* Astronomy

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Studies Rocks En Route to "Home Plate" - sol 1152-1158, April 10, 2007:

Spirit is healthy and performing scientific studies of an outcrop of light-toned clasts and cobbles nicknamed "Elizabeth Mahon" on the edge of "Home Plate" as well as a pockmarked rock outcrop nicknamed "Madeline English."
To get around obstacles and make progress over rough terrain using only five wheels, Spirit drove backward a few metres, pivoted around the front wheel, drove backward another few metres, pivoted again to face Madeline English, and finally pushed forward to reach the rock with scientific instruments on the robotic arm.
After investigating Madeline English, the rover will head back north to one of several possible "on-ramps" for driving onto Home Plate.

Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations of atmospheric dust levels and surveys of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, Spirit conducted the following activities:

Sol 1152 (March 31, 2007): Spirit acquired panoramic camera images of a rock exposure known as "Clara Zaph" in addition to miniature thermal emission spectrometer data from "Clara Zaph 1," "Clara Zaph 2," and "Clara Zaph 3." The rover surveyed the sky and ground and targets known as "Rita Briggs" and "Twila Shively" using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and completed a survey with the sun low in the sky using the panoramic camera.

Sol 1153: Spirit turned southeast and drove backward 4 meters over the target Elizabeth Mahon to place it within the work volume of the rover's scientific instruments. Spirit acquired post-drive images using the navigation camera and relayed data to the Odyssey orbiter overnight.

Sol 1154: Spirit acquired thumbnail images of the sky using the panoramic camera and measured argon using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.

Sol 1155: Spirit unstowed the robotic arm, placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Elizabeth Mahon, and acquired data overnight. The rover acquired a mosaic of panoramic camera images facing the drive direction and relayed data to Odyssey overnight.

Sol 1156: Spirit continued to acquire overnight data from Elizabeth Mahon using the Mössbauer spectrometer. Spirit acquired full-colour images using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera of a target known as "Madeline English 2." The rover acquired miniature thermal emission spectrometer data from Madeline English 2 and targets known as "Betty Hill" and "Madeline English 3."

Sol 1157: Spirit changed tools from the Mössbauer spectrometer to the microscopic imager and acquired a mosaic of microscopic images of Elizabeth Mahon. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the target and collected data overnight while also relaying relayed data to the Odyssey orbiter. Spirit scanned the sky for clouds using the navigation camera and acquired full-colour images of white soil using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera.

Sol 1158 (April 6, 2007): Plans called for Spirit to acquire overnight data using the Mössbauer spectrometer, panoramic camera images of Madeline English, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer data on targets known as "Noreen Arnold," "Carol Habben," and "Phyllis Wise."

Odometry:
As of sol 1153 (April 1, 2007), Spirit's total odometry was 7,077.10 metres.

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Begins to Look for Best Access to 'Home Plate' - sol 1145-1151, April 03, 2007:

Spirit is healthy and has finished her science campaign at "Mitcheltree Ridge." The rover is now heading south along the outside edge of "Home Plate" toward an outcrop named "Madeline English." After the investigation of Madeline English the rover will head back north to one of several possible "on-ramps" for making its way onto Home Plate. In the early morning of sol 1151 Spirit will perform its first overnight communications relay with Mars Odyssey since before winter (sol 846)!

Sol-by-sol summary:

In addition to specific daily activities, Spirit's conducted routine atmospheric observations, which include: panoramic camera tau measurements, miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares, and panoramic camera sky spots.

Sol 1145 (March 24, 2007): On this sol, the rover continued Mössbauer spectrometer observations on targets "Torquas 2," and completed Mini-TES stares on "Throxus," "Arbok," "Malagor," "Glorestra," "Syl" and "Polodona." Spirit also began a panoramic camera image of Mitcheltree Ridge (North).

Sol 1146: Spirit took a microscopic stereo image of target "John Carter" and completed miniature thermal emission spectrometer stares on targets "Forandus," "Iss" and "Thavas." The rover took an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer reading on John Carter and continued its panoramic camera image of Mitcheltree Ridge (North).

Sol 1147: Spirit captured a navigation camera dust devil sequence and continued on dust devil watch. The rover also began a panoramic camera 13-Filter of Mitcheltree Ridge. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used to stare at targets "Darseen" and "Faget." The rover also conducted some panoramic camera photometry experiments.

Sol 1148: The rover stowed its instrument deployment device ("arm"), drove towards Home Plate and then conducted post-drive navigation and panoramic camera imaging. The panoramic camera captured sky thumbnails and the navigation camera shot another dust devil sequence.

Sol 1149: On this sol, the panoramic camera conducted a high sun survey. The rover also took a miniature thermal emission spectrometer 5-point sky & ground stare and a navigation camera dust devil sequence.

Sol 1150: Spirit used its panoramic camera to image nearby outcrop, then drove 8 metres  south-southeast toward Madeline English. After the drive, the navigation camera and the panoramic cameras took images.

Sol 1151: Overnight, there was an Odyssey data relay. The panoramic camera conducted a clast survey (looking at rock fragments) and then monitored for dust.

Odometry:
As of sol 1150, Spirit's total odometry was 7,066 metres.

Image taken by the Spirit rover on Sol 1150.


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Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Mosaic of Mitcheltree Ridge taken by the Spirit rover on March 23-24, 2007 (Sol 1144-1145)


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Credit NASA