Weird Mars Rover Spirit Image

cyclonebuster · 01-08-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by modest

Yeah, it's part of spirit - it's there (superimposed) on all spirit and all opportunity's rear hazard cam pics. At least, all that I just looked at. The horizon is the lightest area and what's above that is... not part of mars.

- modest

Nor is what's below it,also!! Perhaps!

modest · 01-08-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyclonebuster

Nor is what's below it,also!! Perhaps!

Aye - safe bet, that

Turtle · 01-09-2008

We can't be smarter than fifth graders if we don't learn how to web-search.

What's up now Foxworthy!?

Results 1 - 10 of about 13,900 for Mars rover cameras diagram
http://www.mwoa.org/Ch31.pdf

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwoa

...The HazCam optics are full-frame fisheye lenses. Their field coverage is 124 degrees from side to side and 180 degrees across the diagonal of the square CCD format, that is, the diagonal field of view is a full hemisphere. For such an extremely wide field, conventional distortion correction is impossible. Instead, equalmeridional angle increments in the object scene are mapped (ideally) as equal linear increments on the image plane. When looking at the whole scene, a fisheye lens unavoidably produces a great amount of barrel distortion. This distortion is actually just the consequence of projecting a hemisphere onto a plane. Of course, the mapping function can be calibrated. Of more practical importance, small parts of the scene, even those near the field edge, are imaged quite accurately without needing a lot of subsequent image processing. But the horizon in most
pictures appears strongly curved. ...

cyclonebuster · 01-09-2008

It is an illusion. It is part of the rover and I can prove it!

Turtle · 01-09-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyclonebuster

It is an illusion. It is part of the rover and I can prove it!

Erhmm...yes; I think we all agree the object at the top is part of the rover. The HazCams are mounted under the body afterall.

Scroll to page 6 at this link to see a diagram showing the camera locations. The overhangs above the HazCams are clearly visisble.

http://www.mwoa.org/SPIE_paper.pdf

Pyrotex · 01-09-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by modest

I've seen many pics from spirit and opportunity - but I honestly don't know what I'm looking at here. I upped the contrast as much as possible without loosing info:

it must be part of spirit

- modest

YES! You figured it out before I did.

These pix were taken by the Hazard cameras which are mounted very low next to the front wheels. (So, they can see what is blocking the wheels. Duh!)

What you see across the top, like a bank of snow with buildings and strange rocks in the distance, is actually the UNDERSIDE of the solar panels!!! It is dark. The "snow" is actually a strip of sky between the underside of the panels and the real horizon.

The "building" is some kind of vent structure on the underside of the panels.

cyclonebuster · 01-09-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyrotex

YES! You figured it out before I did.

These pix were taken by the Hazard cameras which are mounted very low next to the front wheels. (So, they can see what is blocking the wheels. Duh!)

What you see across the top, like a bank of snow with buildings and strange rocks in the distance, is actually the UNDERSIDE of the solar panels!!! It is dark. The "snow" is actually a strip of sky between the underside of the panels and the real horizon.

The "building" is some kind of vent structure on the underside of the panels.

A likely story! But correct.

Moontanman · 03-28-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyclonebuster

Looks like a storm shelter in the background once the photo is enlarged with support structure in it!

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/al...0P1314R0M1.JPG

I am for once at a loss for words, if that is a real image and it's not just a trick of perspective then the whole world as we know it changes doesn't it?