Moving Images of Curiosity Passing Over Dune[/caption].
. Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today is a continuation of the celebration of the publication (lots o’ations… there) of my Five Hundredth Article here at The Other Shoe. Yesterday we celebrated this auspicious occasion with a review of ‘Lost In Space’! With less than one year in publication, this article series enjoys a large following and handsome traffic numbers. I greatly increased its readership and traffic numbers, two weeks ago, by starting the ‘Tour of Our Solar System’ mini-series.
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Initial response was very encouraging, and that was bolstered when I took our ‘Ship of the Stars’ to the very outermost reaches of our solar system; ‘The Oort Cloud’ and the ‘Kuiper Belt’. You, My Dear Readers, were mesmerized by the photos and creative imagery of this, the very outermost reaches of our solar system. It was a ‘long shot’, my turning us around and spending twenty pages and sixteen images trucking out ‘Ship of the Stars’ from the orbit of Venus, past the Asteroid Belt, five planets and six ‘Dwarf Planets’ to share the awe and splendor of these ‘little known’ regions of space .
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Now, ‘The Mars Report’ has been a pretty straight forward affair. Well, at least since the landing of the Curiosity Rover on the Martian surface. Not many of you, My Dear Readers, will remember that we did have a ‘Mars Report’ or sorts) prior to Curiosity. I shared images from the rovers ‘Spirit’ and ‘Opportunity’ long before our current intrepid sojourner made the scene. ‘Spirit’ has ‘left us’ being taken away by bad positioning prior to and during a particularly harsh Martian Winter. I still share images from the rover Opportunity. As a matter of fact the very last edition of ‘The Mars Report’ had a spectacular image, from Opportunity as it overlooked Endeavor Crater.
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The biggest ‘take-away’ is that you, MY Dear Readers, really enjoy your images from the stars and Mars! I am all too happy to help provide your eye-candy ‘fix’. With that in mind, My Dear Readers, let us embark on a ‘celebration and review’ of this the storied series… ‘The Mars Report’!
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Curiosity Lowered By 'Sky Crane' to Martian Surface[/caption]- Curiosity’s First Images from Mars : “This Saturday (August 5th, 2012) NASA and JPL reached the climax of the current Mars Lander/rover project, Curiosity. I was watching, on JPL web TV as the ‘Seven Minutes of Terror’ culminated with America putting the largest and most sophisticated rover on the surface of Mars. The one ton Curiosity has its own; nuclear reactor, laser drill, 20″ tires, and ten scientific instruments and High Definition cameras. Just released today, 3D images coming from Curiosity. Looking at them, I think we will all need to dig up our ‘Red/Blue’ 3D glasses to enjoy these gems.” This article is the beginning of The Mars Report. It was not until later in the series that I ‘landed’ (pun, intended) on the current title for the series; The Mars Report. I really did sit and watch, via internet broadcast on the JPL Web site, the Mars Lander successfully place Curiosity on the Martian surface @ Bradbury Point. Curiosity represented the single heaviest non-human payload ever deposited on extraterrestrial soil. They accomplished this task with the very first use of a ‘Sky Crane’ that hovered over the landing site and slowly lowered the Curiosity package to a successful soft-landing. I think I might have held my breath the majority of the ‘Seven Minutes of Terror’ along with the staff/crew at JPL. The successful accomplishment of this task has opened huge vista of exploration for NASA/JPL, and mankind. After witnessing the landing… I just knew that I had to write about the adventure Curiosity had just embarked. I had to involve and inform you, My Dear Readers, of this Herculean effort and journey. I am write happy I did.
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This is a self portrait of the mast of the Curiosity rover.[/caption]- Curiosity Update – The Mars Report – September 1st 2012: “This is our first ‘The Mars Report’ for the month of September, 2012. Since I wrote, last, the rover has moved! Yes, Curiosity has moved from the landing zone and is starting the longest journey of any extraterritorial vehicle in the history of mankind. If Spirit and Opportunity are good examples, we will be seeing Curiosity roving and taking samples and pictures in 2020. Curiosity has his own nuclear power plant and supplemental solar power, too. So, I am sitting here and looking at the images that I have uploaded for today’s article, trying to figure out which I should lead with, what image comes first? The ‘Vanity’ shot, of course! Here is an image, from the Curiosity rover, showing the tracks it has made in the Martian soil. You can clearly see the robotic arm, in the foreground, with Curiosity’s name.” This is, like, the second or third of this series. It is the first edition where I have panoramic (HD) images to post with the article. I have started to incorporate more and more of the information from the NASA/JPL web site into the descriptions of the images. Basically, I am honing my work and improving the quality of the articles in this series. Now, I am a long way from the level of work I am publishing now. However, already I am seeing that The Mars Report has the ability to drive a lot of traffic to my blog. That is welcome news, at this point, as I am (at the time of it first publication) I was working hard to raise the funds I needed for my power chair. I really do wish I could repeat that success, now. I would really like to eat on a regular basis.
