Tesheiner
Jun 13 2008, 08:10 AM
This is a navcam mosaic taken after driving during sol 1559.
Click to view attachmentMmm, remember the name of this thread?
To the Cape! Yeah!
MahFL
Jun 13 2008, 10:38 AM
They are nice pictures. Makes a change to see something new after so many months.
fredk
Jun 13 2008, 03:16 PM
It's great to see us thoroughly out of the Quackmire! We now have a good view of potential approaches to Verde. Here's a crop from Tesheiner's mosaic. I've sketched two approaches that appear to stay pretty well on solid rocky surfaces. The black gets us close to the cliff, but not very deep - we've studied those layers already. The white route gets us deeper but not very close to the cliff. Of course they could continue past the end of the white arrow (that's where the original target lies), at the risk of getting bogged down again in loose soil...
Click to view attachment
Tesheiner
Jun 13 2008, 08:56 PM
Before the, mmm, "event", I thought Opportunity would move to a point that is after the white arrow. I think the terrain at that point is traversable enough to get the rover touching the wall.
BUT the situation now has changed. At least two new issues. imo. The first is obviously the fact(?) that moving up to the wall would mean getting stuck again on the way back. The second is that after this long time the shadows are getting bigger at Cape Verde.
alan
Jun 13 2008, 11:24 PM
Winter Solstice occurs in the southern hemisphere of Mars on June 26 so the shadows will soon start getting shorter.
Tesheiner
Jun 16 2008, 09:43 AM
Neither the black not the white path, Opportunity has followed the "yellow bricks".
Here's the current position plotted on the navcam mosaic from sol 1559.
Click to view attachmentAnd the latest view from tosol (1562).
Click to view attachment
Astro0
Jun 17 2008, 06:56 AM
A lo-res SFX view based on Tesheiner's positioning.
Click to view attachmentSteady as she goes girl
Tman
Jun 17 2008, 07:50 AM
And overcomes sand traps again and chocks like this:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...25P1815R0M1.JPGGuess the two moved rocks is the spot where Oppy's middle wheel went stuck.
Tesheiner
Jun 17 2008, 10:11 AM
I was a bit afraid with the path they were taking now (the "yellow" one), but have a look to today's drive results and compare with yesterday images.
Click to view attachment Sol 1562 -> Sol 1563
Click to view attachmentThey moved Opportunity downhill over the sand up to the isolated slab seen on the images then back uphill almost to the same spot as before. Looking to the wheel marks I fell that the terrain is much more
stable then on the previous path where she got stuck.
climber
Jun 17 2008, 11:21 AM
You may say that it's easy to say it now, but it seams they are driving the way I thought they will.
Rove straight down, back-up to be sure you can (back-up), and so on.
Once they are perpendicular and deaper to the place they want to meet the cliffs, they will do a ~80° + ~80° or so left turns and go up to the cliffs. Doing this, in case of been stuck, the'll can back up going down (on the same path) which will probably be much easier to get free. Any objection to this ?
Stu
Jun 17 2008, 02:14 PM
fredk
Jun 17 2008, 02:53 PM
QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jun 17 2008, 10:11 AM)
Looking to the wheel marks I fell that the terrain is much more stable then on the previous path where she got stuck.
It does look like a successful toe-dip. After the quackmire, I'm still concerned about the sandy surface farther down. I wonder if they've been able to identify something about the appearance of the quackmire surface before we drove onto it that indicated it was dangerous. Or are they just trying again and hoping for the best...
Climber, it seems to me it's got to be risky to drive deeper than we need to...
mhoward
Jun 18 2008, 12:38 AM
QUOTE (Astro0 @ Jun 17 2008, 12:56 AM)
A lo-res SFX view based on Tesheiner's positioning.
That looks about right, Astro0. I was digging around in MMB for some views from other perspectives and found this one. The position based on the tracking data is only approximate, but actually it looks about right to me:
Tesheiner
Jun 18 2008, 10:17 AM
We are getting closer!
