Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Opportuinty - Treck to Victoria Crater : Stats

Scaling

If we adopt the simplistic assumption that crater shape and size is self-similar on Mars then we will be able to see the ramparts of victoria crater at a range relative to when we saw the ramparts of Endurance crater, scaled by their relative size.

so, we will see it 720/170 times as far away. We saw Endurance as soon as Oppy climbed out of Eagle crater - range 700m so we will clearly see the ramparts of Victoria crater at a range of about 3 km. We should actually see it sooner, since those ramparts were well above the horizon.

(you can also run the range to horizon calculation backwards. If you know the height of Victoria ramparts, you can sight the horizon from them at a range of X. Therefore, a camera on the ground at range X can see the ramparts. If your camera is also on a stalk, you can add the 2 horizons together for a straight line-of sigh grazing the mutual horizon between observer and target. Only question is - how tall are the ramparts?

(if you can tell me how tall Endurance ramparts were, we can scale by 720/170)

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