[meteorite-list] Curiosity falling coordinates ;-) on Google Mars

From: MexicoDoug <mexicodoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2012 15:30:02 -0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <8CF43B3571AE583-BD4-67515_at_webmail-m053.sysops.aol.com>

Hello Martians

After all this talk about "landing" ellipses that sounded so Jamais vu
in relation to meteorites:

Someone else might be interested in comparing the Curiosity bolide in
parachuting freefall to the Martian surface - in Google Mars. The
exact *Martian* coordinates [using differential MPS 10 meter resolution
;-)] of Curiosity itself imaged, which you can match up with the great
HiRise picture from MRO of the parachuting descent of the Curiosity
landing ensemble are:

Mars
4?32'52.02"S
137?26'48.63"E

Hopefully the landing site will prove more exotic than those
coordinates on Earth 100 years ago. Looks like there are a few bugs to
be worked out with latitude and longitude - either that or Curiosity
has landed in Indonesia, in the Papua province of the island of New
Guinea, in the general area of the cannibals that live in tree houses
known as the Korowai. They live in tree house since traditionally
those have better protection against the roving headhunters. Such a
culture, that until 1970 they believed they were the only humans on
Earth... Hopefully the Martians will be better hosts for the human
invasion.

Oops, I just changed my Google Earth to Google Mars (simply clicking on
the little icon of Saturn on the toolbar and selecting Mars instead of
Earth). There are all my waypoints on Mars! I'm currently staying up
here in the northern hemisphere on the Labeatis Fossae among the most
beautiful craters ;-) Hope someone joins me; it's lonely on Mars, but
strikingly beautiful in its own way...

Kindest wishes
Doug
Received on Wed 08 Aug 2012 03:30:02 PM PDT