[X] My Assistant

[Deimos]

Yes, it's oft inferred or assumed that amateur is the opposite of professional, when it's not. The driving difference, is a salary.

You all may be interested to know that I've had this same conversation within a science/operations team. I was showing off some especially nice products that I noted were contributed by "amateurs" through this site. There was an objection to that description, since what I was showing was easily better than some comparable pipeline products we had at the time. The term "amateurs" meant, to some, that the work was "amateurish"--maybe that it was done by people paid to do it, but who did it sloppily--while what I showed clearly was not. I clarified that I meant strictly that it was done by people not paid to do it, who did it for the love of doing that sort of thing. This site is a great place to learn that an amateur is unprofessional only in the narrowest sense of being unsalaried, and need not be one bit unskilled or unartful.

[vikingmars]

My own interpretation of Intrepid Crater... A lovely place indeed on Mars. Enjoy !

[Mirek]

What record?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_2

"Lunokhod 2 operated for about 4 months, covered 37 km (23 miles) of terrain, including hilly upland areas and rilles"

Still a long way to go before Lunokhod 2's distance record is surpassed.

I probably shouldn't have used word record.

Point was Oppy is close to total distance traveled by LRV 16 (surpassing somewhere around Santa Maria) then LRV15 (17.3 mi) and LRV17 (22.3 mi) followed by Lunokhod 2 (23 mi)

[Guest_Oersted_*]

Yes, will be interesting to see if she gets out to 37km.

[Phil Stooke]

Well, it was an Apollo record... an Apollo 16 record... (looking for other qualifiers as I type)... Of course, having a driver actually on the rover is kind of cheating.

Phil

[PDP8E]

My own interpretation of Intrepid Crater...

Nice Mr. Viking!
you inspire me to take on blending...any tips in 140 chars or less

[HughFromAlice]

Intrepid Crater...

Hey nice work Viking - particluarly love that well matched stitching

[Stu]

Updated my blog with some new pics, if anyone wants a look...

http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2010/...esting-intrepid

Some very interesting dark rocks inside the crater...



('nowhere-near-real-colour' image)

... and if anyone's wondering how much bigger than Intrepid Santa Maria is, here are the two craters side by side to the same scale. Intrepid is at the 10 o'clock position.

[NickF]

Another view of Intrepid (pancam L5 filter)

[NickF]

A colourised version of #129. Doubtless other UMSF members can make a better stab at it

[NW71]

Judging from the excellent animations that Nick and others have shown us, I wonder how long the powers that be will choose to spend here?

If they feel this crater has anything new for them to investigate there are a number of very interesting and it would appear reasonably accessible sites for them to look at.

Just wets the appetite for what Santa Maria and Endeavour may have in store for us doesn't it?

Neil

[fredk]

Judging from Maxell's comments, we won't be staying at Intrepid:

Today, bouncing around Intrepid Crater, drive-by shooting from the far end, then heading ~115m east. Looks like another 350m to next crater.

And this followup:

Between us and Santa Maria -- maybe 1.5km away -- is a string of smaller craters which we plan to shoot as we drive by; no stops planned.

On another topic, it's been a while since we've been able to see distant views of our tracks like this:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...1M1.JPG?sol2412

[vikingmars]

Another (colorized) interpretation of Intrepid Crater... I just love the hills range in the background. Enjoy !
Some pics taken at sunset casting loooong shadows would have been just great also (just an idea to our excellent Pancam team)

[dilo]

I love it too! excellent work, vikingmars.

[vikingmars]

I love it too! excellent work, vikingmars.

Thanks Dilo. I'm also monitoring the northern tip of Endeavour crater (see mosaic hereabove) since its 1st sightings on Sols 790 and 804 and traced back to Sol 774... (herebelow).

Now we have it on plain sight !