Sailors long ago came up with names for vehicle-referenced directions: fore/forward and aft/astern, port and starboard. I've even heard port and starboard used for aircraft.

Steve M

Yeah, thought about nautical terminology as well, and that'd be fine, too.

Anything would be fine as long as there was a consensus & consistent application.

I would say the crater is clearly visible - no convincing necessary! I was even able to match details of the size, shape, and topography with the contour map. Notice for example the "channel" running out of the crater to the NNW. (It shows up on the contour map as blue.) Look at Ant's original anaglyph to see it more clearly.

Exactly! I was thinking the same thing. Looking at those images, there's nothing (apart from the crater shape and hindsight) to suggest danger in the crater. I think the plan was to get over to the "sidewalk" beside HP, and that may have saved us from certain doom.

Sorry of the late reply. That's a nice idea. The moving sun looks very realistic.

Beside the colour adjustements you could yet implement the local true time generating with http://www.greuti.ch/oppy/html/filenames_ltst.htm

Does anyone know where I can find an mp3 file of the Nov 12 teleconference?

Thanks Peter - good ideas and also going to do a few more things for v4. A sort of learning experiment!!! Did it away from home under time pressure and didn't have your v. useful corrected time page bookmarked on my favourites. But I have bookmarked it right now .

Currently working on another Oppy navcam 'panorama' - Sol 2058. They are a real challenge and great fun to do.

"@marsroverdriver Showtime! #FreeSpirit 3 minutes ago from Twitterrific"

We might see the first images at exploratorium in the next hour then.

IIRC at the press briefing they said the commands would be executed late Monday evening, Pasadena time -- or maybe that was when the downlink would happen. Perhaps "Showtime" referred to the uplink? Mars24 tells me it's now only 08:20 at Gusev, so they wouldn't be driving yet, right?

Edit: Blerg, I misread Mar24. As I write this it is indeed late evening Spirit time, 19:42. Sorry to add to the confusion.

The commands go up tonight, the pictures come down early Tuesday morning. I'm guessing this is all California time. Right now, Spirit time is early evening, so the rover still has a full night's rest ahead before the big day on Mars.

confused

Juggling 3 different time zones here

I'm guessing "showtime" refers to the whole atmosphere surrounding preparations for the EVENT. The pictures may be anticlimactic, but as others have said, a couple centimeters forward motion will be good news.

If we knew what time Spirit was programmed to move, Spirit time, you could just check the "Spirit time" link I posted. Noon Spirit time is still almost 17 hours away. But I don't know if Spirit will move before or after that.

Sorry to have added to the confusion. It's now late evening Spirit time as centsworth pointed out; driving action can be expected at noon give or take a few hours Mars time, which is some time in the wee hours of the morning California time. Unconfused yet?

I imagine 'Showtime' meant the commands were transmitted. As for expected movement, I think they'll be happy to see a fraction of a centimeter and no drift in a bad direction.