Post Conjunction: Santa Maria to Cape York, The Journey to 'Spirit Point' Options

[MoreInput]

Will Oppy make so many turns and curves? Or just drive along a "We brake for nobody"-line right to Spirit Point ? We will see, soon

[Deimos]

Would an assumption that most of the current variability in tau is mostly related to variation within the BL be fair?

Could go either way in principle--I'd favor the BL at Gusev. The images suggest that is true. Despite that, the dust still increases with height (the principal source is a storm track thousands of km away). If we had tau=1.15 (the new value) well-mixed, the far rim would be even murkier. For dust perfectly mixed through the whole atmosphere, the opacity across the crater would be about twice the measured (zenith) value on any given sol. I wonder if visibility might get worse before it gets better, even as the dust settles. We'll be testing that, of course.

Would the time period spent integrating the MB at Cape York be one during which cloud obs would have a decent chance for being fruitful?

Yes. It has been the norm to get more cloud images & movies during the aphelion months.

[Toma B]

Opportunity drove some 120 meters today; almost straight down toward Botany Bay. There should be HOAV here.
Maybe MER team shold consider taking some time to snap at least one quick 180 degrees L257 panorama of Endeavour. Just one line of images covering horizon.

[fredk]

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...2M1.JPG?sol2674

[Guest_Bobby_*]

I feel the same way about that Image Fred K.

Oppy has moved from the Flat Midwest Region and is now entering The Rocky Mountains and Grand Canyon area.

This is going to get real scenic, interesting and what's new around the next corner.

I see us spending a lot of time at Cape York area and then driving south to climb a mountain.

[Gladstoner]

I feel the same way about that Image Fred K.

Oppy has moved from the Flat Midwest Region and is now entering The Rocky Mountains and Grand Canyon area.

I feel the same way as well.

We have exited I-70 at Limon, CO and are making our way down Hwy 24. Pike's Peak looms closer....

[mhoward]

Indeed. Here's my version of the sol 2674 Pancam mosaic, with color added.

[fredk]

Here's my guess for our 2674 location based purely on the imagery:

It looks like a good drive, almost directly south.

And I'm pretty sure we can now see the rim of Spirit Point crater!


Another drive or two like this and we'll finally be able to see down the throat of Botany Bay...

[walfy]

I couldn't help but include a certain rover of sweet disposition: Oppy at Spirit Point Crater and Endeavor beyond! (My apologies if the scale is off.)

[Astro0]

Can we say "Land Ahoy!" now?!



I know that I'm singng "Bound for Botany Bay..."

[dilo]

Nice, Astro0... I used your mosaic for an artistic wallpaper, with false colors, artificial sky and enhanced details/contrast on far plane:

Second version is 2x vertical stretch (which I prepfer...!)

[Toma B]

What a big difference this 120 meter drive makes. Whole crater seems to open up.
2 Philovisioned panoramas, taken on sol2671 and sol2674 switching in this animated GIF.

[Stu]

And I'm pretty sure we can now see the rim of Spirit Point crater!

Isn't that a bit far over to the left, Fred? Looking at HiRISE images of CY, the crater is almost on the very southern end. I'm wondering if the crater is this feature...



...but more than prepared to be proved wrong!

[jamescanvin]

I think Fred is right, that looks in about the right place. Stu yours is too far right, way past the end of CY.

[Stu]

Ok, thanks James, appreciate that. I'm still not sure what we're IDing as the end of CY.