Bright Flares from Scraped Rocks!? - Unmanned Spaceflight.com

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Bright Flares from Scraped Rocks!?, Spirit Pancam saturated by Wheel-scraped Rocks?

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Shaka

Oct 26 2007, 09:29 PM

Post #1

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What's with the recent Pancams of HP surface rocks scraped by the stuck wheel?

Reflections in some areas are so bright that the image flares dramatically. I've never seen this before from Mars rocks except in tiny spots on Comanche rock. Only man-made metal surfaces on the rovers and heat shields have dazzled like this.
The flares occur in both the left and right cameras and also in some Navcam shots. What are these rocks made of that they would reflect so brightly? Can there be accidental overexposures under unusual light conditions?
Can some "Image Mage" explain this as an artifact?

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My Grandpa goes to Mars every day and all I get are these lousy T-shirts!

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Shaka

Nov 6 2007, 08:27 PM

Post #2

Senior Member

Group: Members
Posts: 1229
Joined: 24-December 05
From: The blue one in between the yellow and red ones.
Member No.: 618

Extending the topic of interesting rocks on the surface of Home Plate, which I would hope are worthy of IDD examination as we make our way toward the 'north winter haven', to whit:

It appears to me that we have here a rock that has been split along a fracture plane by impact with the stuck wheel. This would be a fine opportunity to analyze the interior of the rock without needing a RAT. Just a quick brush and Bob's-your-Uncle! Since we have made the decision to winter on the sunny north slope of HP, we are within a few sols of easy traveling to get there. This leaves us months to explore the fascinating rocks all around us!

On that note have any of you code-friendly types managed to work out the identity of the rocks being referred to in the recent manager updates? E.G. Conundrum Peak, Pikes Peak, Mt. Sneffles, Mt. Eolus, Humboldt Peak, Gray's Peak, Elk, San Juan? JPL hasn't yet released labeled images.

P.S. How many would agree with me that the stuck wheel may just be the best thing that ever happened to Spirit?

--------------------

My Grandpa goes to Mars every day and all I get are these lousy T-shirts!

Posts in this topic

Shaka Bright Flares from Scraped Rocks!? Oct 26 2007, 09:29 PM

tty My immediate reaction was mica, but there are seve... Oct 26 2007, 09:40 PM

Shaka QUOTE (tty @ Oct 26 2007, 11:40 AM) Pyrit... Oct 27 2007, 03:01 AM

Bill Harris I noticed it too, and I've been snagging Panca... Oct 27 2007, 02:35 AM

dvandorn QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Oct 26 2007, 09:35 P... Oct 28 2007, 04:31 AM

Bill Harris QUOTE (dvandorn @ Oct 27 2007, 11:31 PM) ... Oct 28 2007, 11:58 AM

Del Palmer QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Oct 28 2007, 11:58 A... Oct 28 2007, 03:47 PM

Tesheiner QUOTE (Del Palmer @ Oct 28 2007, 04:47 PM... Oct 29 2007, 03:07 PM

ElkGroveDan A large faceted crystal will catch light that way,... Oct 27 2007, 03:16 AM

mhoward FWIW, here's the context and a view of the sam... Oct 27 2007, 03:52 AM

Shaka It's all good, guys, but can someone put toget... Oct 27 2007, 08:13 PM

djellison QUOTE (Shaka @ Oct 27 2007, 09:13 PM) can... Oct 27 2007, 09:39 PM

Shaka Thanks, Doug; it's bookmarked. Wow, I was ama... Oct 27 2007, 10:24 PM

djellison QUOTE (Shaka @ Oct 27 2007, 10:24 PM) Is ... Oct 28 2007, 08:44 AM

slinted Thanks for your kind words Doug. I take as high p... Oct 28 2007, 12:13 PM

Bill Harris There is a series of partial-frame L456 Pancams on... Oct 29 2007, 02:19 PM

Phil Stooke Bill, I wouldn't worry too much. If aluminum ... Oct 29 2007, 02:24 PM

alan Data loss, twice? On both images? http://qt.exp... Oct 29 2007, 04:54 PM

mhoward QUOTE (alan @ Oct 29 2007, 09:54 AM) Data... Oct 31 2007, 03:50 AM

Bill Harris Agreed, Phil, we can run her til the wheel falls ... Oct 29 2007, 07:15 PM

fredk A very nice reflective trail across the lower part... Nov 1 2007, 02:48 AM

ElkGroveDan QUOTE (fredk @ Oct 31 2007, 06:48 PM) I a... Nov 1 2007, 04:02 AM

fredk I'm not convinced this is scraped off aluminum... Nov 1 2007, 05:08 AM

AndyG QUOTE (fredk @ Nov 1 2007, 05:08 AM) I... Nov 1 2007, 11:09 AM

monitorlizard If this were scrapings of pure aluminum, or a pure... Nov 1 2007, 12:03 PM

Bill Harris Even though I brought up the supposition that the ... Nov 1 2007, 12:12 PM

tasp IIRC my metallurgy training (going on 30 years, no... Nov 1 2007, 02:11 PM

Bill Harris New L257 and R721 Pancams of a couple of these sat... Nov 3 2007, 01:47 PM

Shaka Extending the topic of interesting rocks on the su... Nov 6 2007, 08:27 PM

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