The western route, 5th leg after stop at Absecon / Reeds Bay |
The western route, 5th leg after stop at Absecon / Reeds Bay |
Jul 11 2009, 05:57 PM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Time for a new thread.
After moving southwards for ages, the "detour" by the western path has started with a 60+ meters drive on sol 1942. There are no images yet --they should be available on the next update-- so this image was calculated solely based on the rover's mobility info. I'll update the route map later. |
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Jul 22 2009, 09:50 PM
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#61
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 8-February 04 From: Arabia Terra Member No.: 12 |
Wow, that's a long drive back. Whatever it is that the rover team thinks this might be has got to be a lot more interesting than another iron meteorite!
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Jul 22 2009, 10:22 PM
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#62
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Thanks for pointing the rock Tim.
Added it to the latest KML file in the route map thread. |
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Jul 23 2009, 12:28 AM
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#63
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Member Group: Members Posts: 293 Joined: 29-August 06 From: Columbia, MD Member No.: 1083 |
Can someone summarize the reasons their taking the big west (almost northwest) turn? Is it more stable ground to drive on? Sorry if I missed this many pages back. Thanks!
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Jul 23 2009, 12:48 AM
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#64
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Hmm. Well, as Doug pointed out, BI is an anomaly in its own right even on cursory examination. However, Tim is hinting that there are other less obvious reasons for the close-up exam.
It sure is dark, which to me indicates that might be a relatively recent, hefty meteorite. On the other hand, it might be an ejecta block from a fresh impact in the area...say, maybe from over near the recently-more-interesting region near Endeavour? Are you guys looking for clay early? -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Jul 23 2009, 01:06 AM
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#65
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 4763 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Glendale, AZ Member No.: 197 |
Tim is hinting that there are other less obvious reasons for the close-up exam. Was there perhaps a tantalizing mini-TES image taken? Does it even work on Opportunity anymore? -------------------- If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
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Jul 23 2009, 01:22 AM
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#66
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4247 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
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Jul 23 2009, 01:28 AM
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#67
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1044 Joined: 17-February 09 Member No.: 4605 |
So the attempt to clear the dusty mirror by leaving it exposed has failed? |
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Jul 23 2009, 02:50 AM
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#68
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1044 Joined: 17-February 09 Member No.: 4605 |
... Any guess as to the size of the original meteorite? I'm thinking about 8 inches in diameter . . . Glenn, the size would depend on the meteor type and velocity. Was this a secondary? Was it at terminal velocity or faster? The link takes a lot of the effort out of 'what iffing' this question. http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/tekton/crater_c.html |
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Jul 23 2009, 03:26 AM
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#69
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Member Group: Members Posts: 233 Joined: 21-April 05 Member No.: 328 |
Serpens, thanks for the link to the crater diameter calculator -- it is fascinating! And I am perhaps not so far off! A 0.2 m diameter meteor of dense rock (not iron), traveling at 45 km/sec (the upper end of the range for Mars impacts), and striking "competent rock" will create a crater 3.49 m (appx. 12 feet) in diameter.
But Block Island is even more fascinating!!! Is anyone sure that's why we've turned around? |
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Jul 23 2009, 04:19 AM
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#70
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Member Group: Senior Member Posts: 136 Joined: 8-August 06 Member No.: 1022 |
Doug has it. It's the biggest thing not associated with a crater that we've seen. And it's not outcrop.
-Tim. |
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Jul 23 2009, 05:04 AM
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#71
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Certainly reason enough. And there I was, spinning out into left field...
-------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Jul 23 2009, 05:06 AM
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#72
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Member Group: Members Posts: 233 Joined: 21-April 05 Member No.: 328 |
Alan, my man! What led you to this felicitous observation? Just your own curiosity about that big black rock?
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Jul 23 2009, 05:36 AM
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#73
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1887 Joined: 20-November 04 From: Iowa Member No.: 110 |
Just thought 'hey that looks interesting' when MMB downloaded the images, that and 'too bad Oppy has already driven away'
I'm also wondering if it's located far enough south for Oppy to see some of the terrain to the south that's currently hidden from view. |
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Jul 23 2009, 06:47 AM
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#74
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
Doug has it. It's the biggest thing not associated with a crater that we've seen. And it's not outcrop. -Tim. I thought there was a significantly larger "erratic" boulder observed near Erebus. Some here were surprised that that one was not more closely investigated at the time. I'm not suggesting that either was a glacial erratic, only that it was an erratic boulder on Mars. -------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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Jul 23 2009, 03:01 PM
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#75
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Member Group: Members Posts: 252 Joined: 27-April 05 Member No.: 365 |
But what took the team so long to decide to turn around and go investigate BI? Someone maybe took a second look at the downloaded images a few days after their initial evaluation and raised a big flag? Would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall during that ops meeting....
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