Distant vistas, Endeavour, Iazu, and beyond Options

[elakdawalla]

Sorry! Attached it to the original post...the file is there so I am not sure why our website isn't serving it properly.

[brellis]

It works for me and is quite informative! thanks Emily

[fredk]

Thanks for that Emily, those plots are useful. One thing that might make the "Oppy Journey" plot even more useful would be markers at a few milestones along the route, such as Erebus, Concepcion, or something similar. (Victoria is pretty obvious.) With the understanding that this would be only crude, since the samples don't coincide exactly with the route.

Also, would it be possible to extend that plot with the few data samples along the projected route we've been following? Of course that's only projected, but it would give us some idea of what's to come.

[Tesheiner]

Also, would it be possible to extend that plot with the few data samples along the projected route we've been following? Of course that's only projected, but it would give us some idea of what's to come.

I think that's exactly what's on the first graph (named "Opportunity's topographic journey from MOLA shot data") in Emily's article. Check the diamond-shaped plots.

[fredk]

The diamond path "future path across MOLA tracks" extends to total distance 22km, which is our current odometry. So does that mean the horizontal axis ("straight line distance") is as-the-Martian-crow-flies from landing? Perhaps I was stumped by the coincidence that that crow-flies distance at Endeavour is the same as the current odometry?

[climber]

Thank you Emily, this give more perspectives and more feeling that we're on flat terrain.
Assuming we'll ever climb Cape York, the "Distant vistas" will better appear but I don't think we'll feel to be on the rim of a crater looking down inside. From Mola's we'll be then around -1400 and the lowest point inside the crater I could find is -1971 but it's near the other side of Endeavour and may be not visible from Cape York. We'll have "-1600's" in the near distance but I don't think we'll have the same feeling of been on a summit like Spirit when she was on the "Everest". Flat terrain it is.

[ElkGroveDan]

Hope I don't sound too clueless, but what do the unlabeled lines represent?

[elakdawalla]

The straight-line distance is along orbital tracks -- Opportunity's wheels have rolled much more than that as she's twisted and turned and rolled up to targets. I'll post a map guide if I have time this weekend.

Dan, I only turned on the labels for two representative ground tracks because to turn them all on totally covers the opening view with numbers and slows down your computer. Open the folder "MOLA shot points" (click the plus sign next to it) and turn on as many labels as you like. I've sorted the tracks in order -- all the ascending (yellow) tracks from west to east, followed by all the descending (orange) tracks from west to east.

[ElkGroveDan]

This is really awesome Emily. Thanks for taking the time to put it all together.

[elakdawalla]

Fred, maybe this will help.

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[fredk]

Yeah, those look great, thanks Emily.

[alan]

Latest drive topped a local rise and reveals an additional 'horizon' in the middle distance. Could be part of the parking lot terrain. There are some subtle bumps along it or possibly behind it south of the rimshot crater, Cape York?

[Tesheiner]

Here're some further data I gathered with Google Earth.
Cape York should be in the same line of sight as the crater and spanning 5 deg. to the right. Santa Maria should be 15 deg. left of the crater.

[Bill]

So, we can see Santa Maria !!!?

[jamescanvin]

No, I don't think so. I'll see what i can do when at home later, but I can't see anything in the raws.

It does look like we can now see part of the parking lot. My gut feeling is that Santa Maria is still below the near horizon (and that the bit of the parking lot we can see is beyond it) So I wouldn't be surprised to see it pop into view any sol now.