MEX VMC - Back on, and online! Options

[djellison]

I heard about this 24 hours ago, and couldn't believe it - this is EXACTLY what has been missing from ESA. MASSIVE kudos to the ESOC MEX flight ops team for doing it

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/VMC/index.html

The last time I wrote a post and hit 'submit' at UMSF with a smile this big on my face, was when Oppy successfully got out of Purgatory.

[ormstont]

Just to put my two cents in, you're right that the "object" fades a lot towards the end of the observation. It could well be that we're seeing something like the face on Mars - just a combination of light and shadow that looks like something we want to see. Nonetheless there aren't any major features I can see on the Mars map that would give rise to such a large flare/shadow. In ustrax's plot the crater identified is (I believe from looking at the Celestia file) Copernicus.

Using Ian Musgrave's Registax techniques he describes here http://astroblogger.blogspot.com/2008/08/w...-over-mars.html, combined with ugordon's colour processing script, I wonder if it's possible to clean up the image and see if we can place it more precisely on a map of Mars. Would be great to see what more it could teach us!

P.S. Top theories so far include trick of the light, cloud or (a long shot, but a cool one) an impact event plume...

[ustrax]

dear Ormstont, I am sorry to be a bit limited in terms of software for the moment but if that carter is indeed Copernicus then, looking at Google Mars, I see a bright patch to the right of the crater (marked) that could be the "culprit"...assuming that I am getting the right orientation and scale...

[ugordan]

It definitely appears to be atmospheric as the shadow moves below it (click to enlarge):


It seems to have dissipated at the end. Based on the rough 100 km size estimate I get a height in excess of 100 km (around 110 km, but the uncertainty is rather large) if my back-of-the-envelope calculation is right using this 3x magnified bit:


If it's an ordinary cloud, what would make it so circular at that altitude and would it dissipate quickly in sunlight? If it's an impact plume, wouldn't we expect a darker color and much lower and more persistent plume?

[ustrax]

It definitely appears to be atmospheric

I keep my thought after seing your animation...
the shadow seem to me to be originated on an elevation to the right, as the sun decreases in the horizon the shadow decreases and so does the brightness in the circular feature. I keep my guess: they are not related...

[ugordan]

the shadow seem to me to be originated on an elevation to the right

You do realize it would have to be an awfully big topographic high, don't you? We're talking about objects 100 km in size and the shadow is something like twice that size, even well past the terminator. That would put Olympus Mons to shame, no?

Furthermore, the shadow isn't simply getting shorter, it's actually disappearing at the same time the bright circular object (let's call it 'cloud' for discussion's sake ) is disappearing.

[TheChemist]

You do realize it would have to be an awfully big topographic high, don't you? We're talking about objects 100 km in size and the shadow is something like twice that size, even well past the terminator. That would put Olympus Mons to shame, no?

The typical anti-Ustrax that posts lately here. Now he sees an inverse abyss

[ustrax]

The typical anti-Ustrax that posts lately here. Now he sees an inverse abyss

Now you got me in my new strategy...to assume there's nothing special in order to be surprised in the end of it all...

I DON'T want Oppy headed towards Ithaca!
(See what I mean?... )

You do realize it would have to be an awfully big topographic high, don't you?

No I don't...

[ugordan]

Now you got me in my new strategy...to assume there's nothing special in order to be surprised in the end of it all...

Congratulations and welcome to the club known as The Pessimist. I hope you'll enjoy your stay!