Phoenix - spring images, HiRISE views of Phoenix after the long, long winter |
Phoenix - spring images, HiRISE views of Phoenix after the long, long winter |
Oct 28 2009, 07:36 PM
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#16
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Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10229 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
Emily made a really nice animation - well, I should say blinking comparison, maybe - anyway a very nice comparison image of the site, on her blog. Thanks Emily!
Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PDF: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
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Oct 30 2009, 02:22 AM
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#17
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 |
If the slightly darker region in the snow to the bottom-left of the lander is Phoenix's shadow, then I can't see any evidence of solar panels in that shadow. The level of CO2 'snow' may be up to the panels in which case they would not cast shadows even if still attached. Any shadow may be from structures on the deck higher than the panels. |
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Oct 30 2009, 06:58 AM
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#18
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1452 Joined: 26-July 08 Member No.: 4270 |
Interesting idea, though with only patchy snow covering, I wouldn't expect that the snow would be very high.
-------------------- -- Hungry4info (Sirius_Alpha)
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Oct 30 2009, 04:23 PM
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#19
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 |
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Oct 30 2009, 05:15 PM
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#20
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 79 Joined: 11-September 09 Member No.: 4937 |
It looks like Phoenix is sitting in the middle of a patch. Maybe a drift? Maybe the drift is accumulating against Phoenix, and in its shelter. I'm assuming the sublimation is wind-driven so open areas will clear first. sgendreau the newbie from Boston, lots of drifting there |
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Oct 30 2009, 06:05 PM
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#21
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Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 5-June 08 From: Udon Thani Member No.: 4185 |
The fact that the parachute and heatshield as yet seem to be completely hidden doesn't bode well for all attempts to find any sign from MPL, but it might well be just the poor light and we might see them again once the summer advances a bit further.
But if the polar frost is indeed able to hide the parachute under a layer of dust after one winter, then it might explain why no clear sign of MPL has as yet shown up. |
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Oct 30 2009, 09:09 PM
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#22
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
A signal from MPL is a very very unlikely scenario.
A signal from PHX is just an unlikely scenario. The last HiRISE image of PHX was not the height of summer so we don't know how visible the chute, backshell and heatshield will be after the ice has fully retreated. |
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Oct 31 2009, 04:14 AM
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#23
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1018 Joined: 29-November 05 From: Seattle, WA, USA Member No.: 590 |
A signal from MPL is a very very unlikely scenario. I'm sure he meant Phoenix. I've made that mistake myself (in reading) three or four times now. Although, of course, it *is* Halloween, so if things are going to rise from the dead, I suppose this is the time to do it! --Greg |
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Oct 31 2009, 05:19 AM
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#24
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Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 5-June 08 From: Udon Thani Member No.: 4185 |
A signal from MPL is a very very unlikely scenario. I didn't mean a (radio) signal, that would indeed be close to impossible. I meant chances of spotting any debris / wreckage from MPL. As far as HiRise coverage of the MPL landing elips, these are all taken after at least one winter had passed, so if one winter is able to erase most of the traces of PHX then we can expect that the MPL parachute/backshell/heatshield will be equally difficult to spot (at least). In order to make a convincing case of 'having found debris from MPL' you need to be able to show convincing signs not only of the lander-wreckage, but also of the heatshield, backshell, and parachutes (and all at correct distances from each other), otherwise you just don't have a case in my humble opinion. So the visibility of PHX hardware after one or two winters is a very good measure of what we can expect to see from any MPL debris on HiRise images. |
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Oct 31 2009, 09:30 AM
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#25
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
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Oct 31 2009, 05:21 PM
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#26
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 13 Joined: 23-March 08 Member No.: 4072 |
MRO has almost a polar orbit. Thus, within the same approximate period of time, MRO is able to fly above, and spot, a given place in martian surface.
Phill got the Phoenix MRO images dated last July 30th and August 22th. This makes an approximate period of time of 23 days MRO should be able to fly above Phoenix landing site. Then, should I'm not wrong on this, next days counted in periods of 23 from August 22th were: September 12th and October 5th & 28th, in which theoretically MRO was able to spot Phoenix again..... except some of them it was night time when MRO was flying above Phoenix. Then, żis it possible that some more recent MRO images of Phoenix landing site were still hidden inside the ammount of data sent by the orbiter? .... or I'm wrong in something I missed. Thanks. |
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Oct 31 2009, 06:04 PM
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#27
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1018 Joined: 29-November 05 From: Seattle, WA, USA Member No.: 590 |
.... or I'm wrong in something I missed. MRO has been in Safe Mode since August 26, so it hasn't been taking many (any?) pictures. http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/newsro.../20090904a.html --Greg |
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Oct 31 2009, 06:21 PM
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#28
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Member Group: Members Posts: 646 Joined: 23-December 05 From: Forest of Dean Member No.: 617 |
...something I missed? Sorry if I misunderstand, but if you're wondering why there are no images on those dates, it's because MRO is still in safe mode. http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00002181/ (Edit - sorry for the dupe.) -------------------- --
Viva software libre! |
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Nov 2 2009, 12:58 AM
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#29
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 13 Joined: 23-March 08 Member No.: 4072 |
MRO has been in Safe Mode since August 26, so it hasn't been taking many (any?) pictures. http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/newsro.../20090904a.html --Greg Thanks Greg. But MRO web page have published HiRISE images taken in october 7th. So, if is still in safe mode, is capable of doing, at least, some (maybe selective) HiRISE images. And from that date (october 7th) MRO had some opportunities to image Phoenix landing site, which I understand is a science priority since we have there a known hardware to help us see the ammount of frozen ice laying there. |
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Nov 2 2009, 03:00 AM
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#30
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Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 5172 Joined: 4-August 05 From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth Member No.: 454 |
"Safe mode" usually means no science, and as far as I understand things, no science has been done since August 26. If you're referring to that Hale crater image, it was October 7, 2007. The most recent Phoenix image was taken on August 22, 2009, before the safing event.
--Emily -------------------- My website - My Patreon - @elakdawalla on Twitter - Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here.
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