Hmm - I wouldn't fancy that observation too much - being THAT close to the sun and then you're pointing the entire instrument deck sunward? No thanks.

Or could actually condemn it to its entire remaining lifespan (whatever that might be) to this sand pit.

And Tyrone

Is this the worst that Spirit has seen?

Almost certainly.

Do we know for a fact that she can't get out?

Certainly not.

People are condemning the rover to this sand pit - when no serious attempt has even been made to extract her yet.

They said the same thing back with previous embedding events.

Don't read more into it that there is.

I think PDP8E was being sarcastic.

BNSC and STFC are really not in my good books right now.

I think we should probably draw a line under this discussion. The allegations being made are exceptionally serious and I don't want UMSF to be a platform to make them.

Two thousand sols have come and gone
But memories still linger
I held a flight-RAT in my hand
Has anybody seen my finger?

They're not rocks. They're metallic meteorites, that show all the evidence of being 'complete' - with entry heating features on all sides.

Agreed - this thing is several hundred KG, more than half a ton, possibly more like 3/4s of a ton or more - there is nothing the rover could do to it.

Or how about the title doesn't actually matter and we just get on with our lives?

Yup- we have a winner.

You can remain surprised. We'll start a new one after we set off from BI

That's not a CRH. Doesn't look anything like one. It looks just like a Surveyor sized object on the ground.

Stu said those a few posts ago were Gale.

Gale still gets my uneducated MSL vote. It's just more spectacular than the others.

UMSF b'day cards have been sent

merged two threads.

They've not been imaged yet, as far as I know ( they've not been released, certainly ).

I think it's best to wait for the final orbit before we chomp at the bit for more 'hardware' images.

Can we move on please. Further posts on this will be deleted.

Snow on the poles. I think he can be quite proud of that in 1888

This one is nasty. I"m keeping track with friends on Facebook. Only one family I know has been evacuated, and they were pretty close to JPL. Keeping everything crossed - there are some proper heroes fighting this thing up there.

Quite. LRO can't help in that regard. It might be possible for LRO to image Chanrdrayaan 1 in the MGS->MODY style perhaps. Check it's still there and hasn't gone 'poof'.

Doug

Reading his twitter feed, it sounds like no one else wanted to publish the paper.

Planetary Radio is a must. I used to listen to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, but the music drove me to the edge of madness. The Jodcast can be good - but much of the content would be better suited as reading, not listening material.

Opportunity has been slacking as well

Plenty in other threads - but to be honest, it's a fairly futile exercise, just as we figure out what they're up to they find a new obstacle of dunes etc. to avoid.