The Circumnavigation of Mercury

Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
(0,152)

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Venus altitude: 26 degrees; Jupiter altitude: 16.6; angular distance: 9.4 degrees

Venus-Jupiter angular distance02 long 152.png


Overview of (0,152)
At (0,152).png
 

Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
(0,154)

Only six degrees now to the 3/4 distance.

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Drove to a nearby crater to get sufficient tilt on the clinometer to take sightings of Venus and Jupiter.
Venus altitude: 28.8; Jupiter altitude: 19.6; angular distance: 9.2 degrees.

Venus-Jupiter angular distance 04 long 154.png
 

Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
(0,158)

Two degrees away from 3/4 distance. Tomorrow then. 11 degrees travelled today; 468km; 3,918km remaining.

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En route to the waypoint, I was able to find a steep enough slope to take sightings of Venus and Jupiter; these two planets are getting gradually closer together in the sky with only 8.7 degrees separating them at the time of the observation (20:22).

Venus altitude: 33.5; Jupiter altitude: 24.7; angular distance: 8.7 degrees.

Venus-Jupiter angular distance 06 long 157.5.png
 
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Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
I think there's a definite upwards curve in my performance, in terms of degrees per day.

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Several factors are in play, not least of which is Alec Turner teaching me to fly. Thanks, Alec. Making mid-flight course corrections has seen big improvements in maintaining the eastwards momentum. In fact what I'm mostly doing is orienting the SRV so the wheels hit the ground in the direction of that momentum. If I don't do that I will career off to the side, possibly skidding, and possibly crashing.

The other big factors are increasing confidence and the belief this challenge can be accomplished. I'm approaching three-quarters distance with less than four thousand kilometres to drive. Maybe ten more days will see it done.
 

Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
Venus-Jupiter angular distance 07 long 159.2.png


Took the first opportunity, at 0530 this morning, to take sightings of Venus and Jupiter.

Venus altitude: 36.8 degrees
Jupiter altitude: 28.3 degrees
Angular distance: 8.5 degrees

This behaviour of Venus is possibly the apparent retrograde motion of the planet as Mercury overtakes it in its orbit.
 

Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
At 08:39 I found this unusually deep pit.

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from which I was able to take sightings of Venus and Mercury.

Venus-Jupiter angular distance 08 long 161.04.png


Venus altitude: 39.2
Jupiter altitude: 31.0
angular distance: 8.2 degrees

The angular distance between Venus and Mercury has decreased by 0.3 degrees since the last reading at 05:30.
 

Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
(0,162)

I guess my next major milestone is (0,180) which instantaneously becomes (0,-180). I remember the fun and games I had animating models of ships in Google Earth as they crossed that meridian.

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Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
Venus-Jupiter angular distance 09 long 163.03.png


At 15:24 I found this location from which to take sightings of Venus and Jupiter.

Venus altitude: 42.2 degrees
Jupiter altitude: 34.4 degrees
angular distance: 7.8 degrees

This has changed from 8.2 degrees at 08:39, and from 8.5 degrees at 05:30
 

Andrew Linton

Andrew Linton
(0,164)

According to the length of the video recordings, I covered each of the last two degrees in about 21 minutes, compared with about 26 minutes at the start of the journey.

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