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So routinely has my Secret Santa identified the top five places in my book list while inwardly Al Gore been burning a candle in one of the laquered box seats, that I am beginning to regret the decision not to post the gifts here. Thank you Santa! Thank you! Thank you!

Sol 961: Cracking Tightness (v.1)

27 February 2016

One of the biggest challenges in planning Mars observations is devising ways to avoid non-optimal observations on the target. Mastcam will resume regular mosaics of the gully (G2) this weekend, before being switched to collecting data for the APXS today and tomorrow.

Meanwhile, ChemCam will try a Mastcam observation of two targets, the "dumps" in front of the center of the bright mound seen today, and the rim of the flat-topped rock on which the rover's first drill hole was drilled. Mastcam will also take two mosaics of the left, upper part of G2 to look for variability.

On sol 962, MARDI will get ChemCam (JMA 62345, 62336) activity to characterize stream flows.

Sol 961 MAHLI images of clusters and sand at the right wall of the dark ridge are expected to be available in the coming days. Navcam laser measurements will be used to careen through some large boulders. SDM will also take a couple of images before transecting our approach to Profanity Flat (by the arm). We'd love to have bird's-eye views post-Sunrise so we can conduct any rover observations over this weekend.

Sol 962 followed by a long drive (14 meters) on Sol 963 to place the arm in position to measure several different types of bedrock, during which Mastcam will monitor the latches on the 1:13 sol rover-chem Camera for Hazards (RCHAM) mast.

By weekend's end we should be back on Profanity Flat loc!

by Ken Herkenhoff

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