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dot.dk
Steve has a new update:
http://athena1.cornell.edu/news/mubss/

And it looks like the official name for the Ultreya Abyss now is "El Dorado"

I looked up El Dorado and the poem is actually quite fitting smile.gif

by Edgar Allan Poe
(1849)

Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.

But he grew old-
This knight so bold-
And o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.

And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow-
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be-
This land of Eldorado?"

"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied-
"If you seek for Eldorado!"
TheChemist
Although part of me was hoping Ultreya would somehow come through, I actually find Eldorado quite a suitable choice ...
From answers.com :
"El Dorado is used figuratively to mean any place of fabulous wealth, a utopian dream, or the land of desire."
Not bad, hey Ustrax ? smile.gif
djellison
It may be subtle and obscure, but there's a nod to the Ultreya phenomenon in there smile.gif

Doug
dilo
A couple of PanCam images from Sol693 are enhanced and stretched here (3x), showing the (probably) best Eldorado/Ultreya view up to now:
mhoward
QUOTE (TheChemist @ Dec 15 2005, 11:25 PM)
Although part of me was hoping Ultreya would somehow come through, I actually find Eldorado quite a suitable choice ...
From answers.com :
"El Dorado is used figuratively to mean any place of fabulous wealth, a utopian dream, or the land of desire."
Not bad, hey Ustrax ?  smile.gif
*


You have to admire the name choice, don't you? Both a reference to a "shadow" and a veiled reference to the hopes and dreams projected on this area. Color me impressed.
mars loon
Wow Dilo,

I think TheChemists quote is on target for your image

" A place of fabulous wealth, a utopian dream, or the land of desire"
edstrick
That semi-regular sand-ripple pattern texture in el Dorado is very similar to areas of the sand sheet on the northwest inside wall of Bonneville crater. Almost certainly much the same material and same processes, and about the same albedo, too.
CosmicRocker
Well I'll be damned! "El Dorado"

It may be a coincidence, but it sure does look like a veiled reference to Ultreya. smile.gif Far out. I've been a bit of a harsh critic in discussions of Ultreya's geologic characteristics in the past, but I must admit that I have always shared Ustrax's quixotic vision of exploration. He should be pleased.
dvandorn
It concerns me that Squyres says in his latest update that, after Comanche, they have time to check out either Allegheny or El Dorado, but not both, before they have to high-tail it over onto the north-facing slope of McCool Hill for the winter.

Does this mean they're NOT going to investigate Home Plate and the Pitcher's Mound?

I don't like the sound of that at ALL...

-the other Doug
atomoid
yes, now im cornfused, put-put around on part of mcCool hill for the winter? i though this was the one-mars-year anniversary, and just like splashdown one mars year ago, its prime-time to go exploring with many months of fall left to go... what did we do last mars year this time? we press onward to columbia hills, we didnt kick it on the north face of bonneville for the winter? am i missing something?
Bill Harris
I was amused with the formal naming of this feature. Although some of the image interpretation was, uh, a bit off the wall at times, you do have to admire enthusiasm and persistence. I had grave doubts about the "abyss" part from the get-go, but it was clear that the Ultreya feature was interesting and possibly important.

El Diablo, the name fits and the legend continues... biggrin.gif

--Bill
dvandorn
Ummm... El Dorado, Bill. Not El Diablo.

Although, maybe El Kabong would have been more appropriate...

-the other Doug
ustrax
QUOTE (djellison @ Dec 15 2005, 11:29 PM)
It may be subtle and obscure, but there's a nod to the Ultreya phenomenon in there smile.gif

Doug
*


Let me just tell you that I am floating wieghtless in space with the choice of the name.
You are 100% correct Doug, there is a very strong nod to Ultreya in El Dorado...
I can tell you that, at this moment, reading the poem and some other words I received, that helped understand the election of the name, I feel an immense, IMMENSE joy.

El Dorado...We have arrived!
biggrin.gif
Bert
QUOTE (dvandorn @ Dec 16 2005, 06:55 AM)
... they have time to check out either Allegheny or El Dorado, but not both, before they have to high-tail it over onto the north-facing slope of McCool Hill for the winter.

