily with a north-facing slant?
Nice pan! On the left side near the top, it looks like we are approaching a patch of finely-layered material rather different from the blocky impact breccias in the outcrops behind us.
Phil
Is there a small crater in the sand in the left panel--or just an optical trick?
http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/mer-updates/2013/10-mer-update-opportunity-gets-back-to-the-past-at-winter-site.html
Sol 3478: up and over a break in slope by the look of it.
Phil
http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03478/1R436950321EFFC9GWP1301R0M1.html
It looks like a backup and drive-around to me. I guess they didn't want to tangle with the drift? (I'm a little surprised.) However, check out the Pancam L257R2 on Sol 3477, labelled 'bright material'. I'd say it matches the description in the http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/mer-updates/2013/10-mer-update-opportunity-gets-back-to-the-past-at-winter-site.html of where she's headed.
Perhaps more for good tilt than fear of drifts!
Phil
It seems to me that there often seems to be a small area of dunes atop hills or crater edges, like at Victoria and the Columbia Hills and now here on the Endeavor rim. The rige of slope must somehow create a local lee vortex that accumualtes a small dune line there...
and the Nav cam L0 panoramic view on Sol 3478.
Jan van Driel
It looks like the dogleg maneuver http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_opportunityAll.html#sol3473 I'm guessing that if the ground had been flat, it wouldn't have been a problem to drive through, but on a slope like this they wanted to avoid it.
Yes, and that 'favorable' energy mini-boost...
The panoramic views on Sol 3480.
Jan van Driel
Navcam
I'm in a good mood, so I decided to make a Postcard from Sol 3473
http://www.db-prods.net/blog/2013/11/08/opportunity-a-lassaut-de-solander-point-carte-postale-du-sol-3473/
Ooohhh!!! That is quite nice!
Thank-you Damia.
Based on http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2013-11-08/1N437211989EFFC9MGP1615R0M1.JPG?sol3481 I'd say we're now at least as high as the highest point on Cape York. Notice how CY no longer sticks up above the horizon (though that's techically probably not the true horizon, since the top of CY is below the level of the outside plains, so I don't think we're at the plains height yet). CY is the "stain" just below the horizon on the left side of the frame.
Sol 3480 Pancam L7
added 1 image at the leftside.
Jan van Driel
Am I right in thinking the dark pyramid right on top there corresponds to the 'Winter outcrops' marked on the traverse map? Or are those still beyond our current skyline?
(as ever big thanks to all the mosaic makers here)
This is our current location, from jvandriel's new pan, sols 3480-81.
Phil
... and the previous location, sols 3478-3479. A good view of the tracks along the ridge.
Phil
This is really mountain hiking ! I'm really looking forward what is the view on the other side of the hill (even if we know that with HiRISE). Thank you Oppy and JPL for this amazing hiking on Mars
The outcrops here look to have the right sort of dip to be intact everted rim strata from the Endeavour impact. (Such were in short supply at Cape York, perhaps because it suffered more slumping, immediately post-impact or subsequently, than the Solander/Tribulation rim segment.) Of course I'm actively looking for everted strata, so maybe I'm seeing them where there aren't any. What do others think? http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2013-11-10/1P437304679EFFC9OXP2364R1M1.JPG
This is jvandriel's half pan of sol 3482 in circular form.
Phil
... and this is the location on part of Larry Crumpler's map. We are almost exactly 19 km south of the landing site.
Phil
Yes it would be interesting. The most likely source of strata formed post-Miyamoto and pre-Endeavour would be ash and debris deposits fom nearby impacts that occurred between betwen the two in time. Some layers might preserve a record of redistribution of the fallen material by wind or water. Just finding layered material with the right orientation is very interesting, but of course it could have got there in a number of other ways.
Phil: thanks for the location.
Nice pan! Here's a circular version of it showing us beside another outcrop of what looks like impact breccia. The tracks in the distance are from sol 3471 and the white spot at the upper end of them is Waratah, the outcrop containing the in situ target Baobab.
Phil
My version of the 3485 Navcam Pan.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10850161154/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10850340153/
and the complete panoramic L0 view on Sol 3485.
Jan van Driel
I just had to put this together from Sol-3488.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/10943930576/
Very nice - Hey, Opportunity, look to the left a bit! - so we can see Cape York. But in this view we do see something else. A large shallow depression called Antares which lies north and slightly east of Cape York. It was barely visible if at all from Cape York itself, but from up here it's more visible, a subtle depression hinted at by shading just below the horizon, spanning more than the full width of this image.
Phil
According to the tracking site, there was an 8 point pan looking back at the tracks on the same sol. This is just one of two sequences looking back at the tracks, so stay tuned .
The Nav cam L0 views from Sol 3492 and Sol 3493 stitched together.
Jan van Driel
Updated map in http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/rover-field-reports-from-mars.html with a better-defined location for the winter clay-signature outcrops.
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=7708&view=findpost&p=204673! now I can make out those 'multiple rises' http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=7708&view=findpost&p=204660 referred to. I almost missed the re-emergence of the tracks much further down the slope below to the right..