This is from today's drive (sol 1564):
Click to view attachment
fredk
Jun 18 2008, 02:56 PM
And the maneuvering at the end of the drive shows we've still got good traction:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...74P1312R0M1.JPG
fredk
Jun 19 2008, 03:32 PM
Another big drive downslope tosol (1565). The navcam view of Verde is now reminiscent of the previous best pancam views!
Click to view attachmentIf we can make it across the scattered rocks immediately in front of us, it looks like a good, drivable rocky surface at the base of the cliff...
We're now by far at the deepest point we've ever been on this mission. I wonder if
these rock slabs that we're sitting on are original to this depth or tumbled down long ago.
climber
Jun 19 2008, 04:45 PM
We're gonna need your "man in black" for scale, Fredk !
lyford
Jun 19 2008, 09:02 PM
Sweet Fancy Moses! So nice to be moving again!
Zeke4ther
Jun 19 2008, 11:15 PM
This cliff structure reminds me of sandstones I saw in Colorado that were the reminents of old sand dunes.
AndyG
Jun 20 2008, 08:47 AM
Assuming the range is 16m or so, and our fredk is around 1.8m, I'd say something like this:
Andy
ngunn
Jun 20 2008, 09:20 AM
Looks like the perfect spot for another picnic.
peter59
Jun 20 2008, 09:37 AM
QUOTE (ngunn @ Jun 20 2008, 09:20 AM)
Looks like the perfect spot for another picnic.
But it's very dangerous place.
We can find missing Miranda, Irma and Marion.
Click to view attachment
peter59
Jun 20 2008, 09:58 AM
Tesheiner
Jun 20 2008, 10:45 AM
QUOTE (fredk @ Jun 19 2008, 05:32 PM)
The navcam view of Verde is now reminiscent of the previous best pancam views!
Now, look at THIS!!!
Click to view attachment and
Click to view attachmenthttp://nasa.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportu...cam/2008-06-20/Edited: Just 10 meters up to the wall!
QUOTE (ngunn @ Jun 20 2008, 11:20 AM)
Looks like the perfect spot for another picnic.
Agree. It's time for another UMSF BBQ!
jamescanvin
Jun 20 2008, 10:59 AM
QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jun 20 2008, 11:45 AM)
And that sequence is labelled as:
pancam_drive_dir_L7R1 !!!
Amazing.
I was thinking the same about this being a nice spot for lunch.
James
Tman
Jun 20 2008, 12:45 PM
Looks like it's a popular place here - someone forgot his picnic basket
mhoward
Jun 20 2008, 01:08 PM
Stu
Jun 20 2008, 01:59 PM
Yes! THIS is what we came all this way to see!
Click to view attachment
lyford
Jun 20 2008, 03:15 PM
"MY GOD! IT'S FULL OF BAKLAVA!"It's really been a good week on Mars....
Doc
Jun 21 2008, 08:43 AM
I must say this is an impressive view of the Cape.(considering my pessimism for this drive)
However if they wish to get closer, i would recomend hard hats
Seriously, do we have to worry about falling rocks fro the cliff?
fredk
Jun 21 2008, 02:36 PM
Do you folks remember this
Victoria's wishlist thread? If we do get a bit closer we may get a cliff
tiltorama afterall!
About falling rocks, we haven't seen anything come off any of the cliffs so far, but if she got close enough to do some grinding, who knows?
ElkGroveDan
Jun 21 2008, 02:52 PM
I am drooling at the prospect of seeing a nice clean RAT and MI of the lowest reachable layers.
I hope our skilled driver friends are back here on Earth practicing their ballet.
Astro0
Jun 21 2008, 11:25 PM
QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jun 20 2008, 08:45 PM)
Agree. It's time for another UMSF BBQ!
Hmmm. Another BBQ. Yes, it has been some time.
I was hoping to do one around now, but the images I have of all of you just don't fit and wouldn't it be nice to include all the new faces since the last one over at HomePlate.
