Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2004 January 6 
Posted on 01/05/2004 9:10:40 PM PST by petuniasevan
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2004 January 6
Explanation: Working late, tired mission members nicknamed the smooth-looking depression to the left of center in this image from the martian surface, Sleepy Hollow. The picture is a portion of the 3D panorama of the Spirit rover's landing site released yesterday, constructed with data from the Mars rover's navigation cameras. Use red/blue glasses, red for the left eye, to get the 3D effect. Sleepy Hollow is estimated to be around 9 meters (30 feet) in diameter and about 12 meters (40 feet) away. Possibly an impact crater, the martian surface feature is a tantalizing potential site for a future visit when the golf cart-sized robotic rover ventures forth. Covered with solar arrays, the rear deck of the rover is also visible in this view along with the top of an antenna at the right. An innovative camera calibration target, a martian sundial, can be seen left of the antenna, mounted near the edge of the rover's deck.
They still haven't updated at JPL's website; the only color image so far posted is a tiny low-res thumbnail seen below:
Mission status:
MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2004
2145 GMT (4:45 p.m. EST)
Four of the Spirit rovers critical scientific instruments sailed through initial checkout operations and a fifth will be tested late this evening, officials said today. A 3D panorama shot by Spirit's low-resolution navigation cameras was unveiled today and a full-resolution, color mosaic showing the terrain immediately in front of the rover is scheduled for downlink early Tuesday.
Read our complete story updating the progress of the Spirit rover mission.
1738 GMT (12:38 p.m. EST)
It appears that tonight's first good chance for receiving the pancam high-resolution color images will be approximately 3:30 a.m. EST via a communications pass when Mars Odyssey orbiter flies overhead the Spirit landing site.
Spirit is currently asleep in the Martian night. It is scheduled to awake for Sol 3 (day 3) around 7:10 p.m., mission officials are telling a news conference. The upcoming sol activities will include cutting a cable between the lander and rover, additional retraction of the airbags and some science-related operations.
1717 GMT (12:17 p.m. EST)
Squyres is telling the news conference that tiny thumbnails from the color mosaic have been received on Earth, confirming that Spirit has taken the first series of color images. However, the full images are still stored on the rover and not yet beamed to Earth. They could be transmitted tonight, but that will be determined by communications opportunities.
The first 3D black-and-white image, however, has been released showing the rover and landing area.
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