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

[Stu]

Hmmm... interesting anaglyph there MW, this is all getting very Sherlock Holmesy...

I've just had a thought... I might have misinterpreted the email from RA. I sent him this pic:



...asking which of the craters shown on it was the crater we're seeing on the horizon. When he replied "the leftmost one" I assumed he meant the leftmost one of the ones I'd labelled for him... maybe he meant the leftmost one on the whole pic, which would be yours, Tesh?

Should all become clear soon.

[walfy]

Cherish these days, my friends. We'll miss them when they're gone, much, much more than we can imagine now.

Take heart, as we well could be back to the days of exploring 2 regions simultaneously after arrival of "Curiosity." Oppy might be very reluctant in passing the baton. Lets hope for many more years.

[CosmicRocker]

Considering all of the evidence laid out in the last page or two, it is really getting difficult to doubt Tesheiner's crater as the one we are seeing.

[fredk]

More evidence for Tesheiner's crater. We can see two other craters (labelled B and C) to the left of the one in question (A):

Measurements of the angles match with these craters:

Also, the relative distances (B, C, A from nearest to furthest) agrees with their positions relative to the horizons, and the crater widths all look good. I'm definitely with Tesheiner.

[DFinfrock]

... the CTX mosaic I use as background on the route map...

I really love this big view which puts Oppy's journey into perspective. It shows how very far we have come from Victoria. And especially encouraging is the significant progress she's made in the few weeks since leaving Santa Maria. Endeavour, here we come!

[Stu]

New pancam view of what is surely "Tesh's Crater"...

[brellis]

I tried another method which was comparing with the heading to the crater on the far side rim (when will they name it???)

Since it's on the Far Side, why don't they name it after Gary Larson?

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Stu]

We've been discussing here how and where Oppy will eventually make "landfall" at Cape York, and where the most promising sites for finding and studying phyllosilicates might be. I have just posted an interview with Ray Arvidson on my blog, in which he gives some more details about that, so I hope those of you interested in this will go have a look:

http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2011/...th-ray-arvidson

[Tesheiner]

Right on the money, Stu.

If you’re a faithful follower of the MER mission – and planetary exploration in general – you’ll have seen the title of this post, recognised the name, and smiled, thinking to yourself “Great!”

[centsworth_II]

....finding and studying phyllosilicates...

So it looks like they are sure the phyllisilicates are there, along the Endeavour side edge or slope of Cape York and that the question to answer is whether they are the result of post impact weathering of the crater rim or pre-impact phylosilicate layers being exposed by the impact.
(If I understand correctly.)

[eoincampbell]

Since it's on the Far Side...

Best yet !
Larson it is

[Tesheiner]

New pancam view of what is surely "Tesh's Crater"...

Here's my attempt with this latest batch of pancams.

[fredk]

I have just posted an interview with Ray Arvidson on my blog

Wow. That was the single most informative update we've had in a long time. Thanks a lot, Stu!

So this changes things dramatically. CY is no longer just our first landfall at Endeavour, a place to get our bearings before heading south to Tribulation and the real prize. Now CY is the real prize, and suddenly it's that much more realistic!

[Stu]

Thanks Fred, glad you enjoyed it. The picture's certainly becoming a lot clearer now.

I've just seen some very cool CY-CRISM graphics on a pdf...

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2011/pdf/2272.pdf

( Apologies if that link's been posted here before, I missed it if it was. )

[ngunn]

Great scoop, Stu. I love the way you slip the crucial question in after all the 'innocent' chatty ones.