SNIP

I don't like the sound of that at ALL...
*

This should come as no surprise when keeping in mind this discussion from the end of August:

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...indpost&p=18384
Bert
QUOTE (atomoid @ Dec 16 2005, 08:45 AM)
what did we do last mars year this time? we press onward to columbia hills, we didnt kick it on the north face of bonneville for the winter? am i missing something?
*

The shadow of Husband Hill is what makes the difference this time, IMHO.
(This is just a wild guess, I have no hard numbers to prove it, like sun angles etc...)
ustrax
QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Dec 16 2005, 06:42 AM)
Well I'll be damned!  "El Dorado"

It may be a coincidence, but it sure does look like a veiled reference to Ultreya.  smile.gif  Far out.  I've been a bit of a harsh critic in discussions of Ultreya's geologic characteristics in the past, but I must admit that I have always shared Ustrax's quixotic vision of exploration.  He should be pleased.
*


There are no such things as coincidences... smile.gif
Read the poem carefuly, there's Ultreya all over! biggrin.gif
And...CosmicRocker...'quixotic vision of exploration'...I just loved that.
Thank you.
Bert
QUOTE (ustrax @ Dec 16 2005, 09:44 AM)
I can tell you that, at this moment, reading the poem and some other words I received, that helped understand the election of the name, I feel an immense, IMMENSE joy.
*


The mention of "pilgrim" in the poem makes it pretty obvious.
Congratulations Ustrax, a previously undiscovered feature on Mars has been named like it's named because of you!
mars.gif ohmy.gif biggrin.gif

Now you're playing in the same league as Vasco da Gama & Ferdinand Magellan.
Cheers!
djellison
I'm still waiting for Erebus to be renamed to Albert, but hey smile.gif

Doug
ustrax
Dear forum participants, followers of Ultreya saga...
I see the naming of the feature as El Dorado as a reference to all of us, who have been following this incredible mission with passion and will to learn and discover, so I believe that Steve Squyres won't mind if I transcribe here the explanation he gave for the choosing of such an inspiring name for generations to come.
And, let me add, never a poem fitted so well...

So, directly from the man in charge, here it is why:

'Hello: A couple of months ago, when I was in England, I had a talk with a gentleman named Doug Ellison in which he told me that you had suggested the name "Ultreya" for a dark feature on the south side of Husband Hill, and that the name had caught on among a community of Mars enthusiasts on the Internet. I subsequently took a look at the online forum that Doug started, and I read some of the posts there by you and others. I wanted to let you know that while we have used our normal process for assigning a name to this feature, the name that we chose -- El Dorado -- was in part inspired by your posts.

The name was partly taken from a poem by the American poet Edgar Alan Poe that seemed particularly relevant to our current strategic situation with the rover. But I also got the sense that Ultreya had become something of a symbol of hope for future exploration for you and for others in the Internet community. And El Dorado is a name that I intended to be similar in its implications. To quote from the Wikipedia article on El Dorado: "El Dorado is also sometimes used as a metaphor to represent an ultimate prize or 'Holy Grail' that one might spend their life seeking. It could represent true love, heaven, happiness, or success. It is used sometimes as a figure of speech to represent something much sought after that may not even exist, or at least may not ever be found." To me, that sounded very similar to the meaning that you've ascribed to Ultreya.

So, I'm sorry that we didn't use your name, but I hope you'll be pleased that you helped inspire the name that we gave it. I admire the enthusiasm and the spirit of exploration with which you've been following the mission.

Best wishes,

Steve Squyres'


Here, among us...This is a great day, isn't it?... rolleyes.gif
Toma B
Amazing!!!!!! smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif smile.gif
Ustrax where did you get this text from???