Perhaps this is something that we should discuss over at the Community Chit Chat thread.
My thought would be to wait until we have the mother-of-all-panoramas in colour first however.
Astro0
Sunspot
Jun 22 2008, 07:46 AM
What happened to yesterdays downlink? Or did they give the rover a day off?
jamescanvin
Jun 22 2008, 10:00 AM
No day off, there was a drive planned yesterday according to the tracking site.
I was waiting impatiently for data yesterday yesterday as well. But now we are so close to the cape the Odyssey passes are going to be a lot more restricted and I can imagine a few passes may be missed. Hoping to have my socks knocked off later today.
James
peter59
Jun 22 2008, 12:37 PM
nprev
Jun 22 2008, 12:48 PM
...well, there went
my socks!
jamescanvin
Jun 22 2008, 12:49 PM
ugordan
Jun 22 2008, 12:50 PM
QUOTE (peter59 @ Jun 22 2008, 02:37 PM)
No comment !
The second one is awesome, great contrast of light and dark!
BrianL
Jun 22 2008, 01:41 PM
Looks like a "toe dip" onto the scree (if that's the right name for this stuff). Seems solid enough. How close are they planning to get?
Brian
jamescanvin
Jun 22 2008, 02:36 PM
mhoward
Jun 22 2008, 03:21 PM
QUOTE (jamescanvin @ Jun 22 2008, 07:36 AM)
Navcam Pan
Funny, I was just doing the same thing. I don't think I've stitched anything in over a year. But since my stitch came out more or less the same (with one additional sky image), I'll offer this instead, and thanks to Doug hosting the file:
QuickTime VR movie (2.1Mb).
And I'll leave the stitching to James next time
ElkGroveDan
Jun 22 2008, 03:37 PM
QUOTE (mhoward @ Jun 22 2008, 07:21 AM)
I'll offer this instead, and thanks to Doug hosting the file:
QuickTime VR movie (2.1Mb).
Dang! That is sweet, Mike. Could you please go back and do that for every other spot we've parked at on Mars?
Tesheiner
Jun 22 2008, 05:19 PM
QUOTE (jamescanvin @ Jun 22 2008, 04:36 PM)
Navcam Pan
Did it too. What a view!
If they stop at this spot (I would prefer to go up to the wall, but shadow and UHF coverage might be a problem) the pancam mosaic (360 degrees pleeeeeaaaaaaasssssseeee!!!!) will be a hell of a view.
Edit: Just finished downloading Mike's VR shot, and I must agree with Dan.
Aussie
Jun 23 2008, 07:07 AM
Go Oppy! Take the limelight back from that 'Johnny come lately' at the pole.
Stu
Jun 23 2008, 12:07 PM
New
pancam images are up...
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...ncam/2008-06-23...but boy, they're a mess! If you hate lens flare don't go and look, it's everywhere, obliterating detail on the cliffs... and I think there are a few "sunrise" images too but they're very small...
Click to view attachment
Bill Harris
Jun 23 2008, 12:43 PM
What do you mean? The pancams of the cliff are exposed for the shadows, so the highlights are going to be overexposed, and with the dust-covered protective windows in sunlight, there is going to be a loss of contrast. Nothing that can't be processed out of the images.
Not optimum, but hardly a mess.
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2445L7M1.JPGhttp://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P2445L7M1.JPG
Stu
Jun 23 2008, 12:46 PM
brellis
Jun 23 2008, 12:46 PM
After four+ years, my jaw still hangs open at what we're getting from these rovers!
Great QT, mike!
fredk
Jun 23 2008, 02:43 PM
QUOTE (Stu @ Jun 23 2008, 12:07 PM)
New
pancam images are up...
Just to be clear, the newest of the new batch of pancams are from sol 1562 (apart from the solar filter shots), when we were much farther from the cliff than we are now. They were experimenting with exposures to try bring out detail in the shadows, which lead to severe bleeding from the sunlit areas. I have to say, I actually thought some of these heavily-bleeded images looked kind of cool, like
this one.
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