High-Resolution Images Released from Rosetta of Comet 67P

a reply to: olaru12

but the pictures from the Rover seem substandard to the available technology.

I disagree , the pictures from Curiosity great , far better than from Spirit or Opportunity.
The rovers are science instruments first and foremost so the bulk of the allotted weight limit is given to science equipment

originally posted by: olaru12
Perhaps it the CTist in me, but they seem very selective about the photos they release, selectively placed smudges on the one's they do release etc. Why is that?

With the total of 209,261 (that's almost two hundred ten thousand, to put it in words) Curiosity images released since the start of the mission, I'd hate to be the person who reviews them for publishing. mars.nasa.gov...

the pictures from the Rover seem substandard to the available technology

Curiosity is there to do science using its various instruments, such as chemical analysis and other measurements. The cameras are there primarily for navigation, spotting targets of interest, and (with the MAHLI camera) for examining them closer, as if with a magnifying glass. Also, while every individual image from the Mastcam is relatively small, they usually come as part of a large panorama. So, effectively, Curiosity gives us quite large colour images of good quality. Anyone hankering for super high-resolution images needs to remember that there are limitations on bandwidth and energy consumption on the rover (which is true for any other space mission).

a reply to: menneni
Pythagoras could have done the maths 2500 years ago using nothing more than beans on a stick as counters, so yeah, No Biggie.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
a reply to: menneni
Pythagoras could have done the maths 2500 years ago using nothing more than beans on a stick as counters, so yeah, No Biggie.

Did Pythagoras know Newton's laws of motion and gravitation, as well as Kepler's laws of celestial motion? I doubt that.

a reply to: Soloprotocol

I see, you're not easily impressed. (wildespace's reply is quite good point btw) Out of genuine curiosity, i wonder what do you "do" in your life? I guess amazing things.

Project Rosetta is one of "first-of-the-kind" achievements anyhow. And should be greeted with appreciation, in my opinion.

originally posted by: wildespace
...Also, while every individual image from the Mastcam is relatively small, they usually come as part of a large panorama. So, effectively, Curiosity gives us quite large colour images of good quality....

Correct. The MastCam (designed and built by Malin Space Science Systems, Inc.) may only be a 2 MP camera, but the images are small, covering only 15° x 15°. For comparison, a typical consumer camera has an angle of view of about 60° x 40°. So that 2 MP 15° x 15° image would actually be more than 15 MP at an angle of view of 60° x 40°.

And that's pretty good, considering the design for Curiosity's camera needed to be complete around 2007 so the finished camera would have enough time to undergo the extensive testing and commissioning required for an instrument on a space probe.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol
a reply to: menneni
Pythagoras could have done the maths 2500 years ago using nothing more than beans on a stick as counters, so yeah, No Biggie.

No, he could not have.

They had no knowledge of orbital mechanics, or the laws of gravitation and motion.

Try again.