You received a PM from Steve Squyres or what ???
ustrax
QUOTE (Toma B @ Dec 16 2005, 11:42 AM)
Amazing!!!!!! smile.gif  smile.gif  smile.gif  smile.gif  smile.gif  smile.gif  smile.gif  smile.gif  smile.gif
Ustrax where did you get this text from???
*


Steve sent it to me on e-mail...
Now I ask, did he had to do it?
No way!
Tesheiner
blink.gif blink.gif blink.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif blink.gif blink.gif blink.gif

Ustrax, that's really impressive!!!
Estou emocionado.
ustrax
QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Dec 16 2005, 12:22 PM)
blink.gif  blink.gif  blink.gif  biggrin.gif  biggrin.gif  biggrin.gif  blink.gif  blink.gif  blink.gif

Ustrax, that's really impressive!!!
Estou emocionado.
*


Tesheiner...When I read it my eyes filled up with a strange salty liquid...Like the sea my forefathers explored centuries ago...To me this means the same as receiving a letter from Henry the Navigator...
Steve Squyres just made my day in a very special way.
mars loon
QUOTE (ustrax @ Dec 16 2005, 12:29 PM)
Tesheiner...When I read it my eyes filled up with a strange salty liquid...Like the sea my forefathers explored centuries ago...To me this means the same as receiving a letter from Henry the Navigator...
Steve Squyres just made my day in a very special way.
*

Ustrax,

Estou emocionado.

That is an impressive note from Steve.

Here is a brief quote from a message I recently got from Jim Bell:

"I'm thrilled to see other folks out there work with the images and make their own mosaics, etc."

So, Congratulations to you on this very SPECIAL DAY !!!!
chris
QUOTE (ustrax @ Dec 16 2005, 11:29 AM)
Here, among us...This is a great day, isn't it?... rolleyes.gif
*


Ustrax, your persistence with your idea, and then the good grace with which you acknowledged its demise do you credit. This is well deserved. It also says a great deal about Steve Squyres and the MER team.

I'm getting all emotional... blink.gif

Chris
Bill Harris
QUOTE
Ummm... El Dorado, Bill. Not El Diablo.


Now, was that freudian or what... biggrin.gif

--Bill



PS-- congratulations, Ustrax.
ustrax
QUOTE (chris @ Dec 16 2005, 01:26 PM)
Ustrax, your persistence with your idea, and then the good grace with which you acknowledged its demise do you credit. This is well deserved. It also says a great deal about Steve Squyres and the MER team.

I'm getting all emotional...  blink.gif

Chris
*


Chris...It does it does in a way we will not forget, a great great attitude from Steve when he didn't in anyway had to justify before us the non-choosing of Ultreya...And as I was saying on the other forum...
'...Maybe if that was an abyss they would call it Ultreya, who knows?...Don't forget that I have no scientific background and there is a lot of people in the world who deserve to have their name on Mars or name a place on Mars and I, just a guy from Portugal fueled by passion, had the Honour of inspiring the choosing of such a brilliant (and so super-mega-well expressed on that poem) name...Think about it...
...I've just lighten the bonfire where all of us have danced around.
I am VERY proud of ALL of you in the web community.
And I could not pass without giving thanks to Doug Ellisonfor putting Steve in contact with the Ultreya subject.
RNeuhaus
Ustrax, Many congratulations to you! I am very proud that Steve is aware of our forum.

The name El Dorado sounds to me somewhat funny because, let me say to you: As you know that that dark southern slope of Columbia Hill is seen as a suspicious place, full of traps and tricks but at the same time inside of the dark sand might have some hidden gold, in spanish means the same as El Dorado due to its gold color. So I tought that name strickes me the idea that under the most difficult sites will also lead to be the most surprising discoveries.

That is the nature equilibrium.

Rodolfo
djellison
QUOTE (ustrax @ Dec 16 2005, 11:29 AM)
...when I was in England..


Steve was here. Damn....I must have missed him...

wink.gif

Doug
aldo12xu
Congratulations, Ustrax!! It is a special moment, indeed. It's a great example how inclusive the MER mission has been under Steve's direction. He has really made it seem like the mission belongs to everybody, not just NASA or JPL or the USA.
Reckless
Well done Ustrax and thanks to Doug Ellison it's good to get a mention from the MER PI even for us lower down (but trying to climb) the stratigraphic layers of this great forum
biggrin.gif biggrin.gif biggrin.gif

Reckless
ustrax
According to a very SSpecial update...

