MSL - Stopover on the Road to Glenelg - Arm Commissioning, Commissioning Activity Period 2 - Sols 30 through 37 Options

[Nix]

I just keep looking at that image.. so surreal... we've never had this view with Spirit & Oppy...

[Bill Harris]

During field work this summer we were using the term "granular groundmass dacite"

I thought that you were a bottle-washer (chemist)? Taking Field Geology, and/or adding another layer on the curriculum vitae? Good show.

--Bill

[MahFL]

Looks like a MAHLI full res with the dust cover open.

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...0000E1_DXXX.jpg

[mcaplinger]

Many of sol 32's Mastcam turret inspection images are up also.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...0000E1_DXXX.jpg

[ElkGroveDan]

Wow that's beautiful, thanks for pointing it out Mike.

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[NickF]

Some interesting beasties from Sol 20

[neo56]

Wow ! A whole bunch of 22 new Mastcam34 photos of the suite of robotic arm instruments, and 96 thumbnails pictures:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?s=32

[Doc]

My take on MAHLI's on camera blink

[jmknapp]

Has there been any report on preliminary results from the UV sensors on MSL? According to the press kit:

The ultraviolet sensor is on the rover deck. It measures six different wavelength bands in the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths also monitored from above by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. No previous mission to the surface of Mars has measured the full ultraviolet spectrum of radiation.

[neo56]

Have you noticed that we can see the martian surface on the mirror of Chemcam on the photo of the mast taken by MAHLI ?
In the attached picture, I highlighted what is seen by the Chemcam mirror (after a 180° rotation since it is a concave mirror). The martian surface is the light brown background. I guess that the dark structure we see at the foreground is the robotic arm.

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[jmknapp]

Some interesting beasties from Sol 20

Seems like they'd want to take a closer look at something like that. I suppose that kind of rock could be volcanic?

[dvandorn]

At first glance, the rocks in the image NickF posted look like vesicular gabbro with large vesicles, but I suppose they could be breccias in which softer clasts have eroded out, leaving the matrix with vesicle-like holes.

Interestingly, all of the other rocks in the image are heavily wind-eroded ventifacts, while the little pile of vesicular rocks are not nearly so obviously wind eroded. Maybe they haven't been in place for nearly as long?

-the other Doug

[eoincampbell]

From those awesome turret inspection shots, anyone know what those curious little wire-framed orbs are that surround MAHLI & APXS ?

[elakdawalla]

Those mechanically isolate APXS and MAHLI from the rest of the turret which has vibrating mechanisms for sieving soil.

[climber]

I understand they are taking very cautious steps before opening MAHALI cap cover. One of the reason is because of dust/wind conditions so close to the ground. Does somebody knows, if the software will take in account wind measurement from other instrument to allow or not cap opening?