[X] My Assistant

[dilo]

Interesting stereogram, marswiggle. I can clearly see that NW rim is the most elevated and I have impression that the promontory in the far rim is really tall! this explain crater "tilted" profile and supports distant beacon position.

[Jeff7]

This one (lower left of cProto image) looks nice and fresh and is due West of the landing location. Looks too big though, IMO.

Back to Victoria, does anyone have any idea how common it is to have craters this large/deep without much of a raised rim? Could the "porous" nature of the evaporite be responsible for this?

Wow, that does look very fresh. And what is all the dark speckling? It gets denser near the bottom of the image.

[Tesheiner]

It's just me, or the "beacon" looks bigger on sol 821 pancams?
That would mean:
a: Lower parts of if being visible through a nearby gap/hollow.
b: Compression artifacts.
c: <Feel free to complete options c, d, etc.>


Original images: sol 818, sol 821.

[Tman]

As we changed our position a little in eastward direction, it could be now more visible through a nearby gap.

[ustrax]

dilo, I've picked up your enhanced version and blow it...
It may be a mistake but it looks like there are other bright features surrounding the main beacon:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b14/ustrax3/beacon.jpg

I've given some temporary names to the features just for easier reference.
As the word beacon appeared I remember the alexandrian one, so, the names presented here are related to that wonder of the ancient world.

Is Sostratus becoming more visible at the right of the Beacon or is it only an artifact?:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...3FP2412L2M1.JPG

[climber]

It's just me, or the "beacon" looks bigger on sol 821 pancams?
Ustrax is also saying the same.
Ok, we're talking of a few pixel feature, nevertheless, if I refer to Teshinger maps showing the 2 possibilities, (Post #259 same topic, yesterday) this "new observation" could be better explained by the far rim obtion. The Far rim obtion show a bright south-west face. The general dirrection Oppy is roving will show more and more of this bright face. Another argument will be that there is a "summit" about 45-50 meters on the north west of the far rim beacon. The south-west face of this summit is much darker than the beacon so it can explain the dark feature we're seing on the right of the beacon.

[Stu]

I have a few candidates for the location and identity of "Beacon"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/cum...nsky/beacon.jpg

If...

#1: "Pyramid"... most likely, I think, as it has an obvious high elevation above the crater rim, and looks the most substantial. It's also the most likely to be seen from our current viewpoint, I think (IMHO). It must be pretty tall because there's quite a shadow on the crater slope beneath it.

#2: "Raptor Claw Cliff"... the one I'd most like it to be, I think, because it means that we're presently seeing this curved cliff with a raised top almost face-on, and it should open up and broaden as we approach, whether we drift east or west.

#3: raised edge of "Sofi Crater". Another possibility, I think, but only makes sense if Sofi Crater (as someone suggested we call it, I recall?) was formed after Victoria, and the impact pushed material from Victoria's apron up into a ridge. I'm sure others here know more about that than I.

So, my take: a far rim feature.

Okay, fire away!

[Tman]

Is Sostratus becoming more visible at the right of the Beacon or is it only an artifact?:

I think they are artifacts. Blowing up the last pic from sol 821, it's nothing really visible beside the "beacon".

[Stu]

This might help...

[climber]

Thanks Stu,

The Far rim obtion "1" in your picture show a bright south-west face. The general dirrection Oppy is roving will show more and more of this bright face. There is a "summit" about 45-50 meters on the north west of the far rim beacon "the one not labbeled on the left of 1". The south-west face of this summit is much darker than south-west face of the beacon "1" so it can explain the dark feature we're seing on the right of the beacon on the pictures taken by Oppy from where she is now.


Edit : Tesheiner's post and mine appeared at the same time. If I refer to what he says, I'm totaly wrong.
re-Edit : if I refer to others, I may be right

[Tesheiner]

This might help...

It can't be, Stu.
Assuming the feature #2 is the beacon, this is where they should be on a pancam image. The separation between all of them is currently 5º; it corresponds to a lot of pixels.

[ustrax]

I think they are artifacts. Blowing up the last pic from sol 821, it's nothing really visible beside the "beacon".

So...Don't blow it!

It can't be, Stu.
Assuming the feature #2 is the beacon, this is where they should be on a pancam image. The separation between all of them is currently 5º; it corresponds to a lot of pixels.

Tesheiner, Sostratus is 'clearly' asking 'how do you do?' on your image...

[Stu]

Sorry Teseheiner, not clear what you're saying - are you saying that none of my suggestions could be Beacon, or that #2 might be? (I'm having a thick day!)

[Bob Shaw]

I think the little green-skinned guys on the other side of the crater are having a laugh at our expense! They built this p*ramid thing, see, and they're moving it around at night. And to prove the validity of my theory, by the time (Sol 900) that Opportunity reaches Victoria, there'll be nothing there for us to see! The beacon will have... ...vanished.

Makes sense, dunnit. Had that H0agl*nd guy in the back of me cab last week.

Bob Shaw

[Tesheiner]

Sorry Teseheiner, not clear what you're saying - are you saying that none of my suggestions could be Beacon, or that #2 might be? (I'm having a thick day!)

No. I'm saying that it can't explain the spots which might be appearing quite near to the beacon.
Whatever we see a few pixels to the left/right of the beacon can't be #1 or #3.

Edited: IF the beacon is on the far rim, I would say it's feature #2. But for the time being I'm with the near rim hypothesis.