Opportunity spots something passing the Sun

[ToSeek]

In this discussion (http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=685) on another board, someone has noted an object passing by the Sun, as viewed by the Opportunity rover. The original poster claimed that it's Deimos, but others have pointed out that it's too bright and the Deimos wasn't that close to the Sun on the given date. Any idea what it could be?

[um3k]

Well, they're definitely right about it not being Deimos. I don't think it's an effect of the optics, either. I think it has to be something that causes forward-scattering, and a great deal of it.

[George]

The dark spot is Deimos in transit with the sun. (Of course, no color images :P )

I did not find any NASA image with flying object. Where did this animation come from?

I suppose it could be a lug nut. :)

[ToSeek]

I think it's based on the last four photos here. (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_p371.html) I had to do a contrast enhancement to get the dots to show up on my computer, though.

[George]

Nice goin'. Quite interesting.

Based on the two animations, it appears the "lug nut" is not likely in an orbit around Mars.

It appears the object is too bright to be near the Sun, so I wonder if it is near Opportunity - hence the "lug nut" idea, albeit goofy, of course. (Just an amateur's guess here).

Or, could a comet be that bright?

[ngc3314]

Nice goin'. Quite interesting.

Based on the two animations, it appears the "lug nut" is not likely in an orbit around Mars.

It appears the object is too bright to be near the Sun, so I wonder if it is near Opportunity - hence the "lug nut" idea, albeit goofy, of course. (Just an amateur's guess here).

Or, could a comet be that bright?

From one of the final comments on the mer thread noted above, and based on things I've been burned by myself in imaging - since the rover only extracted a small subimage around the Sun, could we be unlucky so that a single poorly-corrected hot pixel appears to move across the disk of the (areocentrically moving) Sun? The coordinates in each image don't necessarily represent the same piece of the detector, as I read the discussion.

[George]

From one of the final comments on the mer thread noted above, and based on things I've been burned by myself in imaging - since the rover only extracted a small subimage around the Sun, could we be unlucky so that a single poorly-corrected hot pixel appears to move across the disk of the (areocentrically moving) Sun? The coordinates in each image don't necessarily represent the same piece of the detector, as I read the discussion.
Maybe ToSeek can answer this.

I noticed the image seems to be in linear motion and evenly spaced per image (per my "Pop-up" note pad sheet placed on my monitor :-? ) It seems to be traveling at about 1-1/2 arc minutes/ sec. (roughly).

The object may be around 10 to 20 arc seconds in size, roughly. This would mean something the size of Mars Express to be around 20 to 40 km from Opportunity. If the object is 10km to 20km in orbit, it would be about 3 ft. in diameter - The Beagle 2. Wouldn't that be cool?

[Edit: I think Mars Express is aroun 260km at periareion. :-? ]

FWIW, here is that day's sunspot image... Soho image (http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/synoptic/sunspots/sunspots_20040311.jpg) This may help define image quality (assuming Mars orbital position was favorable to the sunspot's position).

[Manchurian Taikonaut]

very nice images :)

[George]

Should we suggest ToSeek send these pictures to Hoagland for their analysis? :wink: :P