HiRISE and Mars Polar Lander |
HiRISE and Mars Polar Lander |
Guest_Sunspot_* |
Dec 6 2006, 02:05 PM
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Guests |
Looking at the images of the Spirit/Opportunity landing site, it seems many of the features such as tracks and rocket blast markings have faded considerably often to the point of being invisible in the nearly three years since landing.
This had me thinking about the MGS images taken in the hope of finding MPL. Initially it was reported that MGS had spotted the lander, one image had a white spot/streak interpreted as the parachute and a dark patch with a spot in the centre not too far off, taken to be the blast zone of the rockets with the lander in the centre. However another image taken 5 years later seemed to discount this theory - the features had faded or changed significantly. BUT, seeing how much the rover sites have changed in an even shorter time, wouldn't the same happen to the MPL site in 5 years - perhaps to an even greater degree with the more extreme seasonal changes at that location. Also, the latest HiRISE images show just how difficult it has been to spot the landers on the surface with MGS, the Viking sites in particular. I hope HiRISE takes another look at this spot. Mars Polar Lander NOT Found, MSSS article: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2005/10/17/ |
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May 13 2008, 09:17 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 258 Joined: 22-December 06 Member No.: 1503 |
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May 13 2008, 09:28 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3648 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
I finally have a real close-up view of my feature. It is strange. Someone over at the Bad Astronomy site has shown that same area, which image is that? I haven't ran across a feature like that. It looks like a hill to me, do you know what direction the illumination is from? Doug, if only we could be 100% positive there was a chute deployed. For all we know, the lander could have blown up the minute after last contact prior to entry and we'd still only have the most likely cause to assume (40 meter high crash). -------------------- |
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May 13 2008, 09:52 PM
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#4
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Member Group: Members Posts: 258 Joined: 22-December 06 Member No.: 1503 |
Someone over at the Bad Astronomy site has shown that same area, which image is that? I haven't ran across a feature like that. It looks like a hill to me, do you know what direction the illumination is from? Doug, if only we could be 100% positive there was a chute deployed. For all we know, the lander could have blown up the minute after last contact prior to entry and we'd still only have the most likely cause to assume (40 meter high crash). I found this on my own. The suggestion of 'bad astronomy' was not a very nice comment. This is an image from HRISE and closer to the center of the landing ellipse. I believe Mars time is about 2:30 PM. It looks like a possible parachute. I thought of a hill but the folds suggest otherwise. I may have found the parachute draped over a rock of some sort. Regardless, the feature is very strange and does not appear to be natural in origin, especially given the surrounding terrain. I've just noticed some other nearby targets--just a little further away (they don't look like this, but who knows what I will find). I'm going to get a closer look at them. They are much smaller in size. Meanwhile I have other things to do. I will get back with you later. |
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