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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Wheel on Mars
NASA ^ | August 07, 2012 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 08/07/2012 2:31:57 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: A wheel attached to NASA's Curiosity rover is firmly on the martian surface in this early picture from the Mars Science Laboratory mission, captured after a successful landing on August 5, 2012 at 10:32pm (PDT). Seen at the lower right of a Hazard Avoidance Camera fisheye wide-angle image, the rover's left rear wheel is 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) in diameter. Part of a spring hinge for the camera's dust cover is just visible in the right corner, while at the upper left is part of the rover's RTG power source. Looking into the Sun across the rock stewn surface of Mars, distant hills on the right are the rim of Gale Crater, about 20 kilometers from the compact car-sized rover's current resting place.

August 07, 2012

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; curiosity; mars; marsrover; nasa; science
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[Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/Mars Science Laboratory]

1 posted on 08/07/2012 2:32:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: SunkenCiv

Still releasing pics slowly but they’re getting better. I think most of what we’ve seen are from the navigational cams.


2 posted on 08/07/2012 2:38:01 PM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...

A public warm welcome to all who have joined, in particular those who have joined recently! I think I've got all my web existences merged, as far as the APoD and other ping lists go. It's only taken me a week. :')
Tackling the Challenge of Mars -- This artist's scoreboard displays a fictional game between Mars and Earth, with Mars in the lead. It refers to the success rate of sending missions to Mars, both as orbiters and landers. Of the previous 39 missions targeted for Mars from around the world, 15 have been successes and 24 failures. For baseball fans, that's a batting average of .385. The United States has had 13 successes out of 18 attempts, or a "batting average" of .722. NASA's Curiosity rover, set to land on the Red Planet the evening of Aug. 5, 2012 PDT (morning of Aug. 6 EDT), will mark the United States' 19th attempt to tackle the challenge of Mars, and the world's 40th attempt. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Tackling the Challenge of Mars

Here's the real APoD for today


3 posted on 08/07/2012 2:47:49 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

It’s a shopping cart! Walmart beat us to Mars!


4 posted on 08/07/2012 2:55:32 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: blueunicorn6

There’s probably some little old guy there handing out shopping carts saying, “Welcome to Mars.”


5 posted on 08/07/2012 2:57:19 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: blueunicorn6

Undoubtedly with a wobbly wheel.


6 posted on 08/07/2012 3:21:37 PM PDT by cripplecreek (What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
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To: SunkenCiv; All

What’s the fuel supply that’s going to keep this thing running for two years?


7 posted on 08/07/2012 3:22:07 PM PDT by houeto (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: blueunicorn6

And there to greet us: a WalMartian!!


8 posted on 08/07/2012 3:40:51 PM PDT by Donkey Odious (I can explain it to you. I can't understand it for you.)
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To: houeto

It’s nuclear powered!


9 posted on 08/07/2012 3:45:36 PM PDT by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: houeto

http://nuclear.gov/pdfFiles/MMRTG.pdf


10 posted on 08/07/2012 3:48:40 PM PDT by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Can’t wait until NASA releases the updated version of Tang!!! I’m expecting the Mars flavor to be cherry!!


11 posted on 08/07/2012 3:56:29 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion ("I'm comfortable with a Romney win." - Pres. Jimmy Carter)
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To: SunkenCiv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf1kw5Yp9Ck


12 posted on 08/07/2012 4:18:02 PM PDT by midway1 (Inside every liberal is an American trying to get out)
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To: SunkenCiv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf1kw5Yp9Ck


13 posted on 08/07/2012 4:18:24 PM PDT by midway1 (Inside every liberal is an American trying to get out)
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To: SunkenCiv

14 posted on 08/07/2012 4:22:52 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas exercitus gerit ;-{)
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To: houeto
What’s the fuel supply that’s going to keep this thing running for two years?

Plutonium. Similar system to the original Viking landers back in the 1970s.
15 posted on 08/07/2012 4:33:18 PM PDT by af_vet_rr
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To: houeto

It’s nuclear powered. Cool, huh!


16 posted on 08/07/2012 4:46:08 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: blueunicorn6

He was probably homeless in Houston.


17 posted on 08/07/2012 4:48:27 PM PDT by 353FMG
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To: hattend; af_vet_rr; TheOldLady

Well then, I want of them there little motors for my truck!


18 posted on 08/07/2012 5:16:58 PM PDT by houeto (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

19 posted on 08/07/2012 5:24:12 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (FUMR)
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To: houeto
Well then, I want of them there little motors for my truck!

It may be a little spendy...

20 posted on 08/07/2012 5:30:13 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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