Beyond Lewis and Clark Gap, Sol 4482- (September 2, 2016-) Options

[fredk]

The features near MSL bear some resemblence to recurring slope lineae (RSL), dark streaks that appear and reappear and that might be related to current water.

If the gully near Oppy was carved by water, it was probably in the very distant past - I haven't heard anyone suggest water was still present. The Oppy gully isn't an RSL.

[atomoid]

It's almost as if the gulley near Oppy had to have been exhumed, it just looks too surficial to be that ancient, perhaps what we see is just a lingering remnant of its once lower reaches, though I have no idea if we know how deep these slopes have been eroded over the eons.

[Phil Stooke]

Check this out... MEPAG presentation from yesterday's meeting, with Opportunity's future route mapped out.

Phil

http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2016-10/...MarsScience.pdf

[James Sorenson]

Opportunity's Navcam view from Spirit Mound.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/...211963/sizes/k/

[Habukaz]

Check this out... MEPAG presentation from yesterday's meeting, with Opportunity's future route mapped out.

Phil

http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/meeting/2016-10/...MarsScience.pdf

Excellent, just what the official release was missing.

I like that they are planning to visit a small well-preserved crater; makes me all nostalgic.

[marsbug]

It's almost as if the gulley near Oppy had to have been exhumed, it just looks too surficial to be that ancient, perhaps what we see is just a lingering remnant of its once lower reaches, though I have no idea if we know how deep these slopes have been eroded over the eons.

TBH my bet would be that it's more recent, and due to dust or debris flow with little or no water involved - perhaps a little lubrication to help things move if it dates from a high obliquity period, but my gut feeling is that the idea of liquid water being involved is more wh\t people are determined toi find than what is actually there.
Would be delighted to be wrong though!

[atomoid]

sol4522 rotated MI anaglyph and snippet in parellel:

[James Sorenson]

From the tracking site.
pancam_EDM_test_L6R2
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...A4P2671L6M1.JPG

Looks like the MER team is getting ready to attempt to image Schiaparelli's descent.

Good luck on the Imaging attempt, and good luck to the Schiaparelli team!

[Explorer1]

Since Oppy is on the inner west rim of the crater though, the best view would be if the trajectory overshot the centre of the landing ellipse and ended up far to the east; if the targeting is perfect than ironically the slope will block the view (see http://www.leonarddavid.com/europe-readies...ber-touchdown/) . And obviously the MER team has its own mission which doesn't involve doubling back to the other side of the valley for the sake of one 1 pixel. Don't expect anything like the cover of the Martian Chronicles..

[PaulM]

Am I right in thinking that the landing ellipse for Insight at Meridiani Planum is roughly the same as that for Schiaparelli? Oppy may therefore be able to take a photo of Insight landing in 2 Year's time.

[Phil Stooke]

No, not at all. Insight is heading for an area north of Gale crater, half a world away from Meridiani Planum, and too far north for Curiosity to see it.

Phil

[fredk]

Here's the difference of each 4528 pancam frame from their mean, then stretched and smoothed:

I see no sign of Schiaparelli, just a few cosmic ray hits. (This is daytime at Meridiani so the exposures must be very short and so I wouldn't expect the lander/chute to be streaked.)

[James Sorenson]

The 1x3 SW Ridge mosaic from 4535.

[James Sorenson]

I have been assembling the Spirit Mound mosaic that it has been taking. Here is a preview GIF of it.

[Phil Stooke]

http://nmnaturalhistory.org/space-science/...ld-reports-mars

New field report from Mars!

Phil