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On Sol 84 (Oct. 31, 2012), NASA's Curiosity rover used the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to capture this set of 55 high-resolution images, which were stitched together to create this full-color self-portrait.[/caption]- Mid-May The Mars Report: “Welcome back, My Dear Readers, to the Mid-May edition of The Mars Report here @ The Other Shoe. It is a genuine pleasure to bring you this edition of The Mars Report. Reason? This is a special edition devoted to panoramic shots of the surface of Mars! This article has NO: rocks, drilled holes, tire tracks or self-portraits (well… maybe just one shot of the rover Curiosity… Have to give her props for what she does!). So without further adieu I bring you the plains and mountain of our sister planet, Mars.” At the time of the publication of this article, Curiosity had found its way out onto open areas. This allowed for huge panoramic views from the mast camera and I spared no time sharing these breath-taking views with you, My Dear Readers. This article was the very first to include a self-portrait of/by Curiosity. This series was getting better with every edition, and I was all too happy to see the corresponding increases in traffic.
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This is a High Definition Panorama of the Martian horizon from Curiosity in the shadow of Mount Sharp.[/caption]- The Mars Report in 3D! : “Welcome, My Dear Readers, to the 3D issue of The Mars Report here @ The Other Shoe. This entire issue will contain nothing but three-dimensional images from curiosity on Mars. I have wanted to bring a three-dimensional issue to you, My Dear Readers, but until this week the NASA JPL website just did not have enough images. That situation changed this week.” This edition of The Mars Report was my very first 3-D publication. I explained what kind of glasses you needed to find/use to see the images in full three-dimensions. The article received a fair amount of traffic and 19 ‘Like’s. I did not repeat this type of article. I was concerned that you, My Dear Readers, might have difficulty finding the right type of 3D glasses to full enjoy the technology. This article shows the creativity and joy that writing and publishing this series brought me. I continued to publish this series, up until my health became more of an issue… and a hindrance.
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Mars Rover Looks For Route via Dingo Gap[/caption]- The Mars Report – January 30, 2014 : “Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today I am ushering in the return of one of Today I am ushering in the return of one of my favorite series of articles; The Mars Report. I remember when I announced, right here at The Other Shoe, that the rover Curiosity had successfully landed on the surface of Mars. That was more than 500 days ago, and now I bring you the most up-to-date news from Curiosity and Mars.” This issue of The Mars Report signals the, hopeful, return of this series to The Other Shoe. Curiosity has traveled a great distance, since last we checked in on the rover. We are no approaching the ‘Dingo Gap’ looking for the safest approach to Mount Sharp. In the images included in this issue you can clearly see the foothills (of Mount Sharp) in the background. The panoramic images are still breath-taking and a real draw. I hope that I can continue to update this series on a regular basis, and bring all of us more and more news from the Martian Surface.
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Bright Spot Toward Sun in Image from NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover[/caption]- The Mars Report – April 14th 2014 : “Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Well, since I last published about Mars, April 7th, there has been some hubbub about… well, a light… on… Mars! Yes, as on can well imagine, this had the blogo’sphere burning daylight. ‘An independent light source seen on Mars!’ Had very nutcase and shut-in burning up their ISPs with radical ideas about its source, and reason. My Dear Readers, if that is the ‘kind of’ blogging you are looking for… then this is not the place for you. Please exit stage left…” THIS edition of ‘The Mars Report’, My Dear Readers, serves as a great example of what I like to share and what I refuse to play into… just for ‘ratings’. In this edition I address the… ‘clap trap’ made (in some parts of the bloggosphere) about a reflection seen on the Martian surface. In just a matter of hours this reflection went from… just that a ‘reflection’ to ‘alien contact on Mars!’. Poppycock! That is why I took the time in this edition to debunk the sensationalism and share science. You see, My Dear Readers, for me... there is more than enough ‘awe and mystery’ in this mission without having to go out and search for sensationalism! Glad I decided to include this edition in this 500th review and celebration.
