Dust Storm |
Dust Storm |
Oct 24 2005, 09:34 PM
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#16
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2488 Joined: 17-April 05 From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Member No.: 239 |
QUOTE (ElkGroveDan @ Oct 24 2005, 09:04 PM) It also looks like he's mastered the art of TouCam image-stacking - it's a joy to see amateurs taking such images! Bob Shaw -------------------- Remember: Time Flies like the wind - but Fruit Flies like bananas!
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Oct 24 2005, 09:37 PM
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#17
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2488 Joined: 17-April 05 From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Member No.: 239 |
QUOTE (deglr6328 @ Oct 24 2005, 10:31 PM) How frequently do global dust storms occur on Mars? I know there was one in 2001 and one in 1971 but that's all I'm aware of. Surely there must have been many more recorded in the last century. There's a pattern to them, based on the rather more elliptical orbit which Mars has and which leads to the southern hemisphere having a greater range of temperatures than the north - colder winters, warmer (but still frigid) summers. Just count on dust storms at oppositions! Bob Shaw -------------------- Remember: Time Flies like the wind - but Fruit Flies like bananas!
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Oct 25 2005, 01:01 AM
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#18
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2262 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Melbourne - Oz Member No.: 16 |
QUOTE (deglr6328 @ Oct 25 2005, 07:31 AM) How frequently do global dust storms occur on Mars? I know there was one in 2001 and one in 1971 but that's all I'm aware of. Surely there must have been many more recorded in the last century. Somewhere I heard a quote that there had been 10 recorded since 1877. Looking into it a bit further there appear to have planet wide storms in 1877 (Schiaparelli), 1909, 1924, 1941, 1956, 1971 (Mariner 9), 1973, 1977 (x2? Viking), 1994 and 2001. James -------------------- |
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Oct 28 2005, 11:09 AM
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#19
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Member Group: Admin Posts: 468 Joined: 11-February 04 From: USA Member No.: 21 |
There is fresh activity being seen VERY close to Opportunity, as visible in some of the imaging done earlier today.
5:30 UT : http://marswatch.amaonline.com/10-28-050030.jpg 6:00 UT through 7:59 UT : http://www.arksky.org/asoimg/MarAF4AD5A.jpg I took Dr. P. Clay Sherrod's 07:38 image and fit it to a JPL Solar System Sim image of the same time, which I marked with Opportunity's landing site. I transfered that mark over onto a overlapping version of the webcam image and with permission from Dr. Sherrod I present it here to you. It isn't a perfect lineup or position marking, though as you can see, a little difference goes a long way. This one is close! |
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Oct 28 2005, 11:23 AM
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#20
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
I wonder what imagery Damien Peach has managed to get.
Doug |
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Guest_Sunspot_* |
Oct 28 2005, 11:29 AM
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#21
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Guests |
Whoah !!! thats close. Would Opportunity be able to see this in the sky?
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Oct 28 2005, 11:41 AM
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#22
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Member Group: Members Posts: 290 Joined: 26-March 04 From: Edam, The Netherlands Member No.: 65 |
QUOTE (Sunspot @ Oct 28 2005, 11:29 AM) I think yes. This looks in the order of tens of miles away. Oppy better start close her eyes.....or at least...find a way to point her panels to the sun as much as possible. This storm looks huge !! Any insights on the direction of atmospheric movement these time of year on Mars ? I hope it's going westward... |
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Oct 28 2005, 12:32 PM
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#23
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3008 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
BTW, by convention, and I presume that they still do this, on astronomical images of planets, South is up.
