Martian Vistas

It turns out I was a little premature with my posting of a 'conjunction' version of Spirits Bonestell Panorama; a few more images came down successfully. However in the last few sols all the new images have been very ratty (missing lots of sections) from both rovers so I really don't think we'll be getting many decent images for the next few weeks this time!

Opportunity has also just taken a large (360 degrees I think) panorama while working on a cobble named Santorini. This panorama (of the same name) is only partially down and it is going to be several weeks now till much of the rest comes down without being severely corrupted due to the data passing so close to the sun. So in the meantime here is the section that did make it down largely intact.

Full resolution (9526 x 4248) (9.3Mb)
Half resolution (4763 x 2124) (3Mb)
Quarter resolution (2382 x 1062) (856kb)

There are still eight more images to add to the Bonestell Panorama. But as solar conjunction has now come (the sun is directly between the Earth and Mars), we are unlikely to see these till mid December. So here is a preview of the panorama as it is today, at one-quarter of the full spectacular resolution.

Quarter resolution (5704 x 1103) (1.4Mb)
One-eighth resolution (2852 x 552) (396kb)

Drive direction mosaic taken after the sol 1709 drive.

Full resolution (6886 x 1165) (2.1Mb)
Half resolution (3443 x 583) (652kb)

And a 'survey' mosaic taken on sol 1711

Full resolution (10842 x 1280) (3.3Mb)
Half resolution (5421 x 640) (1Mb)

A colour anaglyph (stereo) version of the Sol 1707 drive direction mosaic.

Normal 2D version here

Full resolution (3554 x 1239) (968kb)
Half resolution (1777 x 620) (276kb)

Drive direction mosaic taken after the sol 1707 drive. Note the distant view on the left side of the image and the significant outcrop in the centre - middle distance.

Full resolution (3555 x 1236) (1Mb)
Half resolution (1778 x 618) (308kb)

At a press conference last night it was announced that Phoenix had been lost. As the days in the Martian Arctic get shorted with the onset of winter this was not unexpected. It's been a great mission, thanks Phoenix and all involved.

Here is the last image of the Martian surface taken.

And here is the very last image taken (one of a pair).

Not very dramatic, but as Mark Lemmon said on UMSF "those are a water vapor band/continuum pair, so Phoenix was following the water to the end."

Very fitting.

Following on from my last post - here is the R12 colour drive direction mosaic from the sol 1700 drive. (1700 sols wow!) All the raw images are very dark which affects the quality of this and the rightmost frame is quite badly affected by lens-flare.

Full resolution (3552 x 1122) (700kb)
Half resolution (1776 x 561) (220kb)

The last couple of 'drive direction' mosaics have been taken using both the R1 (blue) and R2 (red) filters. This allows colour pictures to be made.

Sol 1702

Full resolution (3528 x 1134) (964kb)
Half resolution (1764 x 567) (316kb)

Sol 1704

Full resolution (3558 x 1176) (1.1Mb)
Half resolution (1779 x 588) (308kb)

Here is my latest terrain map for the area south of Victoria crater that Opportunity is about to traverse. Now at a higher resolution 4m/pixel, a similar scale to some of the larger ripples.

Full resolution (10675 x 10256) (23.5Mb)
Half resolution (5338 x 5128) (7.9Mb)
Quarter resolution (2669 x 2564) (2.7Mb)
One Eighth resolution (1335 x 1282) (952kb)

Just catching up with a few recent colour mosaics.

Sputnik Crater with Victoria Crater behind.

Full resolution (1695 x 1068) (464kb)
Half resolution (848 x 534) (120kb)

And Cape Pillar taken from Cape Victory.

Full resolution (3234 x 1113) (756kb)
Half resolution (1617 x 557) (208kb)