This has to be one of the most impressive views we've seen from the rovers to date.

Any idea how big those tornados are?



http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...DP0645L0M1.HTML

You mean that thing is still functioning? Wow.

Here is some more info on these things called "dust devils"

http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/lpsc2000/3_00_dustdevil/

Seem to be about the size of a small tornado or so, nothing you would wanna be right next to, but it might not throw cows around

Cool link! Thanks!

Yeah, dust devils (there's actually a "proper name" from meteorology which I can't remember and don't feel motivated to Google ) tend to be much weaker than tornados. Incidents of property damage and injury are much, much lower, and usually minor and small in scope. However, they get much larger on Mars because of the larger areas of open terrain, and cooler, thinner (lighter) atmosphere.

Tornados start from the clouds and grow down. Dust Devils start on the ground and grow up.

Mike

And as far as we know there arent any cows on Mars for the dust devils to hunt

Well,if you liked the previous links,you are going to love this.




Dust Devils Race Across Mars in New Movie

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/05082...dustdevils.html


Although NASA released the dust devil movie on Aug. 19, Spirit actually photographed them during its 543rd day (July 13, 2005) exploring Mars.

At Unmannedspaceflight somebody estimated it 197 meters wide and at least 750 meters tall. It seems to be at a distance of 4.7 km. Both DD's also feature impressive shadows.

it still amazes me how long those two machines keep running....maybe its aliens.










i'm joking... really.

According to JPL's Where are the Rovers Now? page:

Spirit - 4,688 meters (2.91 miles) - Sol 558 (28 July)
Oppy - 5,555 meters (3.45 miles) - Sol 530





Here is a good link about the rovers.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/traverse_maps.html

Rover Update.....Mars Rover Principal Investigator
Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 08, 2005


Spirit is just wrapping up work in the Voltaire region ... Starting Monday, we'll be making our move toward the summit........

...... At Meridiani, Opportunity is on bedrock! It's the first bedrock that we've seen up close on that side of the planet in months, and it feels very good. We've just put in our first RAT hole in a very long time, and we'll be studying it for a little while before moving on .......




http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-mers-05zzzg.html

The atmosphere on Mars is so thin that the dust devils have almost no ability to push things around. A cow (in a cow-space suit of course) would barely notice the dust devil passing over it. These dust devils may be the mysterious things that cleared dust off the solar collectors on the rovers, helping them maintain power and keep running long, long past their expected lifespans.

Microscopic Images from Mars.

Cool pictures,but what is Spirit looking at here?



http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit_m588.html


http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/a...3P2956M2M1.HTML


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...3P2957M2M1.HTML

I believe the round things are spots where the rover ground away the rock with its "RAT".

wow, those pictures are amazing.

so majestic...

Continous updates on the two rovers.


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video/spirit01.html

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/vid...ortunity01.html

Nice,thx for the links D.

Very welcome .


Just a thought, although there would be no scientific reason for this,would it be possible to program both Spirit and Opportunity to meet up with each other.

If they were so programmed, would they be able to meet, given available power supplies and solar cell conditions.

But if I remember correctly, Spirit and Opportunity are on almost opposite sides of Mars.
It would make quite a heartwarming movie though. Two plucky little rovers having to overcome all obstacles of a planet to be reunited.

Or,the Rovers could meet and fight it out on cable TV. The pay per view revenue could finance the next mission.



But I think one of the rovers is about to die, send it on a suicide trip to Cydonia where its allowed to bump into as many rocks as it wants, and watch the woowoos go nuts with conspiracy theories, rovers getting silenced, and natural rocks that are actually "ancient alien artifacts", so we can start debunking new stuff, coz the current stuff is getting old.