I fear that this may be not-good for Oppy. Remember that we observed wind immediately blowing evaporite dust from the tracks the other day, so there is an increase in the wind velocity from the northwest. --Bill -------------------- |
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Oct 28 2005, 12:42 PM
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#24
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Member Group: Members Posts: 470 Joined: 24-March 04 From: Finland Member No.: 63 |
I think this dust storm is already on top of Oppy. It looks like to me that there is one "finger" of dust extending over Oppy's position. See the comparison of these images from the original observer:
http://www.arksky.org/asoimg/MarAF4B178.jpg This could be a very serious situation. -------------------- Antti Kuosmanen
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Oct 28 2005, 01:01 PM
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#25
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2454 Joined: 8-July 05 From: NGC 5907 Member No.: 430 |
QUOTE (akuo @ Oct 28 2005, 07:42 AM) I think this dust storm is already on top of Oppy. It looks like to me that there is one "finger" of dust extending over Oppy's position. See the comparison of these images from the original observer: http://www.arksky.org/asoimg/MarAF4B178.jpg This could be a very serious situation. The green colors in these images - are those real or artifacts? What is causing them if they are real? -------------------- "After having some business dealings with men, I am occasionally chagrined,
and feel as if I had done some wrong, and it is hard to forget the ugly circumstance. I see that such intercourse long continued would make one thoroughly prosaic, hard, and coarse. But the longest intercourse with Nature, though in her rudest moods, does not thus harden and make coarse. A hard, sensible man whom we liken to a rock is indeed much harder than a rock. From hard, coarse, insensible men with whom I have no sympathy, I go to commune with the rocks, whose hearts are comparatively soft." - Henry David Thoreau, November 15, 1853 |
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Oct 28 2005, 01:49 PM
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#26
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Member Group: Members Posts: 877 Joined: 7-March 05 From: Switzerland Member No.: 186 |
On the ASO website http://www.arksky.org/asoimglib.htm (by "Object to Browse:" enter Mars, and "date:" 10.28.2005) there are some weird notes about this "dust storm". Do they wonder whether it be caused by an impact?
-------------------- |
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Oct 28 2005, 02:13 PM
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#27
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1887 Joined: 20-November 04 From: Iowa Member No.: 110 |
QUOTE (ljk4-1 @ Oct 28 2005, 01:01 PM) The green colors in these images - are those real or artifacts? What is causing them if they are real? The green color was mentioned at http://spaceweather.com/ on Oct 21. It may be a combintion of the yellow dust and high blue clouds |
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Oct 28 2005, 07:50 PM
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#28
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Member Group: Members Posts: 370 Joined: 12-September 05 From: France Member No.: 495 |
"The storm has seven appendages that stretch in all directions.
The overall cloud is about 700 to 800 miles across. It is spreading at a speed of about 35 mph and may become larger by the weekend." http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051028_mars_storm.html Rakhir |
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Oct 28 2005, 08:16 PM
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#29
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Member Group: Admin Posts: 468 Joined: 11-February 04 From: USA Member No.: 21 |
QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Oct 28 2005, 04:32 AM) BTW, by convention, and I presume that they still do this, on astronomical images of planets, South is up. You're absolutely correct. I rotated Sherrod's original image to north-up so as to conform to the JPL SSS image, and to make it a bit more familar for those who only know the Opportunity site from north-up maps. Sorry if that caused any confusion. |
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Guest_paulanderson_* |
Oct 28 2005, 08:49 PM
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#30
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Guests |
QUOTE (Rakhir @ Oct 28 2005, 11:50 AM) "The storm has seven appendages that stretch in all directions. The overall cloud is about 700 to 800 miles across. It is spreading at a speed of about 35 mph and may become larger by the weekend." http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051028_mars_storm.html Rakhir Good article, although they don't mention Sherrod's other comments (quoted below, re Tman's post #26) from the ASO web site or how close it is to Oppy. Have these kinds of odd "extensions" been seen before in Martian dust storms? "There is an incredibly brilliant outbreak, perhaps yellow dust, between Margaritifer Sinus and Sinus Meridiani this morning, this developing from a minor yellow cloud just 24 hours ago. This feature is so bright that it is difficult to accurately image it without greatly underexposing the rest of the Martian features surrounding it. Note the (at least) seven (7) "fingers" or extensions that seem to radiate or spread outward from a large central area of unprecedented intensity. This odd area was first noted early this morning by Frank Melilo and Joel Warren and as it has rotated into view I believe that it has actually rapidly intensified in brightness. Hopefully west coast (USA) observers will get this as well.... I would appreciate the opinions and input of others, but honestly with the symmetry of the radiations emanating from this bright spot, I am not sure that we cannot rule out a catastrophic outflow, similar to that of eruption or even impact in nature. This does appear, because of the concentration in brilliance and the rapidity of development, to be extraordinary in nature." There is also an animation now on the ASO web site. |
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