by APOD Robot » Sun Mar 07, 2010 5:02 am
Spirit Rover at Engineering Flats on Mars
Explanation: Is it art? If so, the paintbrush was the
Spirit robotic rover, the canvas was the
soil on Mars, and the
artists were the
scientists and engineers of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. This
panoramic picture, created in 2004 and shown above compressed horizontally, was mostly unintentional -- the
MERS team was primarily instructing Spirit to investigate rocks in and around
Hank's Hollow in a location called
Engineering Flats on Mars. After creating the ground display with its treads, the
Spirit rover was instructed to photograph the area along with itself in
shadow. In 2010 as winter approaches in northern Mars, Spirit, still
mired in sand, has been
placed in an energy saving "hibernating" mode until
spring arrives and more direct sunlight might be used to power the robotic explorer.
[/b]
[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100307.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_100307.jpg[/img] [size=150]Spirit Rover at Engineering Flats on Mars[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] Is it art? If so, the paintbrush was the [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/overview/]Spirit robotic rover[/url], the canvas was the [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3519998.stm]soil on Mars[/url], and the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030315.html]artists[/url] were the [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/people/]scientists and engineers[/url] of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. This [url=http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06870]panoramic picture[/url], created in 2004 and shown above compressed horizontally, was mostly unintentional -- the [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/overview/]MERS[/url] team was primarily instructing Spirit to investigate rocks in and around [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm?id=670]Hank's Hollow[/url] in a location called [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm?id=683]Engineering Flats[/url] on Mars. After creating the ground display with its treads, the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040104.html]Spirit[/url] rover was instructed to photograph the area along with itself in [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040803.html]shadow[/url]. In 2010 as winter approaches in northern Mars, Spirit, still [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5lY_1MM1HY]mired in sand[/url], has been [url=http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/mission/status_spiritAll.html]placed in an energy saving "hibernating" mode[/url] until [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnbMYzdjuBs]spring arrives[/url] and more direct sunlight might be used to power the robotic explorer.
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