Comments and questions about the
APOD on the main view screen.
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JohnD
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by JohnD » Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:14 am
Strange pic! Looks as if Oppo is on ice, not a dust-dry Marscape. Why is the ground so reflective?
John
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orin stepanek
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by orin stepanek » Sun Feb 17, 2019 1:11 pm
Kinda reminds me of Disney movie 'Black Hole' ending!

Orin
Smile today; tomorrow's another day!
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Chris Peterson
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by Chris Peterson » Sun Feb 17, 2019 2:24 pm
APOD Robot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:06 am
What if you saw your shadow on Mars and it wasn't
human? Then you might be the
Opportunity rover currently formerly exploring Mars.
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JohnD
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by JohnD » Sun Feb 17, 2019 3:44 pm
Surely, Chris, Oppo IS "currently exploring Mars", just in a different direction to the normal four dimensions?
John
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Fred the Cat
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by Fred the Cat » Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:03 pm
Unlike on the moon, the tracks of our rovers will soon be covered in dust. How long that might take is
fictionalized but study of Martian
regolith formation is already
deeply underway thanks to years on the surface.
Perhaps Opportunity’s shadow will remain long enough to be photographed side-by-side with a human’s someday in an APOD in the future.

Freddy's Felicity "Only ascertain as a cat box survivor"
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neufer
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by neufer » Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:50 pm
Fred the Cat wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:03 pm
Unlike on the moon, the tracks of our rovers
will soon be have already been covered in dust.
Art Neuendorffer
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Fred the Cat
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by Fred the Cat » Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:38 pm
neufer wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:50 pm
Fred the Cat wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:03 pm
Unlike on the moon, the tracks of our rovers
will soon be have already been covered in dust.

So much for the "ground-breaking mission".

Freddy's Felicity "Only ascertain as a cat box survivor"
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RJN
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by RJN » Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:57 pm
Thanks. Fixed it. Also fixed a typo in the last sentence on the NASA APOD site.
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neufer
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by neufer » Sun Feb 17, 2019 7:18 pm
RJN wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:57 pm
Thanks. Fixed it. Also fixed a typo in the last sentence on the NASA APOD site. - RJN
Well...we don't
really know that Opportunity has actually stopped exploring Mars...just that it has stopped talking to us.
Opportunity could have been instructed (like HAL) to go rogue (if necessary) to continue its important mission.
Art Neuendorffer
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Boomer12k
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by Boomer12k » Sun Feb 17, 2019 7:57 pm
The "little rover that could"...is now "the little rover that DID"....
Have a nice rest Opportunity....someday you will be in the "Mars Museum"...
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Fred the Cat
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by Fred the Cat » Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:08 pm
neufer wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 7:18 pm
RJN wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:57 pm
Thanks. Fixed it. Also fixed a typo in the last sentence on the NASA APOD site. - RJN
Well...we don't
really know that Opportunity has actually stopped exploring Mars...just that it has stopped talking to us.
Opportunity could have been instructed (like HAL) to go rogue (if necessary) to continue its important mission.
We could see evidence of
dust devils in the area.

Freddy's Felicity "Only ascertain as a cat box survivor"
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Avalon
Post
by Avalon » Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:33 pm
What is the most likely explanation; Opportunity can no longer operate due to exhaustion of power because dust has covered solar cells, the entire rover is buried in sand, sand clogged moving parts, all of these?
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Chris Peterson
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by Chris Peterson » Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:37 pm
Avalon wrote: ↑Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:33 pm
What is the most likely explanation; Opportunity can no longer operate due to exhaustion of power because dust has covered solar cells, the entire rover is buried in sand, sand clogged moving parts, all of these?
The problem appears to be entirely caused by inadequate power.