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A Path into Victoria Crater on Mars (APOD 04 Sep 2007)
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:00 pm
by orin stepanek
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070904.html
Sounds like Opportunity has an opportunity to check out Victoria crater. It will be interesting to see the photos sent back. I'm glad the dust storms are over and that we will get to see more spectacular photos that the rovers are taking of our neighboring planet.
Orin
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:13 pm
by FieryIce
How can an enviroment with little atmosphere contain or hold a storm or have a storm front? How can an eviroment with little atmosphere have a planet wide dust storm? In the images of the planet wide storm where is the storm front, how is it created? Where is the dust on the rovers?
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:01 pm
by orin stepanek
FieryIce wrote:How can an enviroment with little atmosphere contain or hold a storm or have a storm front? How can an eviroment with little atmosphere have a planet wide dust storm? In the images of the planet wide storm where is the storm front, how is it created? Where is the dust on the rovers?
Hi I don't know for sure but here are a couple of photos showing the results.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011017.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070725.html
Orin
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:53 pm
by iamlucky13
FieryIce wrote:How can an enviroment with little atmosphere contain or hold a storm or have a storm front? How can an eviroment with little atmosphere have a planet wide dust storm? In the images of the planet wide storm where is the storm front, how is it created? Where is the dust on the rovers?
The fact that it's planetwide is rather interesting. On earth the oceans are the dominant influence on the weather, and storms are localized based on the ocean or continent they form in. On Mars you don't have the same huge discontinuties interferring with large storms forming. I couldn't tell you where the front is or specifically how its created.
Although the Martian atmosphere is very thin, it is still capable of experiencing pressure differences similar to those we see on earth, and thus the rapid winds that are able to carry dust into the air. It's really the planetwide scale and monthlong duration that allows these storms to be as dramatic as they are, and the low gravity helps, too. I don't think they get as crazy as a sandstorm in the Sahara, but because they extend much higher into the atmosphere, even a thin haze of dust can cut the light quite a bit.
Because the rovers are exposed and generally pretty smooth-surfaced, they tend not to accumulate to much dust. Very fortunately, a lot of it blows off as fast as it can deposity. The team has been taking a lot of pictures of the rover deck lately to get an idea how much dust actually is there. Also, they mentioned in the latest update seeing a jump in Opportunity's power output that looks like another dust-clearing wind event.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom ... 0824a.html
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:31 pm
by JohnD
Is that a new picture of the 'entrance' to Victoria Crater?
There's nothing new on the Mars Rovers' home page:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/ since the last day of August.
John
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:31 am
by SmartAZ
FieryIce wrote:How can an enviroment with little atmosphere contain or hold a storm or have a storm front? How can an eviroment with little atmosphere have a planet wide dust storm? In the images of the planet wide storm where is the storm front, how is it created? Where is the dust on the rovers?
Electric charges can cause all those effects, but apparently that possibility has not been considered yet.
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:04 am
by BMAONE23
JohnD wrote:Is that a new picture of the 'entrance' to Victoria Crater?
There's nothing new on the Mars Rovers' home page:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/ since the last day of August.
John
John
Try here for up to date daily images
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/
click on the opportunity or spirit link
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:08 pm
by bystander
SmartAZ wrote:Electric charges can cause all those effects, but apparently that possibility has not been considered yet.
I understand storm fronts causing the buildup of electric charges, that happens enough here in Oklahoma. But electric charges causing storms? I don't understand this, please explain.
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:42 pm
by iamlucky13
Note that the raw image gallery tends to be a couple days behind current operations, especially right now with low power. They aren't transmitting whole images to save power. Instead, they're having the rovers send thumbnails, then they pick the most interesting ones to be sent in full resolution. That's why you'll often see "new" images that were taken a week ago.
It appears from the front hazcam that as of Monday Opportunity was still perched on the bare rock on the edge of the crater. From the number of pictures of the robotic arm and the color calibration target, I'd say they're trying to assess how much and how fast dust is settling.
I wouldn't be surprised if they just sit there for a couple weeks to monitor the dust, and also in hope that the wind will keep the solar panels mostly clear. Sheltered inside the crater the dust accumulation might be worse.
![Image](http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/n/1283/1N242084690ESF8615P1911R0M1-BR.JPG)
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:33 pm
by JohnD
BMA,
Been there, done that.
But trawling through dozens of pages like this one:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ ... p1284.html?
No thanks, I have a life.
And there are people whose job ( and mission, and delight, bless them) it is to that for me - and you and all of us.
No, I only wanted to know if it was somewhere else that the interesting view straight down the throat of the crater entry had appeared, that APOD had shown. And if it represented an immenent entry to the crater.
best wishes
John
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:38 am
by orin stepanek
Sounds like going into Victoria crater is not a given. It looks like a few measurements have to be taken first to see it it can be done.
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/06 ... rater.html
There is a nice video link that is worth watching! Click onto 'All eyes on Mars.'
toward bottom of link
Orin
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 4:51 am
by SmartAZ
bystander wrote:SmartAZ wrote:Electric charges can cause all those effects, but apparently that possibility has not been considered yet.
I understand storm fronts causing the buildup of electric charges, that happens enough here in Oklahoma. But electric charges causing storms? I don't understand this, please explain.
Astronomers in general haven't studied electrical effects in space, but some plasma physicists have. Plasma physics is outside my expertise (I designed the Dolby digital stereo system for VH1) but you can get a few hundred pages of introduction at
http://thunderbolts.info
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 7:01 am
by Andy Wade
orin stepanek wrote: There is a nice video link that is worth watching! Click onto 'All eyes on Mars.'
toward bottom of link
Orin
Thanks for that link. I really enjoyed the video!
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:58 pm
by orin stepanek
Your welcome Andy; the visualizations are pretty neat also!
Orin
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:09 pm
by orin stepanek
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 5:47 pm
by JohnD
It's got beyond that, Orin.
Opportunity has completely entered to the crater!
Keep an eye on this website for up to date news, rather than the johnny come lately news desks.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ ... 0913a.html
John