Posted on 05/21/2004 4:04:03 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan
'Columbia Hills' from Orbit
This view of the "Columbia Hills" in Gusev Crater was made by draping an image from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter (image E0300012 from that camera) over a digital elevation model that was derived from two Mars Orbiter Camera images (E0300012 and R0200357).
This unique view is helpful to the rover team members as they plan the journey of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit to the base of the Columbia Hills and beyond. Spirit successfully completed a three-month primary mission, and so far remains healthy in an extended mission of bonus exploration. As of sol 135 (on May 21, 2004), Spirit sits approximately 680 meters (0.4 miles) away from its first target at the western base of the hills, a spot informally called "West Spur." The team estimates that Spirit will reach West Spur by sol 146 (June 1, 2004). Spirit will most likely remain there for about a week to study the outcrops and rocks associated with this location.
When done there, Spirit will head approximately 620 meters (0.38 miles) to a higher-elevation location informally called "Lookout Point." Spirit might reach Lookout Point by around sol 165 (June 20, 2004). On the way, the rover will pass by and study ripple-shaped wind deposits that may reveal more information about wind processes on Mars.
Lookout Point will provide a great vantage point for scientists to remotely study the inner basin area of the Columbia Hills. This basin contains a broad range of interesting geological targets including the informally named "Home Plate" and other possible layered outcrops. These features suggest that the hills contain rock layers. Spirit might investigate the layers to determine whether they are water-deposited sedimentary rock.
Once at Lookout Point, Spirit will acquire 360-degree panoramic images of the entire area to help define the rover's next steps. Assuming the rover stays healthy, Spirit will eventually drive down into the basin to get an up-close look at interesting features there.
Browse Image | Medium Image (82 kB) | Large (665 kB)
Here's a look at what's ahead as Spirit approaches the Columbia Hills. There's still plenty of life in this amazing machine. I have a hunch we are going to see some really cool geology over the next 60 days.
There is a phrase you don't see everyday.
Hey! Check out the rock!
Hey, those of us with geologic backgrounds use the term "really cool geology" all the time!
Sorry -- I must have hasty html today.
(I think Pepto Bismol works on that)
Darn right! We really love our hobby and we appreciate EVERY rock. Always remember though, diorite should never be taken for granite.
With me, it's more often a nut loose behind the keyboard.
Mining engineers never had to learn to distinguish between orthoclase and plagioclase.
That's why you should never choose one as your feld-SPARRING partner!
It is funny when I think about how my fellow geologists ranted about the engineers.
Did you get off to a rocky start?
I dated a geologist once, but she left me, claiming I was full of schist.
To put it another way, GEOLOGY ROCKS!
Gee, here it is 9 days later and no new pix?
Bump?
Is that a huge cave on the side of that hill?
Can the machine go into it and not lose radio contact? (Or reestablish radio contact when it exits?)
Can it see in a cave? It probably doesn't have any lighting equipment, but what about night-viewing, or IR cameras?
It's not a cave, its a shadowed area.
No the rovers have no lights and no ability to enter caves if they encounter any. Even if they did come across such an opening, they wouldn't enter due to the risk of losing or damaging the rover.
As it is, they very carefully considered whether or not to enter Endurance crater (that they can see entirely) on the other side of the planet with the Opportunity Rover for fear of getting stuck. Apparently they are going to go ahead and enter via a safe looking slope some time next week.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20040604a.html
Twenty day bump?
new Pix?
What HAVE we come to.
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