Now that you mention it, waterfowl really do make a mess of things. If any of those show up we're done for. The only thing worse for a rover's solar panels than ducks, would be parking it under an olive tree.

Nobody tells me anything.

And now you're saying that dust devils have BLOOD in them?!

So that's why Mars is so red....

Do I really have to put a smiley face in here?

I'm usually the one who shouts "OI - IT WASN'T BLOODY DUST DEVILS"

Doug


I Hope your' not too nervous waiting for the next one! I mean "quote", not DD

Here is the mosaic after brushing on Sol 830.

Taken with the Mi camera.

jvandriel

Oh, no. Cr*p c*rcles! Maybe it's the Bird 'Flu...

Bob Shaw

Here is the mosaic taken on Sol 822 with the Mi cam.

Is it at the same place?

jvandriel

Wow... at that size, you could paste the full-resolution hard copy to curved backing boards and build yourself a nice diorama. Come to think of it, wouldn't a diorama like that be perfectly at home a few feet behind (and half-encircling) a desk + computer(s)?

I could get used to a background like that

Stu

Nico

It is so dirty, full of powder. I cannot see anything from the surface. Does the RAT have no brusher to clean them?

Now I realized that it is not a stone surface. Oh. anyway. it is so sticky (some humidity or the sands has some cohesive properties).

Rodolfo

Thanks for the comments on the SFX image.
The full-size image is now online at my webpage. I had to compress the JPG file a little because I've run out of space at my ISP account. Hmm, maybe it's time to actually register a domain name and get some room to grow.

Just as an aside about panoramas as wallsize images. At the DSN Complex where I work we have a full-scale replica of the Rover displayed on a simulated Mars surface with a 6-metre by 2-metre (20-feet x 6-feet) background panorama taken by Spirit from the top of Husband Hill. The effect of the Rover sitting in front of this spectacular image (with some SFX enhancements; extended sky etc) is amazing. I'll have to take a photo of it and post it here later.

Any good commercial printer that can do large-format printing can work with images like the McMurdo pan. At a final print resolution of 100dpi you can easily bump up the scale of this image to beyond your average wallsize. It may cost you between $1-$2K to produce it on a good medium like 2-3mm foamcore, but the final effect would be well worth it.

Astro0

AstroO:

Do you have *any* idea how much a divorce costs?

Bob Shaw

Yup, a $2K picture of Mars with Rover at my house would land me in court in a heartbeat. I get heavy flack over an 8x10, the priorities are so different.

"Normal people just don't overdose on multiple pictures of some damned machine running around on Mars!" "Just how many do you need?"

And so it goes...

"Just checking up on the rovers, dear!"

"Are those *&^%*%^$ things still going?"

Phil

(I'm kidding, of course... )

Gee, now I'm going to be responsible for divorces.
Well, if your partner doesn't like Mars and Rovers, maybe you weren't meant to be together anyway (really kidding!)
I'm fortunate that my wife is extremely understanding. I know that I have to be, as she is a fanatical Superman fan/collector. So she has no grounds for complaint...as long as I don't complain.

Of course, the $1-$2K is in Australian dollars, probably much cheaper elsewhere in the world.
But then what price do you place on enjoying feeling like you're on Mars.

Here's a shot of our exhibit at the Canberra DSN. There's still some Mars-like soil to put in to finish it off.
The public are just amazed by how large the rover actually is...they expect it to be like a small toy. Mind you, they had no idea about the size of Sojourner either.

Astro0

"Another rock! How Exciting!" But then I threaten her with taking up model railroading instead....

Astro your SFX site is beautiful!