Q: Now, a concrete question...Is there any idea of what might be the origin of the dark sand at El Dorado?


A: Good question. That's one of the things we hope to learn by going there, if that's what we decide to do. My best guess is that it's sort of an eolian cul-de-sac, where the local configuration of terrain and prevailing wind flow means that sand can get in but can't get out again. If you look carefully, you'll see that there are several similar dark sand patches on the northern side of Clark Hill, in similar geometric configurations.

Q: Even now, looking at the recent images it looks to me that the sand filled an empty space and not just 'climbed the gentle hill slope, but probably I'm wrong.


A: I think that it probably just climbed a hill slope, but we should get a better handle on that once we're in position to do some good Pancam observations on it. As I write this we're planning the approach to Comanche (actually, to the smaller rock just north of Comanche). We'll execute the approach on Sol 697, and by the time we're in position to do IDD work we should also be in position to get our first decent look at El Dorado. Then we'll see what we see.
dot.dk
QUOTE (ustrax @ Dec 16 2005, 09:26 PM)
According to a very SSpecial update...
*


So now your are corresponding directly with the master or what!? smile.gif

Can't you ask him to come in here instead and post some interesting tidbits? wink.gif
Bill Harris
QUOTE
sort of an eolian cul-de-sac


That is my favorite supposition, too. Just the right combination of wind direction, wind velocity, terrain and particle density happen to coexist and the dark sand collects and the light dust goes. You've seen that here, north of Clark Hill and in a couple of other spots in these hills. And you've also got the dark rock like at Comanche and First Base, so there is a close by source for dark sand.

We'll see what we see when we see it...

--Bill
djellison
I can well understand why Steve wouldnt want to visit and post here in person. Imagine Bono posting on a U2 forum wink.gif

Doug
dilo
This is another 3x stretch, now from NavCam mosaic of Sol694 (see full panorama).
Click to view attachment
I would like to dedicate this Eldorado view to Sergio Leone, who probably liked to shot a "spaghetti western" on this location (a little bit expensive trip for cast, however tongue.gif ).
Mizar
Hi there..
I'm a very newbie here... but I have to say:
This is the result of a vision. Great explorers earlier have visions.
We can read of their efforts in our historic books.
Thanks ustrax and Doug, and all others in this amazing internet community here!
And not only here, this effort send rumours along the whole planet!
Sure Steve understand that. I'm quite sure of that.

And I have to say: What a day !
dilo
Welcome Mizar, beautiful words! smile.gif
bergadder
Congratulations, Ustrax

Been doing some serious lurking on this forum over the last few months. Every day I get home I must get me ‘fix’ of Unmannedspaceflight.com.

I think you Ustrax and other members of the community, who show the world the passion for adventure, the human need to explore, to learn and create. I know I get a lot of that right here, so thanks to you all.

I believe from what we see and read from Steve, we find that same passion.
To Steve, (who I am sure drops by this community on a regular basis, based on some answers on his web site to questions on this forum) a very big thank-you. Thanks for the passion you bring to this world .
ustrax
Bill Harris...That was my first supposition, but where youread aeloian read aquifer...Thta goes a longway from MER's eam supposition...
djellison...can you?...I don't know...maybe...
dilo...it is curious to heard aboutEl Dorado when herzog's Quest for El Dorado is one of my favourite movies ever...Can't avoid to make a comparison between the crazy Kinski and the looney Ustrax...Just can't...sorry...
Oh Mizar...Brother in passion...it is so good to read on this house of knowledge!...
bergadder...I think we have to thank Doug the entrance of the MER team members on this forum...
mars loon
a looney request.

while we ponder "El Dorado" and "Ultreya", what is the meaning behind "Ustrax" and the source of his passions and poetry?
Bill Harris
I dunno, but here's his blog: http://ultreyamars.blogspot.com/ . We can ponder that whilst he explains himself...

--Bill
glennwsmith
Doug, Ustrax, and all --

I love it!

And dot.dk, what is your background that you knew about this poem ?!?

Glenn
dot.dk
QUOTE (glennwsmith @ Dec 17 2005, 04:52 AM)
And dot.dk, what is your background that you knew about this poem ?!?