That's what I posited in post 218: pre-Endeavour beds maybe tilted outward by that impact, presumably not Meridiani sandstone.
Perhaps age dims the vision but this looks like weathered impactite to me.
The pancam L2 view from Sol 3494 and Sol 3495.
Jan van Driel
The above is the latest 'Drive Direction' mosaic, with any luck Oppy will be driving that way in the next few hours (unless tosols drive is just a bump).
And there it is; nice drive on Sol 3505. This is getting exciting! (At rover speed, of course.)
So is this the outcrop that orbital analysis identified as potentially having clays?
It's a bit to the west of those outcrops.
Phil
I believe the outcrops in question are visible upper left in the above view. But here's a better view where they're more clearly visible in Pancam false color, on the left.
She'll get over there eventually, I imagine. It's probably just a question of how many things they find to investigate along the way.
Seems the clay signatures are more widespread than it seemed, even extending to where we've already been - from the http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/mer-updates/2013/11-mer-update-opportunity-ascends-murray-ridge-into-clay-mineral-grounds.html
Here is the false colour L257 panorama taken on Sol 3504.
Jan van Driel
There was another drive on Sol 3506, about 28.7 S-SE. So she's already approaching "Winter Wonderland", and returned a wide L7R1 drive direction mosaic.
That was a lot faster that I was expecting!
http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03506/1P439438512EFFCAAHP2375R1M1.html
For anyone who's interested, here is a THEMIS visible mosaic of Endeavour crater:
Another drive on Sol 3507! Approximately 19.4m at 158º from north (that S-SE). I think she's more or less at the western end of the bright outcrop area. Things should be even more interesting from here on!
Sol 3506-3507 L0.
Added 3 images to the right.
Jan van Driel
Here's an anaglyph version of the sol 3508 drive direction mosaic if anyone would like.
I like!
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status_opportunityAll.html#sol3499
This is the 3506 position in a circular image based on jvandriel's original panorama.
Phil
And we have a name! Cook Haven. I hope it lives up to its namesake.
http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03509/1P439698804EFFCACMP2378L7M1.html
Phil
Is anyone else curious to see what Cape York looks like from up here, as I am?
It looks like http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MERB/image/03507/1N439535301EFFCACMP1797L0M1.html (upper left) - but yes, let's hope we see some great Pancam coverage at some point during the winter. Let's just hope she isn't developing a case of trench wheel.
Mike beat me to it by a second or two, but this is my version, merging both frames from that sequence and brightening (and enlarging). Pancam should look pretty good when we get it.
Phil
Looking to apparent horizon, these images confirm that both structures (Cape York and Nobby's Head) are within Endeavour depression and, as suggested from elevation charts, Opportunity will not go significantly above Meridian plain level by climbing the Murray ridge, making impossible to see farther features like Victoria or Endurance craters...
Ah, but wait until next year when we're on top of Cape Tribulation!
Phil
Many thanks, guys. Even with the low-res, this shows very clearly how those features are on the down slope into Endeavour, and how flat they are.
The Nav cam L0 images from Sol 3507 (-1 image) and Sol 3509
stitched together.
Jan van Driel
Very nice - and with a bit of geometric wizardry it becomes this circular panorama. The various outcrops can be identified quite easily on the HiRISE image now.
Phil
We couldn't see Tribulation from Victoria, but we could see the tallest peaks on the east and north rim of Endeavour. Check out these pancam views:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/950/1P212524402EFF76CNP2386R1M1.JPG
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/950/1P212524613EFF76CNP2386R1M1.JPG
Sol 3509-Sol 3510.
The Pancam L7 images stitched together.
Jan van Driel
The "http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=6438" thread is a good place to look for first sightings. I don't think we could see Solander from Concepcion. There's a good inverse-polar showing what we could see http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=6438&view=findpost&p=154652
The first mention I know of of Solander was in http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=6438&view=findpost&p=161715 But it was barely visible a bit earlier, on sol 2269:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/2269/1P329615225ESFAI16P2445L6M1.JPG
Anyway, this suggests that once we get up onto the first main hill of Solander to our south, we may be able to see clear across something like 10 km of plains to the west...
Happy Christmas and New Year everyone
Over Christmas I made a movie which I think you guys might like: -
Opportunity Rover: 6 Month Journey On Meridiani Planum Mars June-Dec13 [Movie From Haz Cam Pics]
http://youtu.be/I0xUEyMIvBI
Of course, following things here made it so much easier to make the movie. Thanks guys - love your high standards. And map makers like ET, I hope you like my little moving tracking map idea!
Must get back into making a few posts . Hugh
WOW. just WOW!
thank you!!!!!!!!
Thank you, nice slideshow. (The soundtrack I could have done without though.)
It is funny how the trek of this little rover have affected me, since when I watched the youtube file - I considered it to be familiar surroundings.
Just as much as the images I did browse trough yesterday taken in one environment that at least superficially is quite similar - but that I have physically visited.
A great Christmas present for us all! Thanks.
Given that our rover is currently on its winter campaign we thought it appropriate to have a dedicate thread to that and move several posts there.
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=7790 is the currently active thread so posts should be done there, unless it is related with something before sol 3512 in which case this is still the proper place.
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