Surprise, fourth driving day in a row.
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...cam/2010-12-09/

The complete Pancam view taken on Sol 2442
with the L2 Pancam.

Jan van Driel

Sol 2444



Rover model is shown based on tracking data, not necessarily accurate:

3 More Drives and 1 more to get to the Edge. Go Opportunity!!! Drive Drive Drive

The L2 Pancam panoramic view of Santa Maria.
Taken on Sol 2443.

Jan van Driel

I vote for today's panorama as the latest HOAV moment. This is just the centrepiece: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...IJP2359R2M1.JPG

OK, here's my final L2R2 average for Santa Maria. Lens distortions across the full field of view make it impossible to align the two frames exactly. Besides, one more drive and we'll be able to see the whites of her eyes...

OK, so here's something new. This is a "Frankenstein" long-baseline anaglyph. I've taken the 2443 image and enlarged it to match the scale of the 2444 image. We're heading directly towards a point very close to the centre of Santa Maria. So the parts of the crater on the left and right have transverse displacements between the two sols, so can be used to make a 3D image. But the displacements are opposite on opposite sides, which would make the depth look "inside-out" on one side. So I've swapped 2443 and 2444 parts on the right side of the anaglyph - you can clearly see the seam down the middle. The result is a proper sense of depth all across the image. But since the transverse displacements go to zero at the seam, the perception of depth also goes to zero there. So the image depth looks "pinched" at the centre. Quite a monster!

Clever! I assume you've tried a conventional L-R anaglyph as well and that it fails to bring out any depth because we're still too far away?? Given the camera separation I'd expect that to start working pretty soon though, hopefully before we lose too much height.

Here's yer "conventional L-R anaglyph"...

http://twitpic.com/3ep0r2/full

Not much depth of field with the crater's features, but LOTS with the boulders surrounding it...

Geologists... welcome to Wonderland...

This isn't wonderland. Wonderland's off in the distance.

This is the back of the line to get a ticket to go through the turnstile.... to wonderland

Nice! Knowing that the apparent depth in anaglyphs increases with viewing distance I decided to view that one from a distance of 6 metres - using binoculars. It worked! So now my binoculars are crudely parcel-taped onto a telescope tripod located across the landing in my daughter's bedroom and my 3D specs are in two pieces taped over the binoculars. I think I'll leave them there and wait for your next few anaglyphs, Stu.

(Of course the binocular objectives are about twice as far apart as my eyes so I lost part of the advantage gained by going to 6 metres. The next stage would be to take the binoculars apart and reassemble them with the objectives closer together. Actually a small set of opera glasses without prisms would be ideal for this. I may scout round some antiques/junk shops tomorrow.)

Rover-sized blocks of ejecta... exposed layering... TWO areas of wind-blown dust dunes... rocks and boulders scattered all around... Santa Maria is definitely Wonderland.

That place on the far horizon, with its possible phylosillicates, unbelievable views of cratered mountains and deep, deep floor... ?

That's Oz, my friend. That's Narnia.

And we're about to get our first look at the Wardrobe.

This is OT but I don't think it will cause a long dgression. Anyone interested can send me a personal message.

I have an idea for enhancing the viewing of anaglyphs. What's needed is a pair of glasses that redirects the viewing angle from each eye the opposite way from ordinary binoculars. The objective lenses should be as close as possible - a distance equal to the aperture of each. There could be magnification, but in fact there need be no magnification at all, merely a reorientation of the lines of sight to make them more nearly parallel than the view from unaided human eyes.