Solander Point, Sol 3387 - 3511 (August 4, 2013 - December 12, 2013) Options

[mhoward]

And there it is; nice drive on Sol 3505. This is getting exciting! (At rover speed, of course.)

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[serpens]

So is this the outcrop that orbital analysis identified as potentially having clays?

[Phil Stooke]

It's a bit to the west of those outcrops.

Phil

[mhoward]

I believe the outcrops in question are visible upper left in the above view. But here's a better view where they're more clearly visible in Pancam false color, on the left.

She'll get over there eventually, I imagine. It's probably just a question of how many things they find to investigate along the way.

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[fredk]

here's a better view where they're more clearly visible in Pancam false color, on the left.

Looks right - the putative clay outcrops would be the light-toned, flatish-looking outcrops in the mid-background of the colour part of that mosaic.

Maybe we'll scout out the area relatively quickly before settling in on some of that outcrop for more detailed studies.

[fredk]

Seems the clay signatures are more widespread than it seemed, even extending to where we've already been - from the latest PS report:

In November, Opportunity's sites were set on an outcrop dubbed Moreton Island... It's "one of the places" where CRISM... "suggests the presence of clay minerals," said Ray Arvidson

And what we identified as the clay region above is now referred to as the "winter wonderland". From our current location, over the next couple of weeks the plan is to

head further south and east for about 70 meters, just over the top of Murray Ridge, to a place that is temporarily being called the 'winter wonderland,' said Arvidson. "That's probably where we'll try to be in the January to February time frame, through the depths of winter," said Squyres.

[jvandriel]

The Navcam L0 view on Sol 3505.

Jan van Driel

[jvandriel]

Here is the false colour L257 panorama taken on Sol 3504.

Jan van Driel

[mhoward]

There was another drive on Sol 3506, about 28.7 S-SE. So she's already approaching "Winter Wonderland", and returned a wide L7R1 drive direction mosaic.

That was a lot faster that I was expecting!

Pancam R1 image

[Astro0]

Pancam - Sol3506

[jvandriel]

Sol 3506

Navcam



Pancam




Jan van Driel

[Phil Stooke]

For anyone who's interested, here is a THEMIS visible mosaic of Endeavour crater:



and this is the horizon taken from Astro0's pancam mosaic, vertically stretched to separate features a bit and compared with the THEMIS mosaic (rotated). Two craters on the plains beyond Endeavour's far rim are now visible.




Phil

[mhoward]

Another drive on Sol 3507! Approximately 19.4m at 158º from north (that S-SE). I think she's more or less at the western end of the bright outcrop area. Things should be even more interesting from here on!

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[jvandriel]

The R0 Navcam view on Sol 3507

Jan van Driel

[jvandriel]

Sol 3506-3507 L0.
Added 3 images to the right.

Jan van Driel