Long overdue:

I plan on covering this in my usual inimitable manner.

__________________
Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

For what it's worth, at end of Hubble/planet-candidate announcement, NASA dude promoted Firday's MER press conference and promised...

Dang. I forgot the exact words. Anyone?

Uh... Major announcement? Stunning news? Special surprise?

Whatever it was, he made it sound very interesting.

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

The presenter of today's Hubble NASA Science Update mentioned that a surprise is to be revealed in the news briefing...

__________________
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

I was too slow.

Can't remember but it was intriguing.

__________________
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

Let's see...they've found a rock that looks like Richard C. Hoagland?

__________________
A person's name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally or by deputy, as in subscribing a letter or other document.

I listened to the end of the Hubble planet announcement rebroadcast.

It was: stunning images and "an incredible surprise", for the MER press conference promotion.

Oh boy! I love surprises!

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

Maybe they have an MRO image of Opportunity at Victoria Crater.

NASA is hosting a news briefing at 11 a.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 6, to present stunning images returned by the agency's "Opportunity" rover from the Victoria crater on Mars. The briefing will be in the NASA headquarters auditorium, 300 E Street S.W., Washington.
Plans for the next phases of work for Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, also will be discussed. Both rovers have been exploring Mars more than 10 times as long as initially planned.

Panellists:
-- Doug McCuistion, director, Mars Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters
-- Steve Squyres, principal investigator, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
-- Jim Bell, lead scientist, Rover panoramic camera, Cornell
-- Richard C. Hoagland, (not)

The briefing will air live on NASA TV with question and answer capability from participating agency centres.

__________________
`Irony` actually does mean `metal like`...

Love that last line!

When I first scanned your post, the wishful-thinking part of my brain saw that line as

-- Richard C. Hoagland (ret)

__________________
A person's name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally or by deputy, as in subscribing a letter or other document.

You got me scared for a few milliseconds between "Hoagland" and "(not)"!

__________________
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

Don't forget that there will be a Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter news conference on Monday October 16, 1 p.m. ECT.

__________________
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

On now. Watch NASA TV.

Doug McCuiston Mars Exploration Program
Alfred Surname-missed -- maybe MRO person, wearing HiRISE shirt
Steve Squyres
Jim Bell

Girffin welcomes them.

Doug McCuiston Mars Exploration Program

Victoria biggest crater we'll probably reach. Stats. Synergy of programs. Turn it over...

Alfred.

Got image a couple of days ago.

Ultra zoom shows dark blob and even shadow of pancam mast. Nice.

Edit: Alfred is probably Alfred McEwen principle investigator.

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

I've tried that feed and a half-dozen others and can't get through on any of them. If anyone wants to provide running commentary, please do so.

__________________
Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

[d word], MRO photographed shadow of Opportunity's mast.

__________________
Click for info on Intelligent Design or the evidence for evolution

MRO pictures on Web somewhere. Doing flyover sequence around rim. Wow.

Over to Squyres...

Steve Squyres

"That image with that little rover parked at the top of the cliff has got to be one of the most evocative pictures I've ever seen." "It's your baby."

VC is very important. "A remarkable opportunity."

Victoria story. Magellan ship.

Review of Opportunity voyage. Eagle Crater, Endurance Crater, the long trek over featureless plains, arrival at Victoria, day 952. They trusted people and vehicle and made the trek. Praise the team's 21 months of work.

View from ground. First pan. (Kinda boring after MRO.)

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

Image here.

__________________
Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

Squyres...

Formulating plan of attack. Begin with partial circumnav. Don't know which direction. Wait for panoramic image. Already used MRO image to do drive out onto point of Cape Verde.

Over to Jim Bell...

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

Jim Bell showing video merging initial B&W pan with newer color high-res. Animated pans and zooms. Models of Oppy for scale.

I think he called little satellite crater to right (at Duck Bay toward Cabo Frio) Sputnik. Have panoramic images on rover and will slowly download during bandwidth reduction from conjunction.

Drools over Cape Verde sedimentary layers.

Closing. Thanks and appreciation for teams. For him, this week was like opening a book. Read first pages and absolutely hooked. Incredible.

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

Q&A

Q: What was altitude of MRO for crater shot.

A: [Missed number] Science orbit for MRO.

Q: Stereo reimaging? Impact crater on rim distance?

A: Confusion over which crater; there are several. Stereo waits for geometry, sun angles, orbits, happens this Fall some time.

Q: Inside crater?

A: Try to find safe place to go in AND to come out. If so, will go down.

Q: Estimate age of VC? How far back can you look? Water stable in past?

A: Alfred: Good question. Hard. Mars buries and exhumes. Shallower than it might be. Takes time to erode alcoves we see. Number? Millions to tens of millions to hundred of million years. Not 3.5 billion.

Squyres: Too early to speculate. Rock appears same as seen, but thicker. Will see older and maybe younger rocks. Won't guess. Will wait to listen to story rocks tell.

Q: How old are exposed layers?

A: Rocks are billions of years old. Age of rocks and age of crater are different.

Q: Insight into discussion now that they have enormous gift of VC?

A: Squyres: Dive in or survey? Practicality. Must survey. Duck Bay appears good route in, but not certain about exit. Duck Bay at wrong angle for solar power. For sure: partial circumnavigation. 1/3? 1/2? 1/4? Don't know. Will enter if can.

Q: How long circumnav?

A: 2.5 km would take 6-9 months, plus extensive stops. 10 times past warranty. Don't know lifetime. Must use asset. Days are numbered. Won't take leisurely tour.

Questions over.

Wrap ups.

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

Absolutely stunning!

MRO HiRISE "Victoria Crater" at Meridiani Planum

Thumbnail (Those HiRISE folks are gonna have to work on making smaller thumbnails)



Full-size TIFF about 160 megabytes.

Had to attach my own crop of Cape Verde from full Victoria Crater:

OpportunityVictoria.jpg

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

Yes, this will make the mapping of Opportunity's location very easy. Similar images should also make it possible to plot navigable paths through the dunes for any future journies beyond this crater.

__________________
Forming opinions as we speak

Stunning, absolutely stunning! Has to be the most beautiful image of a crater that I've ever seen. All you guys at NASA should be proud.

See

http://hiroc.lpl.arizona.edu/images/...A_000873_1780/

and for the huge full color frame

http://hiroc.lpl.arizona.edu/images/...olor_Full.html

It is absolutely stunning how well MRO can resolve the "Etched Terrain".

__________________
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.
-- Richard Feynman

I guess you could say that we take the "Opportunity" to congratulate them on their work.

__________________
At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009
All moderation in purple

LINKY
CNN.com story about the press conference, the new pictures from the Orbiter and about the rovers. I like this quote in the article...

__________________
At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009
All moderation in purple

Does HiRISE take true color images?

__________________
I was just sitting here contemplating the immortal words of Socrates who said, "I drank what?"

"Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot." --Carl Sagan "Pale Blue Dot"

Hey, CNN, are you a little confused about which images were captured by Spirit and Opportunity and which were taken 170 miles above the surface?

__________________
0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 ...

Press conference available for download here, for those who (like me) missed it the first time.

__________________
Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.