The Return to Home Plate Options

[BrianL]

I was surprised too when I saw the latest hazcam images.
Let's see if the next status update give us any hint about this decision.

Perhaps they saw a pu... rticularly interesting rock.

Brian

[Floyd]

You are right Tesheiner, the change of plans is in the just released update



"Having completed studies of bright, silica-rich soil deposits at a target known as "Gertrude Weise," Spirit drove to a perch on the eastern edge of the circular, plateau-like feature known as "Home Plate" and began studying its stratigraphy. Spirit will next drive back in the direction of Gertrude Weise to study another nearby outcrop. The nearby outcrop, known as "Nancy Warren," appears similar to a previously studied outcrop known as "Elizabeth Mahon" that had a silica content of approximately 72 percent, somewhat lower than the 90-percent silica measaured at Gertrude Weise."

[Ant103]

Thanks nprev and Dicktone

To follow this jvandriel panorama, I've made my own, with a larger resolution.



And an analgyph :


All resolutions here :
http://www.astrosurf.com/merimages/Images_...-2007.html#pano

[Toma B]

...with a larger resolution...

Thank you!
I love to see nice Hi-res panorama.

[alan]

Mosaic of images from 1205-1209

[Floyd]

Fantastic Mosaic! The Geology is just so amazing.

[climber]

...The Geology is just so amazing.

It's NOT Geology Floyd, it's NOT Geology! What else than a dinosaur vertebral column can it be !
Fascinating picture(s) anyway.

[Floyd]

I guess it's Marsology not Geology . Can't be stratigraphy as my dictionary defines that as the study of the stratified rocks of the earth's crust. I guess there are no words to describe the study of rocks on other planets.

You'r right Climber, it is an undescribable fascinating image. I particularly like the bird beak rock.

[CosmicRocker]

It's a beautiful view of a beautiful outcrop, alan. Thanks.

[Phil Stooke]

Phil checking in from sunny Winchester, UK.

Floyd, get a better dictionary. Geo- means land, not planet Earth. This whole issue was settled 45 years ago (notably by Luciano Ronca) and the usage is very well established. Unless you want a different -ology for every one of the 60 or so worlds we can study today, you use geology for all of them.

Phil

[mhoward]

It's a beautiful view of a beautiful outcrop, alan. Thanks.

It's my desktop at the moment. My desktop keeps changing, though, because people keep posting amazing images...

[Floyd]

Fantastic Mosaic! The Geology is just so amazing.

It's NOT Geology Floyd, it's NOT Geology! What else than a dinosaur vertebral column can it be !
Fascinating picture(s) anyway.

I guess it's Marsology not Geology . Can't be stratigraphy as my dictionary defines that as the study of the stratified rocks of the earth's crust. I guess there are no words to describe the study of rocks on other planets.
You'r right Climber, it is an undescribable fascinating image. I particularly like the bird beak rock.

Floyd, get a better dictionary. Geo- means land, not planet Earth. This whole issue was settled 45 years ago (notably by Luciano Ronca) and the usage is very well established. Unless you want a different -ology for every one of the 60 or so worlds we can study today, you use geology for all of them. Phil

Phil, I thought Climber was busting my chops about using Geology. I tried to respond humerously. Floyd

[dvandorn]

I've heard people try to use "areology" for the study of Martian landforms, "selenology" for the study of lunar landforms, etc. Frankly, I'd rather just use the term "geology" for all of them, and I'm glad there is an acceptance of the term as it applies to the study of non-terrestrial landforms.

-the other Doug

[ngunn]

I know we've wandered OT here but can't resist comment on what is bound to become a terminology minefield. Geology is fine for rocks, and anything that behaves in a rock-like fashion. But think about ice - we have Glaciology on Earth, but (presumably) Ice Geology on the moons of the outer solar system. Which is it to be on Mars? - on Ceres? Then there's liquids that flow about, evaporate and recondense. Should that always be Hydrology, even if the liquid isn't water? People seem to balk at that. What about the behaviour of carbon dioxide at the Martian poles - is that Geology? Can you really have a 'rock' that exchanges with the major constituent of the atmosphere via sublimation? Or should that be Meteorology? As to the various goings-on on Io - that probably requires an Omniologist. And that's before we even start going extra-solar . . .

[fredk]

This sol 1221 hazcam image shows beautifully the difference 450 sols makes: Crossing in front of the front wheels you can see the faint tracks from sol 774.

I could imagine the regular tracks being essentially invisible after 5 or 10 years. The wheel drag marks will be around for a lot longer - maybe even when tourists start doing "Spirit trail".