Opportunity Route Map Options

[CosmicRocker]

Is it possible that Oppy has detected its backshell and parachute in the distance? These are from the latest posting of pancam images. The direction is about right, NNW. A dark dot beside a whitish one near the horizon, and they are similar both in L and R images. They sit neatly into the scenery when looked in 3d.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291L1M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291R2M1.JPG

If I had to guess, I would place those images toward the NW, based on dune and crossbedding orientation. I would also expect to see some evidence of Endurance in the background. I'm not sure what that is, but I don't think it's the backshell.

[Vladimorka]

Is it possible that Oppy has detected its backshell and parachute in the distance? These are from the latest posting of pancam images. The direction is about right, NNW. A dark dot beside a whitish one near the horizon, and they are similar both in L and R images. They sit neatly into the scenery when looked in 3d.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291L1M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291R2M1.JPG

No, it isn't :-)
The backshell/parachute site is long way to NE:
http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/02/09/
I think it's several km from current location of the rover.

And hello to everyone and greetings from Bulgaria :-)

[dot.dk]

Only about 3 km to Victoria now

And from from SOL 357 to 414 we drove 2,69 km!

Of cource the Etched terrarin will slow things down, but I really want Oppy to see that crater!

[Nirgal]

Only about 3 km to Victoria now 

And from from SOL 357 to 414 we drove 2,69 km! 

Of cource the Etched terrarin will slow things down, but I really want Oppy to see that crater!

The Great Victoria Crater: what a fantastic ultimate destination for
this fantastic journey !

I bet, the view near the rim of Victoria
will yield the most amazing pictures of the whole mission

[Jeff7]

Only about 3 km to Victoria now 

And from from SOL 357 to 414 we drove 2,69 km! 

Of cource the Etched terrarin will slow things down, but I really want Oppy to see that crater!

The Great Victoria Crater: what a fantastic ultimate destination for
this fantastic journey !

I bet, the view near the rim of Victoria
will yield the most amazing pictures of the whole mission

Yeah, that thing is huge - just the dune field in its center is bigger than Endurance crater.

I wonder what the dust is going to do on the panels, now that Opportunity is out of a crater and on the flats? There are several dark and light streaks radiating from Victoria - one or the other might make a good place to go for a dusting after the long trip.

[alan]

Is it possible that Oppy has detected its backshell and parachute in the distance? These are from the latest posting of pancam images. The direction is about right, NNW. A dark dot beside a whitish one near the horizon, and they are similar both in L and R images. They sit neatly into the scenery when looked in 3d.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291L1M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291R2M1.JPG

Could be, this looks like the same object on sol 363 according to mar midnight browser (another one I couldn't find on JPL's website )
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...03P2285L1M1.JPG
and again on sol 390
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...00P2287R1M1.JPG

[chris]

Is it possible that Oppy has detected its backshell and parachute in the distance? These are from the latest posting of pancam images. The direction is about right, NNW. A dark dot beside a whitish one near the horizon, and they are similar both in L and R images. They sit neatly into the scenery when looked in 3d.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291L1M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291R2M1.JPG

Could be, this looks like the same object on sol 363 according to mar midnight browser (another one I couldn't find on JPL's website )
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...03P2285L1M1.JPG
and again on sol 390
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...00P2287R1M1.JPG

if it is the backshell, it emphasises just how flat and featureless the landscape is. Are there any similar places on Earth, where the land is dead flat and featureless all the way the the horizon?

Chris

[Nirgal]

[/quote]

if it is the backshell, it emphasises just how flat and featureless the landscape is. Are there any similar places on Earth, where the land is dead flat and featureless all the way the the horizon?

Chris

[/quote]

Sastrugi fields in Antarctica

[Chmee]

The salt flats in the Kalahari desert in Botswana comes close as well as the salt flats in Utah

if it is the backshell, it emphasises just how flat and featureless the landscape is. Are there any similar places on Earth, where the land is dead flat and featureless all the way the the horizon?

Chris

[Jeff7]

The orbital images showed the backshell to be west of Eagle Crater. It's getting tough to see Endurance crater now, whose edges have considerably more elevation than the backshell, or so I'd expect. I'd doubt then that the backshell would be visible at all. Heck, the heatshield, which is even closer, and very shiny, isn't visible anymore.
Large rock with a wind-blown tail?

[marswiggle]

Anyway that object is real, and it's darker and bigger compared to any stone on Meridiani we've seen. (Then it should be a hefty basaltic boulder, starting from 1 meter by diameter - where could that kind have come from, allegedly simply lying peacefully on Meridiani sediments? )

A couple of points yet for the backshell theory:

1) Oppy must now have gained a tiny bit altitude (1-2 m?) after its drive to south and so achieved a slightly better view over the totally flat plains to the north,
2) the visibility of the dark object cannot be compared to that of Endurance, which is distinguishable from the surrounding sands only because of its elevated 'tip' which breaks the horizon line (the crater's base is not behind the horizon, but still quite indistinguishable by its color e.g.),
3) the whitish patch beside the dark object in the images has moved from the right side to the left along the course of Oppy's drive, an observation consistent with what we know about the relative positions of the parachute and the backshell (p is behind the bs, as seen from Oppy).

I calculated the distance from Oppy to backshell should be around 2.5 km.

If it is it (and even if it's something else), seeing it may help to get a better idea of the changing elevation of the etched terrain when Oppy is heading further south and takes a pancam look back every now and then.

[CosmicRocker]

Is it possible that Oppy has detected its backshell and parachute in the distance? These are from the latest posting of pancam images. The direction is about right, NNW. A dark dot beside a whitish one near the horizon, and they are similar both in L and R images. They sit neatly into the scenery when looked in 3d.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291L1M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2291R2M1.JPG

If I had to guess, I would place those images toward the NW, based on dune and crossbedding orientation. I would also expect to see some evidence of Endurance in the background. I'm not sure what that is, but I don't think it's the backshell.

Oops...My bad! The backshell should be expected to the NW. Marswiggle said backshell and my brain said heatshield. Sorry.

But the backshell/parachute are so far away. It would be amazing if they could be seen from here.

[dilo]

Anyway that object is real, and it's darker and bigger compared to any stone on Meridiani we've seen. (Then it should be a hefty basaltic boulder, starting from 1 meter by diameter - where could that kind have come from, allegedly simply lying peacefully on Meridiani sediments? )

A couple of points yet for the backshell theory:

1) Oppy must now have gained a tiny bit altitude (1-2 m?) after its drive to south and so achieved a slightly better view over the totally flat plains to the north,
2) the visibility of the dark object cannot be compared to that of Endurance, which is distinguishable from the surrounding sands only because of its elevated 'tip' which breaks the horizon line (the crater's base is not behind the horizon, but still quite indistinguishable by its color e.g.),
3) the whitish patch beside the dark object in the images has moved from the right side to the left along the course of Oppy's drive, an observation consistent with what we know about the relative positions of the parachute and the backshell (p is behind the bs, as seen from Oppy).

I calculated the distance from Oppy to backshell should be around 2.5 km.

If it is it (and even if it's something else), seeing it may help to get a better idea of the changing elevation of the etched terrain when Oppy is heading further south and takes a pancam look back every now and then.

Marswiggle, if your distance estimaton is correct, we should have a scale 0.7m/pixel in these PanCam images. "backshell" is about 3 pixel wide and "parachute" is 4 pixel away, so it make sense!
Bye.

[djellison]

The backshell and parachute were observed from Eagle Crater - and look very very different to what we're seing here

Doug

[wyogold]

backshell or not its intresting none the less.

scott