Dawn Survey Orbit Phase, First orbital phase Options

[antipode]

The 'central mound' itself looks pretty complex. To me it looks like is slumped internally, almost as if magma chamber pressure has been withdrawn (caldera like). Im NOT suggesting that this is a caldera BTW

P

[MarcF]

I just bought the French journal "Ciel et Espace" of September. There is an article about Dawn at Vesta. In a picture legend they say that, in some unpublished images, scientists identified a structure which could be an ancient volcano, without any more details.
I'm wondering if they speak about the south polar basin 'central mound' (for which we already have some pictures) or if there is another volcano-like feature somewhere else on the surface !!
Best regards,
Marc.

[elakdawalla]

There was actually one respectable scientist at SBAG suggesting that the south pole looked like a place where there'd been some volcanism. To be sure there's not any consensus at all in the community about what any of it means.

While we're waiting for consensus, the LEGO Vesta assembly continues. Having procured more 1x1, 1x3, and 2x2 corner plates from bricklink.com, I've now been able to complete half of the faces. I won't continue though until I've devised how to securely attach them to each other from the hollow interior, which will probably involve some Technic bricks and pins and some partial disassembly.

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[tasp]

Are the kiddlings up to building a robotic arm with which to assemble the Lego Vesta?

[Phil Stooke]

Three new images this morning - the last three days all at once. Credit where it's due, we are getting good stuff now.

One shows a dark hill. That might be the volcano mentioned by MarcF.

Phil

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/image_...e_day_Aug11.asp

[Phil Stooke]

A mosaic of two recent VPODs showing the south polar region.

Phil

[Tunglere]

Three new images this morning - the last three days all at once.

I've noticed over the last couple weekends that on Saturday and Sunday new images show up over at Photojournal, but aren't added to the Dawn website until Monday along with Monday's picture.

[Phil Stooke]

Another nice image today - but check out yesterday's and today's images carefully - one is reversed, mirror image style. A quick check shows yesterday's was the reversed one.

Phil

[Paolo]

Dawn is not the only deep space probe observing Vesta:
Photometric observations of asteroid 4 Vesta by the OSIRIS cameras onboard the Rosetta spacecraft

[pablogm1024]

Now that the Survey Orbit phase is over, it would be a good idea to open a new topic. I think this topic should still be left open in case someone wants to comment further, but the debate about the novelties should continue somewhere else.
Regards,
pablogm

[mchan]

Marc Rayman's latest Dawn Journal on photos taken from survey orbit --

"The science camera has similarly overachieved. The intent was to photograph 60 percent of Vesta, but the entire 90 percent not in the darkness of northern winter has been captured at least five times. With pictures taken from multiple angles, stereo views can be constructed; and images at different times allow features to be observed under varied lighting conditions. All of the camera’s color filters were used, providing coverage in the near infrared and visible. Until recently, Vesta was known as little more than a smudge of light, but now scientists have more than 2,800 photos from Dawn’s survey."

[stevesliva]

And I will say, it's disappointing that there aren't high[er] resolution mosaics available right about now.

[algorimancer]

So there's in excess of 2800 images in all color filters -- gives quite a sense of what we're missing.

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

So there's in excess of 2800 images in all color filters -- gives quite a sense of what we're missing.

I think there are 21 post orbit insertion images on the website.

[DrShank]

I think there are 21 post orbit insertion images on the website.

Hi fellas!
Ive been quiet lately, absorbing those "2800" + images, among a bedlam of other issues this summer! Sorry I havent posted anything but I hope to be able to from now on with some (ir)regularity. Please keep in mind that those 3000 images have all been repeat coverage of the same areas 7 times all at the same resolution, so its kinda redundant (which is good!). Indeed most of the surface is now in stereo and several anaglyphs have been released. Its hard to believe but a large percentage of the surface has now been released on the web. I have been focused on that large south polar "feature" which is likely a giant impact crater but it has so many peculiarities its taking us some time to map it all out and sort out what it means. We have some interesting ideas we will be sharing soon. We will be having detailed reports on it and all the rest of Vesta at DPS/EPS in France and at GSA in minneapolis starting in October. Now we start slowly creeping into the first hi-res mapping orbits which will more than double our resolution, starting in 3 weeks. Stay tuned!
paul