MECA (microscope) Images |
MECA (microscope) Images |
May 30 2008, 08:19 AM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 3108 Joined: 21-December 05 From: Canberra, Australia Member No.: 615 |
Doug I know this isn't exactly a "sub-element activity", but it's certainly a small image.
Can someone tell us anything about this MECA plaque. They don't seem to have captured the entire thing in their shots and it would be nice to fill in some of the blanks. I've inserted some assumptions in the attached merged image. Just love these sort of personal touches which have stories linked to them. My name is on the mini-DVD...who else on UMSF signed up? Astro0 |
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May 30 2008, 08:27 AM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2262 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Melbourne - Oz Member No.: 16 |
--Split MECA posts to a dedicated thread
I'm on the DVD I read about the MECA plaque a while back, now where was it?... Ah yes the BBC Phoenix blog (near the bottom): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7408033.stm QUOTE Our colleagues and family will be there, including the "Meca babies" born to our instrument team in the years it has taken to prepare for the mission. Their names, together with those of our colleagues who did not live to see Phoenix launch, form part of an eyetest chart -------------------- |
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May 30 2008, 08:54 AM
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#3
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 57 Joined: 6-September 07 From: Netherlands Member No.: 3683 |
My name is on the mini-DVD...who else on UMSF signed up? Ehhh...about everyone I suppose...Certainly my name is on it. Next time we should get our name on it automatically since we're UMSF VIP treatment. -------------------- Error: Life.sys corrupted
( R )eflect, ( R )epend, or ( R )eboot? |
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May 30 2008, 09:05 AM
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#4
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2262 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Melbourne - Oz Member No.: 16 |
Just join the Planetary Society to get that treatment.
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May 30 2008, 09:08 AM
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#5
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14432 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
I assume everyone here is a member already. If they're not, they damn well should be. As a Brit who can't pay US taxes, it's the only thing I can do to contribute in a meaningful way to this sort of stuff.
Doug |
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May 30 2008, 01:45 PM
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#6
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 40 Joined: 27-May 08 Member No.: 4145 |
It's amazing to think that some of the MECA babies are now 10 years old (although technically they were born during the creation of the Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment for the canceled Mars Surveyor 2001, not the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer for Phoenix -- same basic instrument, different name)
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May 30 2008, 02:08 PM
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#7
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Member Group: Members Posts: 753 Joined: 23-October 04 From: Greensboro, NC USA Member No.: 103 |
I assume everyone here is a member already. If they're not, they damn well should be. As a Brit who can't pay US taxes, it's the only thing I can do to contribute in a meaningful way to this sort of stuff. Doug Doug, if you really want to pay US taxes, I'll be glad to work out a plan by which you can help me "contribute." Jonathan -------------------- Jonathan Ward
Manning the LCC at http://www.apollolaunchcontrol.com |
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May 30 2008, 10:35 PM
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#8
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Member Group: Members Posts: 646 Joined: 23-December 05 From: Forest of Dean Member No.: 617 |
I'm on the DVD, and I'm both happy and embarrassed to say that it was a pointy remark from Mr Ellison on UMSF that prompted me to join in the first place, and to punt funds at various other related projects.
-------------------- --
Viva software libre! |
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May 31 2008, 04:32 AM
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#9
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
My name is on the disk, as are the names of everyone in my immediate family. It's kind of like riding in economy class. It would be so much nicer to have a place in first class, the plaque on the lander.
As for the microscopic imager, does anyone know what it was that it recently imaged? -------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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May 31 2008, 08:32 AM
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#10
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14432 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
It'll have imaged the sample collecting areas on the disk as a baseline before covering them in 'stuff' I would have thought. I was suprised we didn't see a OM guy at the press conf yesterday.
Doug |
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May 31 2008, 02:02 PM
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#11
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Even my dogs are there...
My dearest Lhoba and Mr. Bingo who, having passed away without witnessing the arrival of Phoenix but that makes me dream that there he is...quite happy and ready to dig all the way to the ice... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Jun 5 2008, 09:11 PM
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#12
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 40 Joined: 27-May 08 Member No.: 4145 |
The first optical microsope images of Mars dust have been posted at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/phoenix/main.php
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Jun 5 2008, 09:46 PM
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#13
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
I'm looking forward to the informed discussion here on UMSF about just what these images show, because, hands up, I haven't a clue. They look fascinating, but as for what's in them...
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Jun 5 2008, 09:58 PM
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#14
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4247 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
At today's press conference they more or less said that they are probably grains kicked up by the exhaust during landing, but they can't be sure they're of Martian (rather than Phoenix) origin until they grab what they know is a Martian sample with the arm and look at it. There was some discussion of the white grain (definitely not ice - it would have sublimed before the image was taken).
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Jun 6 2008, 08:09 PM
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#15
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Member Group: Members Posts: 242 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Ohio, USA Member No.: 34 |
Wow. These are very interesting images of possible martian sedimentary particles. It's really hard to say too much about "grains mounts" such as this. You can look at the grain shape, it's opacity, and it's color - but it's hard to make any comprehensive analyses based on only that information.
A grain that is interesting to me is the pinkish, rectangularly shaped one that is "southeast" of the middle grain noted in the microscopic image. Halite frequently shows up as rectangular grains and can be stained pinkish by hematite - but then, other minerals can be pinkish and rectangular too. (shrug) |
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