Indeed! I've been noticing the chanes in terrain the past couple of "days of exploratorium postings".

This is a recent image, contrast enhanced and sharpened:

I see a couple of the flat evaporite paving plates that have apparently sunk, leaving a depressed area in the overlying soil. Not much in the big picture, but an interesting data point nonetheless. "Hmmm..."

--Bill

Finally we have a pseudocolor PanCam stitch (Sol539, L2+L7):
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...pe=post&id=1039

And corresponding Phil-O-Vision (x10 stretch, more realistic colors):
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...pe=post&id=1040

..and (almost) vertical projection:

And here is a Phil-O-Vision Horticolor image; much nicer colors that I was able to prestidigitate.

Note that the near-rim dunes are marching around to the right side. It looks like Oppy's aiming for the eastern rim of Erebus...

--Bill

I really must do something about this awful astigmatism...

Phil

I'm betting they stop and do a bit of scratch-and-sniff at the exposed patch a few meters ahead.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...RP0703L0M1.HTML

It looks as though, if you could sweep away the dunes (which look much lower and flatter here), that there would be a broad cobblestoned pavement all the way to the south. Is that possible?

Easy way to find out - send one of those street-cleaning trucks to Mars and let it have a go at it. Just think of all the science - analysis of the dust passing through the collection tank, a good look at clean stones, information on how fast the dunes move, and a clear path for Opportunity.

Actually David, that is almost certainly the case. From what we've seen in the occasional windows through the dunes/ripples, the bedrock surface has been mostly flat and cracked up from Eagle crater to Endurance, and all the way south to the current position. I am hoping that when Opportunity gets well into the etched terrain, it will become less flat, with some elevated outcrops to explore.

The question is, is it worth it to spend any time on outcroppings when a huge crater awaits a few meters to the south? I think it would be quite interesting to see just what that meteor uncovered however long ago, moreso than more finely layered bedrock nubs. If nothing else a panorama of a huge crater would be impressive to see.

I wouldn't mind seeing a fossilized whale skeleton sticking out of the Meridiani plains, though.

Victoria will be awesome no doubt, but there is a slight chance IMO the outcropping near Erebus will be easier to investigate. Looking at Victoria it looks like a though one to enter compared to Endurance and the ejecta blanket seems covered by dark sands.. Perhaps they will need to travel some time around it to determine a safe way to the rim. 'bout your skeleton, who wouldn't?

Nico

Sol540 PanCam stitches toward SE (up) and West (bottom); corresponding stretched version on the right (10:1 ratio) suggests a slope of only 0.22 degree toward erebus...

Lucky you didn't put any money on that bet lol

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...PYP1311R0M1.JPG

It could also likely be that the outcrops at Erebus are the same stuff as before - then we ride rather fast along I guess, because we can hope to find unusual ejected rocks from a deep Victoria layer.

Looking to sol 541 drive images and to this small pano made with the pancam pictures, I have the feeling that they will stop on the next collection of patches.

See http://nasa.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportu...PYP0703L0M1.JPG
and


Tesheiner

PD: I'm just coming back from my month-long vacations and trying to figure what happened on mars during this time.

I hope so !
if we could maintain the current driving regime (carful, but steady, daily progress at an average of 30 meters a day, *without* extensive stops ), we would cover the remaining 1500 Meters from Erebus to Victoria within about 50 Sols
add to this: restricted sols and another month of unexpected delay/problems, we
could be there as early as November...

Sooo, consulting Helvick's Power Chart, that would leave us still another 50-100 Sols worth of explorating Victoria Crater until Solar power death ...