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Distant Vistas 2 - The view from Cape Tribulation
charborob
post Dec 17 2014, 12:18 AM
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I don't know if this has been noticed before. In the attached (enhanced) pancam image taken on sol 3873, there is a very faint hill. I tried to bring it out somewhat (noise removed, fiddled with curves in Photoshop). The direction is over the plains, to the right of Cape Tribulation. Could it be Bopolu crater? On the other hand, it doesn't seem wide enough for that.
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fredk
post Dec 17 2014, 01:30 AM
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I've been eyeing that feature for several sols - notice how the view has improved since 3863: we have climbed substantially since then and can see much more of the feature:
http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/gallery/all/1/p/3...L1P2426R1M1.JPG
This is too far to the south to be Bopolu and has the wrong shape - here's an old view of Bopolu:
Attached Image

I've been meaning to check some azimuths but haven't had time. My too-many-years-staring-at-Mars-images intuition says it's the crater rim I've circled here:
Attached Image

But again, I'd need to do some measurements to be sure. Once we're closer to the summit we should see Iazu again and that'll fix things better. But if this is right, this is the farthest feature we've seen from Oppy - it's farther than Bopolu and the Miyamoto rim segment ("mule ears" we called it those years ago).
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ngunn
post Dec 17 2014, 11:05 AM
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I've been watching that too and thinking it might be Miyamoto. I'd expect the 'mule ears' to be lined up to appear as one from where we are now. But I have no handle on the azimuths so that was a wild guess. It would be exciting to be seeing an even more distant feature but I'd find that surprising given the curvature of the planet. Might be worth checking the theoretical visibility with Google Earth Mars
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ngunn
post Dec 17 2014, 08:49 PM
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A crude estimate from the pancams puts the main peak 40 to 45-ish degrees to the right of Tribulation summit which I think is about right for the combined 'Mule Ears'. Also I think there is a long low distant horizon feature well to the left in that same image. This could be the nearer hills we were originally looking for in that general direction when the 'Mule Ears' popped up instead.
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jamescanvin
post Dec 17 2014, 09:07 PM
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Based on the Azimuth and size I think it is probably this:

Attached Image


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ngunn
post Dec 17 2014, 09:38 PM
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Do you mean that is the main peak showing in the image charborob posted? That's the feature I thought might be the lower hills I referred to in my post just before yours. The trouble with those hills being the main peak visible in charborob's image is that if they were that big we should have seen them before when we first saw the 'Mule Ears'.
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jamescanvin
post Dec 17 2014, 10:20 PM
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Yes I think that is the horizon feature charborob posted. Back in 2010 when we were looking at the 'Mule Ears' we didn't have a great view on that azimuth. It sits in a bit of a dip and we had a closeish horizon in that direction back then. Now it looks to be much more favourable. I don't think the azimuth is right to be the 'Mule Ears', if we got the ID right back in 2010 they should be about half a Pancam frame further to the right.


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ngunn
post Dec 17 2014, 10:36 PM
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OK, thanks. I'm glad you're in on the hunt. If you're right we should have a great view of the Miyamoto rim just a bit to the right of what we see now. It's not much further away than than this feature. Maybe there is already something visible at the extreme right of the image. I've been scutinising that but everything darkens there so it's difficult to say. I hope you will have time to provide us with one of your wonderful reverse polar horizon analyses when we reach the summit.
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jamescanvin
post Dec 17 2014, 10:56 PM
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Yeah really looking forward to the summit pan, that should nail things down. I wonder how good the view will be though. I don't think the visibility is all that great, else I we should be able to see more of Miyamoto right now.


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ngunn
post Jan 7 2015, 11:31 AM
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Clear view forward: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...DGP1870L0M1.JPG
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vikingmars
post Jan 7 2015, 02:46 PM
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YES ! Incredible ! We are now standing at the very summit of Cape Tribulation !
Here is the view towards the south : we are indeed standing at the topmost point.
I could not imagine such a feat in 2004 for the Opportunity mission in my wildest dreams...
CONGRATULATIONS to the MER team !
wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif
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James Sorenson
post Jan 7 2015, 03:25 PM
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My take on this breathtaking and monumental vista. A truly wonderful achievement for the whole MER team. smile.gif pancam.gif




Polar:


1920x1080 Desktop Background
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Phil Stooke
post Jan 7 2015, 04:09 PM
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Stunning!

This is James's panorama in circular format.

Phil

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... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.

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NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain)
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tedstryk
post Jan 7 2015, 04:52 PM
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Wow oh wow! I never thought I'd see Oppy become a mountain climber! wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif


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djellison
post Jan 7 2015, 04:59 PM
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And for the past month or so - without the use of flash memory.

Extraordinary.
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