Comments on: Vikings spotted on Mars http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:34:20 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: life on mars « YoYo-Dyne Propulsion Labs: Reno Division http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/comment-page-1/#comment-24817 life on mars « YoYo-Dyne Propulsion Labs: Reno Division Sun, 10 Dec 2006 16:19:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/#comment-24817 [...] “we need better images (maybe from the new probe orbiting Mars now), and spectra would be nice (to be able to see what chemicals are there). Even better would be to land a rover near there to get samples, though gullies down the sides of crater walls would make a perilous journey for any robot. If these aren’t water gullies, we’ll all be disappointed, but that’s science.” [...] [...] “we need better images (maybe from the new probe orbiting Mars now), and spectra would be nice (to be able to see what chemicals are there). Even better would be to land a rover near there to get samples, though gullies down the sides of crater walls would make a perilous journey for any robot. If these aren’t water gullies, we’ll all be disappointed, but that’s science.” [...]

]]> By: Irishman http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/comment-page-1/#comment-24816 Irishman Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:51:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/#comment-24816 Lab Lemming, no, no Earth-based scopes have that kind of resolution of the moon. Some adaptive optics scopes may be getting into the range of 25m per pixel or so - I'm not entirely sure what the latest is. But you shouldn't have to wait much longer for lunar orbiters. NASA has schedule the Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter to launch by the end of '08. Lab Lemming, no, no Earth-based scopes have that kind of resolution of the moon. Some adaptive optics scopes may be getting into the range of 25m per pixel or so – I’m not entirely sure what the latest is.

But you shouldn’t have to wait much longer for lunar orbiters. NASA has schedule the Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter to launch by the end of ‘08.

]]> By: Lorne Ipsum http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/comment-page-1/#comment-24815 Lorne Ipsum Wed, 06 Dec 2006 22:51:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/#comment-24815 Melusine, You may yet get your chance. I haven't counted pixels yet, but it looks like the Viking landers weren't photographed at the highest available HiRISE resolution. There may be better pictures coming down the pike... Lorne Melusine,

You may yet get your chance. I haven’t counted pixels yet, but it looks like the Viking landers weren’t photographed at the highest available HiRISE resolution. There may be better pictures coming down the pike…

Lorne

]]> By: Melusine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/comment-page-1/#comment-24814 Melusine Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:28:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/#comment-24814 Thanks, Mike, that link was useful - and colorful. Yeah, they're quite far away to trudge over just to look at. Still, I'm curious what shape these dead landers/rovers are in. It would be cool to have a close-up picture. Thanks, Mike, that link was useful – and colorful. Yeah, they’re quite far away to trudge over just to look at. Still, I’m curious what shape these dead landers/rovers are in. It would be cool to have a close-up picture.

]]> By: seaducer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/comment-page-1/#comment-24813 seaducer Wed, 06 Dec 2006 13:33:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/#comment-24813 Thanks for the answers guys. Being a certified diver I kind of figured our Hero would have got a nasty case of dcs, but that makes for bad tv. I guess I should have looked that stuff up myself, but I am feeling lazy lately...Thanks again Thanks for the answers guys. Being a certified diver I kind of figured our Hero would have got a nasty case of dcs, but that makes for bad tv. I guess I should have looked that stuff up myself, but I am feeling lazy lately…Thanks again

]]> By: Lab Lemming http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/comment-page-1/#comment-24812 Lab Lemming Wed, 06 Dec 2006 07:59:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/#comment-24812 Dear BA, Are there any Earth-based telescopes that can image the moon at this resolution, or will we need to wait for the next lunar orbiter? Dear BA,
Are there any Earth-based telescopes that can image the moon at this resolution, or will we need to wait for the next lunar orbiter?

]]> By: Peter Barrett http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/comment-page-1/#comment-24811 Peter Barrett Wed, 06 Dec 2006 05:02:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2006/12/04/vikings-spotted-on-mars/#comment-24811 I'm looking forward to some piccies of Sojourner and Pathfinder. I’m looking forward to some piccies of Sojourner and Pathfinder.

]]>