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Self-Portrait by Freshly Cleaned Opportunity Mars Rover, False Color[/caption](Self Portrait Opportunity March 2014)
- The Mars Report – A Decade of Opportunity on Mars : “Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today I am pleased to present a short review of a decade of images from the Mars rover, Opportunity. Launched in July of 2003 and landing on the surface of Mars January 2004, both the Opportunity and Spirit rovers have produced images and science, consistently, for the past ten years. NASA/JPL have proved, beyond any doubt, that they can design, build, launch and guide scientific platforms like no other country on earth.” And there it is, My Dear Readers! The overwhelming feeling of national pride that comes/came with; Apollo, the Shuttle, Spirit and Opportunity, Voyager, and Curiosity! America has made itself great by undertaking the Herculean adventures into the stars! Greatness is not something one rides on their laurels and obtains! NO! Greatness must be earned… and RE-earned time and time again. Not only that but each and every time America sets a goal in space? Our children benefit greatly and ‘Look to the Stars’! What better… greater ‘gift’ can we give to our children… our posterity than the desire to reach further and further into space? It is this desire for adventure… need for expansion and drive to reach that has made America… GREAT! This is a tribute to Opportunity and Spirit. TWO intrepid adventurers sojourning on the Martian surface. There could be no ‘The Mars Report’ without; Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity!
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Curiosity Meteor Sighting[/caption](Curiosity Meteor Sighting)
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- The Mars Report – April 28th 2014 : “Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today is Monday April 28th 2014, and this is ‘The Mars Report’. Today I will share a duo of unique finds, from the NASA/JPL web site. Our first find is a series of five images from the Martian rover Curiosity’s ‘Right NavCam’ (Navigation Camera). Today at 4:50AM the right navcam captured a meteor falling in the distance. Now, a few eccentric bloggers are (of course) spinning this as so ‘ET’ moment. The evidence is that Curiosity’s diligence was repaid with the capture of a falling celestial body, a meteor. The next four images, below, are the images showing the falling meteor.” This edition is just chock-full with the hard science that you can come to expect from this series and my blog. In this edition I share several images where Curiosity captured a meteor falling to the Martian surface. This is the reason that I just love to share these adventures in space. My Dear Readers, I really hope that you all make the time to enjoy and revel in these moments. Aside from special moments with familty and friends… at least for me… these are the stuff great memories are made from!
((Image thanks to NSA/JPL Curiosity team and the NASA/JPL web site)
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Self-Portrait of/by Curiosity at ‘The Kimberly’ 4/2014[/caption](Self-Portrait of/by Curiosity at ‘The Kimberly’ 4/2014)
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- The Mars Report – June 30th, 2014 : “Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. I’d like to welcome you to an all new edition of ‘The Mars Report’. Thankfully, when I checked with the NASA/JPL web site today there were several new images from Curiosity. This is welcome news to be and means that you, My Dear Readers, have some great new images, from the Martian surface, to enjoy!” What ‘celebration and review’ would be complete without a link to the most recent edition of the series? Once I am done with all the writing and publication that comes with this 500th Celebration I will get back to my regular and normal writing and publications. I look forward to that! This is a special edition in that I have shared images from both Curiosity and Opportunity in this edition. That a look and ENJOY!
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Well, My Dear Readers, that brings us to the end of this, the Second edition of the celebration of my publication of the 500th article at The Other Shoe! ‘The Mars Report’ is such an iatrical part of the success that is this wonderful, and wondrous, blog. When I started… I started for all the right reasons..Oh, at first I was lead a bit astray. I spent too much time on ‘earthly’ endeavors… politics… elections… political posturing. I have grown in the past four years and five hundred articles. Now… much more of my time is spent in sharing; science, information, world news, and the endeavors of mankind. Oh… I will still write about those ‘other’ subjects. However, they do not have the same pull or hold on my attentions… or pursuits..
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[youtube=http://youtu.be/ILbmfgZ5Uo4]
(Mercury in Front of the Sun, Seen From Mars)
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That brings us to the end of this edition of ‘Five Hundred Articles – A Celebration and Review’ right here at ‘The Other Shoe’! I hope that everyone has enjoyed his or her time here today. Until we meet again…
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Adieu!
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Thank YOU!
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PLEASE shop at The Other Shoe eBay Store![/caption].
http://www.ebay.com/usr/enzomatrixlt
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Danny Hanning of The Other Shoe - May 6th, 2014[/caption]
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