Daily Updates - February 18, 2004 - Mars rovers, Opportunity, Spirit . . .

NASA - JPL ^ | 02-18-2004 | NASA

[Phil V.]

Video Update from Opportunity Flight Director -- Requires RealPlayer (Feb. 18)

[Phil V.]

If you'd like to be on or off this MARS ping list please FRail me

[GeronL]

Laguna Hollow and the headless horseman!!

[GeronL]

um. never mind.

[Phil V.]

This front hazard-avoidance image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on sol 45 shows Spirit in its new location after a drive totaling about 20 meters (65.6 feet). The circular depression that Spirit is in, dubbed "Laguna Hollow," was most likely formed by a small impact. Scientists were interested in reaching Laguna Hollow because of the location's abundance of very fine, dust-like soil. The fine material could be atmospheric dust that has settled into the depression, or a salt-based material that causes crusts in the soils and coating on rocks. Either way, scientists hope to be able to characterize the material and broaden their understanding of this foreign world. To help scientists get a better look at the variations in the fine-grained dust at different depths, controllers commanded Spirit to "jiggle" its wheels in the soil before backing away to a distance that allows the area to be reached with the robotic arm. Spirit will likely spend part of sol 46 analyzing this area with the instruments on its robotic arm. Image Credit: NASA/JPL

High resolution TIF

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[blam]

Mars bump.

[jpsb]

Bump. thanks for keeping us informed, very cool stuff.

[Lokibob]

 

Anybody want to speculate on what this is?

 

I spotted the item and it looked out of place in the image.  I blew up the thing that looked out of place, and it looks like a hole in it.  I'll be the first to guess, a rock with a hole in it.

 

 

 

Right Panoramic Camera Non-linearized Full frame EDR acquired on Sol 45 of Spirit's mission to Gusev Crater at approximately 13:32:57 Mars local solar time, camera commanded to use Filter 1 (179 nm). NASA/JPL/Cornell

[Phil V.]

today's stereo strip - sol 45 Spirit - crater destination in background, right? . . .

[Indie]

Computer enhanced image of above telephoto shot:

[Lokibob]

Looks good to me.

[adaven]

It's The Guardian of Forever!

[Phil V.]

speculation . . . a stereo view suggests that it's not a hole. I see a "dimple" reflecting light . . .

[Phil V.]

I don't mean to pester all you guys & gals but here's a neat stereo pic. As I was browsing the latest from Spirit sol 45 I saw what I thought was a small cluster of "bad data" . . . a white mark in http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/045/2N130364919EFF0900P1817L0M1.JPG or perhaps a lens problem. But then I looked at it's right "twin" shot through the right lens. . . a similar white "burn". A kid would run over to the shiny object. Will JPL?

[GeronL]

I'll be the first to guess, a rock with a hole in it.

That thought would have never occured to me... I would have guessed a liberal's head...

[Simmy2.5]

YES, more files to add to the Hoagland conspiracy list! The rock with the "hole" above, and this one.

[LibWhacker]

Looks kind of like the "rabbit" Opportunity saw. That turned out to be torn fabric from the lander, or at least that seemed to be the consensus here on FR. I don't know if NASA ever addressed the issue. The rabbit had a shadow. I don't see one here. I think you're correct about it being a splotch of dropped data.

Check this out, though, Phil . . . Click on your link and look at that big white rock under magnification on the right hand side (about 1/4 of the way down from the top of the picture) . . . Immediately to the right of that rock, it looks like Richard Simmons is peeking out of a hidey hole at the Spirit rover! I can just see the top of his head and his eyes. LOL . . . I'm seeing things again.

[GeronL]

Privatize the Hubble??

[djf]

Looks extremely similar to the rabbit at the Oportunity site.

Too similar to be insulation, unless a windstorm blew it around the planet like 100 miles or so... This is very, very interesting.