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Spirit cleaner?

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alan

Jun 18 2007, 06:44 AM

Post #1

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I've been keeping an eye on the sundial images looking for signs of a cleaning event. I've noticed some changes in the latest to be downloaded although they may be due to changes in the lighting.

A : clean patch at top of circle streak at bottom
B : increased contrast from dust left behind next to mirror
C : clean patch next to wire

Also note the missing clumps of dust on the deck

A broader view show a contrast between sol 1221 and 1227
http://207.7.139.5/mars/spirit/navcam/2007...I4P0165L0M1.JPG
http://207.7.139.5/mars/spirit/navcam/2007...00P1914L0M1.JPG

Has anyone heard if there has been a change in the power levels?

Replies

Guest_Oersted_*	Jun 30 2007, 09:35 AM Post #2
Guests	Looks like the cleaning has been more efficient in the center panels (or maybe they were cleaner to begin with?). If it is turbulence that helps clean the panels, maybe it would be a good idea to have "turbulence provokers" on the sun panels of future rovers? Maybe wispy stalks standing up from the rover deck, thin enough to not cast shadows but still churning up the air. Just brainstorming here...

Posts in this topic

alan Spirit cleaner? Jun 18 2007, 06:44 AM

akuo The lighting would appear to be almost exactly the... Jun 18 2007, 09:06 AM

jmjawors Just saw the latest images and rushed here to find... Jun 18 2007, 11:42 AM

centsworth_II The definitive answer would come in the form of a ... Jun 18 2007, 03:33 PM

fredk Yes! We're above 600 Whr!! htt... Jun 19 2007, 03:50 AM

mhoward QUOTE (fredk @ Jun 19 2007, 03:50 AM) Yes... Jun 19 2007, 04:12 AM

dvandorn When you look at the rocks in specific and the sur... Jun 19 2007, 04:11 AM

dvandorn Oh, yes, and I forgot to add: Above 600 Whr!... Jun 19 2007, 04:13 AM

slinted This is great news! That great a percentage in... Jun 19 2007, 04:33 AM

CosmicRocker Alan: You're the man with the first good news... Jun 19 2007, 04:33 AM

centsworth_II QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jun 19 2007, 12:33 ... Jun 20 2007, 02:43 PM

Jeff7 Most excellent news. Jun 19 2007, 05:03 AM

ElkGroveDan OK where's Helvick? We want to see that chart... Jun 19 2007, 06:04 AM

djellison Looks like a self portrait was put in work yesterd... Jun 19 2007, 08:08 AM

akuo The solar cells looks patchy, like the wind cleane... Jun 19 2007, 08:22 AM

helvick We're well past the edge of my charts now and ... Jun 19 2007, 08:41 AM

elakdawalla I was actually wondering about that. How finely c... Jun 20 2007, 03:04 PM

alan This is the best I could get out of Autostitch Jun 20 2007, 07:16 PM

dvandorn Yeah -- you can see she's cleaner than she was... Jun 20 2007, 08:00 PM

ElkGroveDan As I recall these events aren't isolated ones.... Jun 20 2007, 10:54 PM

Tom Tamlyn I hope your prediction is correct, but wasn't ... Jun 20 2007, 11:45 PM

climber QUOTE (Tom Tamlyn @ Jun 21 2007, 01:45 AM... Jun 20 2007, 11:52 PM

edstrick "I doubt they get engineering data at a high ... Jun 21 2007, 07:22 AM

helvick I've asked about the engineering data before (... Jun 21 2007, 09:11 AM

Analyst QUOTE (helvick @ Jun 21 2007, 09:11 AM) A... Jun 22 2007, 04:00 PM

CosmicRocker That doesn't make sense to me. I would have t... Jun 22 2007, 05:45 AM

RobertEB I was looking at the picture above and I noticed t... Jun 22 2007, 02:00 PM

Tom Tamlyn Pete Theisinger was asked about closing the solar ... Jun 22 2007, 02:14 PM

centsworth_II QUOTE (Tom Tamlyn @ Jun 22 2007, 10:14 AM... Jun 22 2007, 02:38 PM

RobertEB I don't know if they lock in place or not. I w... Jun 22 2007, 03:00 PM

fredk QUOTE (RobertEB @ Jun 22 2007, 03:00 PM) ... Jun 22 2007, 05:15 PM

dilo Well, seriously, I think that now that power is up... Jun 23 2007, 01:34 PM

djellison While they have one mobile rover, it's unlikel... Jun 23 2007, 04:16 PM

alan Must be getting windy, a few more clean patches ar... Jun 24 2007, 05:42 AM

jaredGalen All this cleaning might be timely but hopefully no... Jun 27 2007, 07:00 PM

dvandorn Well, isn't it almost a truism that semi-globa... Jun 27 2007, 07:19 PM

BrianL QUOTE (dvandorn @ Jun 27 2007, 01:19 PM) ... Jun 27 2007, 07:34 PM

David QUOTE (dvandorn @ Jun 27 2007, 07:19 PM) ... Jun 27 2007, 09:09 PM

helvick Assume for a moment that the dust on the panels ha... Jun 27 2007, 09:57 PM

fredk Those numbers are interesting. When the tau incre... Jun 27 2007, 10:15 PM

djellison No - thats what happens, the direct drops, the ind... Jun 27 2007, 10:26 PM

helvick As Doug says that is what happens - as the dust le... Jun 27 2007, 10:40 PM