Glenn
*


I only knew it through google biggrin.gif
CosmicRocker
QUOTE (Bert @ Dec 16 2005, 03:48 AM)
The shadow of Husband Hill is what makes the difference this time, IMHO.
(This is just a wild guess, I have no hard numbers to prove it, like sun angles etc...)
*

Interesting thought... I wouldn't want to make too much out of a reference in a poem, but the explorer did meet a shadow, did he not? Maybe it's the shadow of the hill, or maybe it's a generalized shadow of winter.

*****************

Steve's recent "quick" update was interesting. Just a few days after saying they were heading for Home Plate, he says it's either Allegheny or El Dorado. Is Allegheny ridge that linear ridge with the mesas, trailing away from Home Plate? If they climb that, they would have good views of El Dorado and Home Plate, wouldn't they? And Home Plate would then be on a line between there and McCool Hill. Maybe Home Plate is not written off just yet. At least, I hope not.

Quoting SS:
"Once we've done our work at Comanche, then we have a really important decision to make. We need to keep moving quickly if we're going to get to McCool Hill and its sunny north-facing slopes by winter. We have two very enticing targets ahead of us after Comanche, and we've got to pick one of the two... there isn't time for both. One is a ridge off to the southeast that we've named Allegheny Ridge. The other is a large patch of dark sand off to the southwest that (with some inspiration from Edgar Alan Poe) we've named El Dorado. We'll get to Comanche, take pictures of both, and then pick one of the two... probably sometime next week. The seasons are changing rapidly at Gusev, and time is of the essence."

They have been moving forward at a pretty good pace, since descending Haskin's. I would have thought there would be time to go for a Home Run and still make it to the dugout before winter. Comanche looks pretty different. Gotta stop to thwack it. It sounds like they want to get well up onto McCool Hill before winter.
general
QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Dec 17 2005, 08:24 AM)
Steve's recent "quick" update was interesting.  Just a few days after saying they were heading for Home Plate, he says it's either Allegheny or El Dorado.  Is Allegheny ridge that linear ridge with the mesas, trailing away from Home Plate?  If they climb that, they would have good views of El Dorado and Home Plate, wouldn't they?  And Home Plate would then be on a line between there and McCool Hill.  Maybe Home Plate is not written off just yet.  At least, I hope not.



According to the latest Spirit traverse maps (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html), Allegheny Ridge is located halfway between Spirit's present location and Home Plate:
mars loon
QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Dec 17 2005, 07:24 AM)
Steve's recent "quick" update was interesting.  Just a few days after saying they were heading for Home Plate, he says it's either Allegheny or El Dorado.  Is Allegheny ridge that linear ridge with the mesas, trailing away from Home Plate?  If they climb that, they would have good views of El Dorado and Home Plate, wouldn't they?  And Home Plate would then be on a line between there and McCool Hill.  Maybe Home Plate is not written off just yet.  At least, I hope not....
*

At the Hayden this past Monday (12/12/05), Steve said that Home Plate is the next big target, with the goal of reaching it by about sol 750. He showed a cool picture of the approach to Comanche

By about Sol 800, he said they MUST be on the sunny north facing slope of McCool Hill. Gotta maximize energy output with the fast approaching winter or Spirit could die without power to the heaters. sad.gif According to Steve, the unthinkable (unponderable !! ) almost happened last winter. Spirit is currently at about 600 watt hours.

So our baby has to get moving !!! pancam.gif wheel.gif
mhoward
Here it is in all its glory, I guess: on the right

stewjack
Comanche is big!

From memory

Comanche is about 10 meters distance.
Comanche is about 15 meters wide
and mayby 3- 5 meters high


Commanche Flicker
Warnig: File Size 500 Kb

Click to view attachment
stewjack
A glimpse of El Dorado?

This flicker is composed of the two navcam images immediately to the right of my previous flicker. Comanche, or the main portion of Comanche, is partially visible on the left of this flicker. We are looking through a "saddle" between two outcrops. What do you see?


El Dorado navcam flicker
Warning File size 700 Kb

Click to view attachment
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