Winter Quarters, at Low Ridge Haven Options

[Bob Shaw]

James:

It really puts Spirit into the context of the scene - the final panorama will be mind-bending, when it comes...

I was quite intrigued by the proportion of Spongebob Jnr rocks scattered about - they do seem quite pervasive around here.

Bob Shaw

[jamescanvin]

Nope - nothing to do with software updates or identifying changes etc - it's studying the same patch of ground in different lighting conditions as mentioned in the last PC update.

It's a pity they took it within 30mins (LST) of the McMurdo pan then! (11:45 vs 12:15 for McMurdo) Not much change in the lighting between those times.

[CosmicRocker]

Hasn't there been a noticeable change in El Dorado visible from different MOC-images?

Nico

Nico: I think there may have been noticeable changes, but...
A few weeks ago I went back to find the enhanced MOCs of El Dorado that slinted posted long ago in the Ultreya thread. He was able to stretch out some surface brightness features that were not apparent in the original images. I was hoping to identify the same features in recent pancams, but could not. I concluded that the features must have changed since the orbital imagery was captured.

But then I realized that the spectral characteristics of the available pancam filters may not really be comparable to the MOC. I don't really know which band/s the MOC uses, so I thought I would also compare them to navcams of El Dorado. It seemed that there were some similar patterns, but they weren't conclusive.

I think you are saying that differences can be seen between the different MOC images. There seem to be significant differences between the enhanced versions of E03-00012 and R02-00357 posted by slinted in post #36 here. I don't know if such differences can be attributed to differences in atmospheric conditions, camera angle, etc. If I had to make a guess as to what is going on, I would have to agree with slinted that dust devils (or lesser wind vortices) are frequently redistributing the pervasive light-colored dust in this region, creating dark streaks, as are so commonly seen on many parts of this planet.

Does anyone know which, if any, MER cameras/filters are most similar to MOC?

[Nix]

Yes, CosmicRocker, differences between MOC-images is what I meant. I also agree with Slinted and was thinking about wind-related changes they might be after observing here..
It's those enhancements by Slinted I had in mind for the changes in appearance, thanks for linking those here again.

Nico

[djellison]

Does anyone know which, if any, MER cameras/filters are most similar to MOC?

Unfiltered (L1) or Navcam

Doug

[Nix]

see the L1 (raw!) pan on page 6 of this thread

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...pic=2610&st=100

Nico

[jvandriel]

Another brushing of Progress on Sol 845.

Taken with the Mi cam.

For comparison look at the mosaic from Sol 830 on

page 16 post #229 of this thread.

jvandriel

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[jamescanvin]

Another week goes by - here's the latest on McMurdo.



James

[Bob Shaw]

James:

Am I right in thinking that the colour images are a lot more hazy (particularly in the 'up-valley' direction on the right of the image) than the mono images? An artefact of the filters, or more dust?

Bob Shaw

[Tesheiner]

... or less luminosity at the same local time on different sols? The winter solstice is comming at Gusev.

[jamescanvin]

I think that is an artifact of my processing. Because there is a bit missing from the left side of the third image from the right, my software has got confused and tried to reduce the contrast in that image for a better match to the one to its left, this contrast change has then been propigated to all the images further to the right making them look more hazy. I should have told it to ignore that edge, but I was kind of hoping that the missing data would be down by now.

James

[jvandriel]

James,

I agree with you that it has to do with the missing data in one of the images.

Here in my version until now, the same is happening. Look at the first and

second image from the right in the top row images.

As soon as the missing data is down, that image will have the same brightness

as the other ones and then there is less difference between the images and

less compensation for the software.

jvandriel

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Shaka]

Reports are in tonight of widespread panic among sand farmers in the Gusev Crater, after locals discovered mysterious circular patterns made in their sand fields by unknown forces.
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/pa...00P2544R2M1.JPG
Rumors were widespread of "alien forces" and even "Invaders from Earth".
Local authorities dismissed the rumors and appealed for calm.

Now tonight's weather...

[Bob Shaw]

Now tonight's weather...[/i]

Shaka:

Er... ...dry, and cold, perhaps?

By tomorrow, cold and dry?

Bob Shaw

[Shaka]

In a followup to last night's report of "alien sand circles" near Petanque Mesa, two farmworkers from the East Basin, Kelvin Brittlesnogg and Marvin Bollenfrees, admitted to creating the markings as a joke. The two apparently conceived of the hoax while drinking at the Cock'n'Bull Saltflat establishment. Police have decided not to prefer charges.

This afternoon's weather after these messages...