Tom Tamlyn Fascinating to read in the Applebaum & Landis ... Jun 28 2007, 03:33 AM

dvandorn Or, more specifically, what was the greatest tau v... Jun 28 2007, 04:07 AM

fredk Spirit's Solar Power Levels Continue to Rise A... Jun 28 2007, 04:09 AM

Analyst QUOTE (fredk @ Jun 28 2007, 04:09 AM) Spi... Jun 28 2007, 09:53 AM

Jeff7 Most excellent indeed. The new Mars forum questi... Jun 28 2007, 04:53 AM

edstrick Tau values were made by Viking Landers based on pr... Jun 28 2007, 05:57 AM

helvick I don't have precise data but again there are ... Jun 28 2007, 06:36 AM

helvick 738 Whr means she is still losing about 25% due to... Jun 28 2007, 11:34 AM

dvandorn QUOTE (helvick @ Jun 28 2007, 06:34 AM) 7... Jun 28 2007, 04:01 PM

helvick QUOTE Tau measurements estimating the amount of du... Jun 28 2007, 11:45 AM

centsworth_II If Spirit makes it to next winter, I think they... Jun 28 2007, 06:15 PM

djellison They didnt want to do a rush job last time - remem... Jun 28 2007, 06:24 PM

centsworth_II QUOTE (djellison @ Jun 28 2007, 02:24 PM)... Jun 29 2007, 05:53 AM

djellison Well - with a stuck wheel they can't really cl... Jun 29 2007, 08:37 AM

BrianL Even if the slope is rock with no significant sand... Jun 29 2007, 12:55 PM

djellison I'd say so, yeah. You drop not only 18% of you... Jun 29 2007, 01:05 PM

fredk But fortunately getting to a steeper slope may not... Jun 29 2007, 02:54 PM

centsworth_II QUOTE (fredk @ Jun 29 2007, 10:54 AM) But... Jun 29 2007, 03:07 PM

centsworth_II Strategy for getting Spirit on 25 degree slope: Cl... Jun 29 2007, 03:04 PM

helvick The best they could do for the day that insolation... Jun 29 2007, 03:14 PM

centsworth_II QUOTE (helvick @ Jun 29 2007, 11:14 AM) .... Jun 29 2007, 03:58 PM

brellis The subject of tilt begs the question, why don... Jun 29 2007, 05:28 PM

djellison The dust probably wouldn't come off if you til... Jun 29 2007, 05:39 PM

Tom Tamlyn Further to the same point, the deployment motors w... Jun 29 2007, 06:15 PM

brellis QUOTE (Tom Tamlyn @ Jun 29 2007, 11:15 AM... Jun 29 2007, 09:11 PM

alan Cleaned Again: Spirit Self Portrait http://marswa... Jun 30 2007, 05:14 AM

Nix woaw.. she looks good! Nico Jun 30 2007, 06:28 AM

Shaka But she could look better! Come on you devils... Jun 30 2007, 07:19 AM

kenny I never appreciated how variable the dust covering... Jun 30 2007, 08:34 AM

Oersted Looks like the cleaning has been more efficient in... Jun 30 2007, 09:35 AM

CosmicRocker Being from sol 1229, I think that self portrait wa... Jun 30 2007, 05:37 PM

fredk From the latest Planetary Society report, this des... Jul 1 2007, 10:43 PM

climber QUOTE (fredk @ Jul 2 2007, 12:43 AM) From... Jul 8 2007, 09:42 AM

Shaka Yes, only a devil would tidy up so haphazardly. Jul 2 2007, 12:59 AM

TheChemist Looks like some guys will finally get actual data ... Jul 2 2007, 10:53 AM

alan Dust from the storm in Meridini appears to have be... Jul 4 2007, 07:16 PM

hortonheardawho sol 1204 - 1244 L2 comparison of Husband Hill: Jul 4 2007, 09:29 PM

Floyd Horton, that is dramatic. A layer of dust almost ... Jul 4 2007, 09:34 PM

djellison Bloody hell! The way the whole area beyond t... Jul 4 2007, 09:36 PM

alan Ah, that explains why the color images of the left... Jul 4 2007, 09:58 PM

hortonheardawho Ah, indeed: The right frame is 98 seconds after... Jul 4 2007, 10:50 PM

fredk I'd say left to right. The gust could easily ... Jul 5 2007, 04:03 AM

Pertinax Well noted indeed, and what a catch. I was just g... Jul 5 2007, 12:32 PM

PDP8E Hi All, Is there a website of returned engineerin... Jul 6 2007, 07:36 PM

djellison Yes - cleaning is usually thought to be due to hig... Jul 8 2007, 09:51 AM

climber QUOTE (djellison @ Jul 8 2007, 11:51 AM) ... Jul 8 2007, 10:02 AM

Stu Giving another talk later this week and would appr... Jul 8 2007, 12:45 PM

hortonheardawho QUOTE (Stu @ Jul 8 2007, 08:45 AM) Giving... Jul 8 2007, 06:08 PM

Oersted Just checked out my window here on Mars, and yes, ... Jul 8 2007, 05:40 PM

Stu Thanks hort, bluer it shall be I was just unsur... Jul 8 2007, 06:49 PM

Ant103 New pics on the exploratorium for Spirit Look at ... Jul 10 2007, 10:27 PM

alan Yep, another cleaning event for Spirit's solar... Jul 10 2007, 10:46 PM

Stephen QUOTE (alan @ Jul 11 2007, 08:46 AM) Yep,... Jul 11 2007, 09:16 AM

monty python Yikes! Thats a spectacular and unique amount ... Jul 11 2007, 02:49 AM

slinted Looks like the winds picked up sometime between 12... Jul 11 2007, 03:35 AM

alan good eyes slinted A comparison between 1238 and ... Jul 11 2007, 03:46 AM

djellison The Silica Valley tracks have been virtually wiped... Jul 11 2007, 07:44 AM

djellison 1200 sols without significant dust deposition on l... Jul 11 2007, 09:23 AM

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