I really don't think there's any speculation to be had with that one - I can't see any interpretation other than topography making much sense. 'frost' rendering rock in shadow the identical colour of rock in full sunlight seems unlikely. Frost at all in the mid afternoon similarly unlikely. Always worth investigation this stuff, giving it a second look - but I really can't see why this would be interpreted as anything other than light and shade.

Doug

Now I'm a bit confused - which image are you suggest might be frosty Hort? (link to a JPL or Exp jpg would be best) - In the afternoon, looking in this direction, the sun would be coming from above and to the right - as that rock is almost due south. I find mid-afternoon (arguably the warmest part of the day) and frost to be a fairly unlikely combo. Even much much further north, Viking 2 only saw frost early in the morning and you can see if sublimate away very quickly, chassing the shadows as it goes.

Doug

Looking at it more closely - it looks more like low-lighting rather than difference in the surface . The one I assume you're saying is frosty is taken on Sol 1347 14:42:41 local. Very very unlikely to be frost at that sort of time - and consistent with lighting from low in the west. Attached - the full false colour image. I can see where you might be coming from - I can see where that interpretation comes from, but I don't think it's right - particularly in the middle of the afternoon.

Just an update - things have been slow, real life has been getting in the way. For <£10 I've just picked up a Vaisala RS80 radiosonde - the typical weather balloon payload launched hundreds of times a day around the world. Thought it'd be an interesting research artifact to have a look at, maybe even steal it's sensors

http://www.vaisala.com/weather/products/so...adiosondes/rs80



Doug

[adam savage]

THERE'S your problem!

[/adam savage]

I assume they mean Pushbroom like MOC, HRSC, HiRIS etc.

Doug

The generation of a terrain model from stereo views is a complex and difficult process. It's one that you really have to leave to the instrument team. Bjorn is making awesome progress with Cassini stuff, however for pushbroom stereo cameras like HRSC or the lunar cameras etc - it's something the instrument team are going to be doing anyway.

The challenge is then to visualise this stuff - and that requires a 3d engine, decent hardware etc etc.

Essentially, it's a programming project of significant size.

Doug

Well - it's my Christmas present to me - I'm looking forward to it a LOT (and I'll be writing me a thank-you card as well)

Doug

Are you happy with the way it's come out generaly though - the quality of the figures etc?

Doug

CRISM was a slightly bigger bandwidth user than HiRISE from the outset anyway.

Doug

You missed out the only real link that matters

http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_005456_1650

I assume this is all 500 years-from-now-Titan-colony type speculation. Any first visit or indeed, first 'round' of visits - I wouldn't rely on ANYTHING other than that which I could take with me.

Doug

The direct link ( http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n615709/n620682/n63...ges/1798638.jpg ) is slightly more reliable - but still exceptionally slow - first one to get it in full, attach it to a post here

Doug

Not really, no. It's entirely dependent on the mass of a small reactor compared to the mass of whatever equipment and resources you bring along to use 'indigenous' sources (such as taking O2 to burn local material) I would also have thought the former would be simpler and more reliable. That one would be heavier than another is not certain.
Doug

You're not looking at that the right way. How much energy does it take to send, say, 1 MWhr of energy in the form of Uranium. Now how much energy does it take to send 1 MWhr of energy in the form of Li cells? You are assuming 1 kg of battery provides the same amount of energy as 1 kg of Uranium.

Doug

I hate to be all 'told you so' - but people who were disappointed by the decision to head for the north slope seemingly so 'early' should look at this imagery and the sliding around and poor grip and think again

Doug

Look up how much effort they took to make sure there was no NH3 on the spacesuits after recent ISS spacewalks involved in cooling loops

Doug

I had a go myself with the net - and it's brilliant. It doesn't work too well with normal paper - but it does work

Any chance of the CAD file being shared? The PDS release isn't the sort of thing that will drop into 3DS Max too easily

Doug

Sea Launch WAS built, it 's been operating for many years - Boeing operate it with Russian Zenit rockets. The next launch is Sunday.

http://www.boeing.com/special/sea-launch/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Launch

The chance of one single patch of 'chute being covered to exactly the same shade and texture as the underlying soil, then being perfectly cleared again seems a bit of a long shot

Doug

There's only two of BS+HS at Meridiani and nothing's happened up there at all. Couldn't really see any changes at the HS either. I might see if the lander's deflated or had dust built up or something as well - but that's for another day

Not sure on the loss of quality - I agree it's not all as good as that first shot. It's all 1x1 binning - all the same product for each observation ( JP2 Grey scale map projected quicklook for IAS ).

Doug

I upgraded from Tiger to Leopard and I'm like 'meh - nothing really amazing'

You come out with a point release for MMB, and I'm like a kid in a candy store

Doug

That's really rather cool. The bounce of the first landing is real scarey!

Doug

Two posts regarding a politician removed. Politics (and thus Politicians) are not allowed at UMSF. Fact.

Doug

And Saturn and Titan and Enceladus.

Doug