On a steady upward incline:
The Circumnavigation of Mercury
- Thread starter Andrew Linton
- Start date
When the night vision doesn't show the horizon it probably means the terrain drops away.
Almost there
Almost there
(0,-156)
Take a look at this image and the comments on it. I think I'm on the topmost part of the western rim of The Big One.
Notably there's a dark patch ahead in which no stars are visible. It's land.
I can see the night vision scanner sweeping across this patch with no nearby signals returned. It's far away.
The terrain is trending downwards by 15 to 20 degrees as opposed to the steady climbing of recent kilometres.
I'm fairly certain that I would be seeing the vast interior of the crater, if Sol were shining.
...and the sysmap seems to confirm that I'm on the western rim of the crater.
I think I was one diameter (of the crater) away from my current location when I was at longitude -165. I'm currently at longitude -156. That's 9 degrees to the East. So my first estimate of the diameter of this crater is:
9 * 42.6 = 383km
Take a look at this image and the comments on it. I think I'm on the topmost part of the western rim of The Big One.
Notably there's a dark patch ahead in which no stars are visible. It's land.
I can see the night vision scanner sweeping across this patch with no nearby signals returned. It's far away.
The terrain is trending downwards by 15 to 20 degrees as opposed to the steady climbing of recent kilometres.
I'm fairly certain that I would be seeing the vast interior of the crater, if Sol were shining.
...and the sysmap seems to confirm that I'm on the western rim of the crater.
I think I was one diameter (of the crater) away from my current location when I was at longitude -165. I'm currently at longitude -156. That's 9 degrees to the East. So my first estimate of the diameter of this crater is:
9 * 42.6 = 383km
What! I have enough on my plate.
I survived the missile attack, shields down and 79% hull. I will not be so curious in future.
I survived the missile attack, shields down and 79% hull. I will not be so curious in future.
(0,-155)
Back to normality; no jagged peaks, no incoming missiles, just menacing boulders.
Back to normality; no jagged peaks, no incoming missiles, just menacing boulders.
The fastest I hit the ground coming down the inside of the crater was 95 metres per second. The premium hull repair saved me, and it also saved me from the missile attack.
(0,-154)
Well inside the crater now.
Well inside the crater now.
(0,-153)
These rather tranquil images at each waypoint do not reflect what I've just driven through.
These rather tranquil images at each waypoint do not reflect what I've just driven through.
(0,-152)
Nine degrees travelled today; 383km. 42 degrees to go and still on target to finish on 05Sep.
Nine degrees travelled today; 383km. 42 degrees to go and still on target to finish on 05Sep.
(0,-151)
(0,-150)
At a ten-degree milestone; 40 degrees remaining.
The overview of Mercury in the sysmap looks like this.
...and closer in, I'm coming up to one of those craters that make a triangle within The Big One.
...and on a navigational note, my current guiding constellation on the eastern horizon is the Psychiatrist's Couch. Or maybe it's the sun lounger at the spa resort I'll visit after this is over.
At a ten-degree milestone; 40 degrees remaining.
The overview of Mercury in the sysmap looks like this.
...and closer in, I'm coming up to one of those craters that make a triangle within The Big One.
...and on a navigational note, my current guiding constellation on the eastern horizon is the Psychiatrist's Couch. Or maybe it's the sun lounger at the spa resort I'll visit after this is over.
(0,-149)
(0,-147)
The mountains up ahead are the eastern wall of The Big One. They're further away and higher than they look. I think it's time to give this crater the name of an artist or musician, which seems to be the rule on Mercury. (Nomenclature of features on Mercury). Utrillo doesn't seem to have been used, so that's my choice.
If the descent of the western wall is anything to go by...
then I'll do a premium repair now.
The mountains up ahead are the eastern wall of The Big One. They're further away and higher than they look. I think it's time to give this crater the name of an artist or musician, which seems to be the rule on Mercury. (Nomenclature of features on Mercury). Utrillo doesn't seem to have been used, so that's my choice.
If the descent of the western wall is anything to go by...
then I'll do a premium repair now.
(0,-146)
Well, that wasn't so bad; climbing a slope of 30 degrees for 30 kilometres, those mountains were 30*(TAN(RADIANS(30)) high. Does 17km sound rather a large change in elevation?
Anyway, I don't know how I managed not to crash in the last 4km of this leg. I was mesmerised by a glow in the sky directly on the eastern horizon. Could it be Sol, or is it just another mining operation? What would I give for some Vitamin D right now.
Sol, maybe:
Well, that wasn't so bad; climbing a slope of 30 degrees for 30 kilometres, those mountains were 30*(TAN(RADIANS(30)) high. Does 17km sound rather a large change in elevation?
Anyway, I don't know how I managed not to crash in the last 4km of this leg. I was mesmerised by a glow in the sky directly on the eastern horizon. Could it be Sol, or is it just another mining operation? What would I give for some Vitamin D right now.
Sol, maybe:
(0,-145)
Hills and mountains have obscured that Sol-like glow over the last degree.
Hills and mountains have obscured that Sol-like glow over the last degree.
A distinctive peak lies ahead, with Orion's belt behind.
(0,-144)
Distinctive peak obscured at this location. I'm now well East of Utrillo.
Distinctive peak obscured at this location. I'm now well East of Utrillo.
At this location, (0,-143.9893), the distinctive peak has an altitude of 4.5 degrees.
Soltastic - then definitely Sol. I may go to the summit of the distinctive peak in order to get a better peek.
Can't see much more of Sol from the summit, speaking of which, the location here is (0.07,-143.49). This is about 21km from the place I measured its altitude as 4.5 degrees. This means that this peak is 21*TAN(RADIANS(4.5)) kilometres above the place I made the observation. This comes to 1.65km.