Winter campaign at Cook Haven, Sol 3512 - 3599 (December 13, 2013 - March 10, 2014) Options

[fredk]

The Dust Devil on Sol 3514.

Here's a stretched difference of the (smoothed) 3514 and 3520 frames:

By matching features with an orbital view, I estimate the dd's distance as 2.9 km. That translates into a height of at least 230 metres. Since the dd extends to the top of the frame it is likely a fair bit taller than that. (You could estimate the full height from the length of the dark streak to its right, assuming that is its shadow.)

[fredk]

Oppy's up to 371 Whr now. Recently she was 100 Whr below this level, and 371 is pretty high for this time of year. I wouldn't be surprized if levels like this mean more driving flexibility.

[Phil Stooke]

The big panorama being created now includes the best view yet of Cape York from this area. Here is a composite of two frames:



and a 3x stretch to help interpret it. The distant horizon ridge would run up to the Santa Maria area.





Phil

[fredk]

Thanks for those, Phil. I can't wait to see this anniversary sequence in colour...

We haven't been to the distant ridge behind CY, but I see what you mean by it running to Santa Maria.

But we were in the direction of this frame, where we can also now see a distant ridge:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...2M1.JPG?sol3539
This frame (more accurately the left side of the frame) is looking roughly towards where we made our big turn east after heading south from Victoria. I mentioned recently that our first sighting of Solander was around sol 2269 - that's also at the turn to the east. So we may now be seeing our route across the plains (though that depends how far away that distant ridge is).

[udolein]

My color version of Opportunity's Selfie of Sol 3538:

Click here for a larger version

Cheers, Udo

[Tesheiner]

Here's the last MER Update by A.J.S. Rayl, containing a lot of goodies as usual.
I just would like to highlight a few details about the winter campaign and future plans after this season.

Now that the rover is employing the lily pad strategy on Murray Ridge, "this winter for Opportunity will probably be like Spirit's first winter at Husband Hill," Stroupe said. That means, barring any unforeseen untoward event, the rover will continue to rove, lily pad to lily pad, and work throughout the harsh season.

The scientists have already spotted "a field geologist's dream," as Arvidson calls it, some 600 meters further south.

"It's a beautiful stratigraphic section of crust that's exposed on the western side of Endeavour's rim," said Arvidson. "You can walk up and down through time and along time following the outcrop."

[ElkGroveDan]

The big panorama being created now includes the best view yet of Cape York from this area. Here is a composite of two frames:

Thanks Phil. That perspective really highlights the how and why of the illusion we were all ensnared by a couple years ago where Cape York seemed to be a vertical-rising peak from the overhead HIRISE images.

[James Sorenson]

I wasn't going to post this and just wait until the color images came down, but here ya go. More to come.

[atomoid]

x-eyes of that amusing 'lil chunkster and stereo MI on SOL3541 reminds me of a rock I collected as a child in a volcanic steam vent in Hawaii.

[mhoward]

Wondering where 'Pinnacle Island' came from? So was I; well, I still am. But it looks like it appeared between Sols 3536 and 3540. So in other words, it probably appeared during the turn on Sol 3540. Neat, huh?


MERBSol3528-3540PinnacleIslandComparison on Flickr

[djellison]

Fascinating little rock - totally different to the bedrock beneath

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[mhoward]

It looks different from the bedrock underneath, but is it? Looking at the bottom edge in particular, I could almost image it's a piece of bedrock that was broken off and flipped over.

Edit: Actually, I figured out what it reminds me of, a bit. Snake River. (Insert standard 'I'm not a geologist' disclaimer.)

[James Sorenson]

Or "Tintina".
http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=5145

But of coarse what we are seeing may or may not be similar materials.

[mhoward]

I think 'Tintina' was just the name for part of 'Snake River' that got broken off.

[walfy]

...it looks like it appeared between Sols 3536 and 3540...?

This rock must have popped out pretty far from under the rover's weight. A new record!