That 'mist' is just when the sun is directly falling onto the lens of a camera, or some other similar effect - we've seen it a lot, and it's just an optics thing

There can be (and in this case I guess there MUST be, given the missing comms pass from the 30th, and those files being 31st) burps and knots in the pipeline from downlink to distro. I think this is one of those cases. (I'll know for sure once MMB has finished downloading)

I immediately thought 'traffic cone... that's a bit Rangerish'

Ustrax - you know it's rude to break into John's UMSF account, right?

I was being sarcastic. CR can't criticise people for personifying Spirit, whilst still ascribing physiological properties and a gender.

After 6 years, we're all grown a little fond of the "400 lbs of thinking metal sent from Earth"*. Ascribing emotion and personifying them is to be expected, and is entirely normal and acceptable for UMSF.


* Scotts words, not mine

OMG Can we get real here. Spirit doesn't have any blood at all.

Ahh - the Sun has grown from the 140mm of last year, so the 5108 miles won't be right.

Sirius is at 5108.5 miles

Heard at the UK Space Conference, a STEREO scientists wouldn't comment directly about SDO when asked if he had seen pictures yet - but he said "I'm smiling"

Similar question has been asked before - but I think the answer was a 'don't know'

As for development? They were designed for 600 - 1000 m so testing them for 20km+ was never going to be a requirement.

I really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really hope they can pull this off. I was hoping Cameron might help out with some of his Smurf money to rescope Mastcam so he could then get a 3D HD film out of it

Look for the JPL tech reports. No one designs batteries that last 2000 cycles then suddenly stop working. THey have had a very slow gradual degradation in performance but still have a significant proportion of their orig. capacity remaining.

I'm glad I got to see one at Fairford in the very early 90's ( got to see a Vulcan before they were retired as well )

Direct from the SpaceX Falcon 9 website
"Custom fairings are available at incremental cost."

Another great episode - and great work by Ralph there - I'm not sure where that analogue was but it really was a superb one for the Huygens landing site.

SDO isn't taking the same sort of imagery as the instruments mentioned in that article.

There is raw data available, but map projected stuff isn't available (and it's not particularly hard, but it is fairly time consuming to make it)

http://viewer.mars.asu.edu/planetview/inst...I_04S006W#start
http://viewer.mars.asu.edu/planetview/inst...1786_XI_01S006W
http://viewer.mars.asu.edu/planetview/inst...I_03S005W#start

A starter for 10

HRSC offers the best stereo usually ( unless a HiRISE or CTX dem exists ) - but CTX imagery is far FAR better than HRSC imagery.

He doesn't use MMB

There's just about complete CTX coverage of the whole of Miyamoto. Turn on the CTX imagery in Google Earth(mars), and you're ready to rock.

Personally - I think he should be burnt for witchcraft.

FWIW - IMG2PNG does work with the IMG's for me - but it's got a signed-problem I think.

Yup - I found that as well - it's missing a few degrees somehow.

Note this phrase

" launched on Atlas V 531 class vehicle."

CLASS vehicle.

There are flavours of Atlas V or Delta IV or even the Falcon 9H that could outperform a 531, and thus match its performance given the penalty of a larger custom fairing.

This is a non issue.

Yup - it's Adrians awesome work. Mine don't look anywhere near as good, and mine take minutes per frame, rather than 30 frames per second.

I've emailed the Gizmodo writer, commented at Discover, hopefully they'll get the message and correct it. Adrian is the one who deserves the credit for this, not me!!

Emailing someone with ISIS is probably your best bet.

Alternatively, try ImageJ and importing a raw into that.