"TENNESSEE VALLEY PNEUMATICS" - in X3D Stereo
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- Category: Mars
- Written by David Gannett
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“TENNESSEE VALLEY PNEUMATICS”
Spirit Sol 620 NavCam
Neville Thompson Gigapan: http://gigapan.com/gigapans/195338/snapshots/616512
On the left side of Nev’s gigapan, drifting dunes of white sand and debris dominate the foreground of a vast plain, Mt. Sharp rising in the distance. A glint of reflected sunlight catches the eye in our context view.
As we zoom in on Detail View #1, what appears to something like a gigantic earthworm emerges from under the sand on the left, stretches quite some distance and once again descends under the sand. Symmetrical rings mark the surface, which has the reflective appearance of glass. While difficult to determine its exact size, it could be anywhere from six to ten feet in diameter given the presumed distance from Spirit’s navcams.
In Detail View #2, we can clearly see that it is an artificial construct. These “glass worms” have been seen repeatedly on Mars, both from orbit and from our surface rovers. It is tempting to make an anology with the pneumatic tube technology we have here on our planet. Was this part of a mass transit system? A delivery system for liquids or other substances? Is it somehow created by some type of gigantic sand worm or other creature?
Its symmetry, the fact that it appears to be made of glass or plastic, the regularly-spaced rings...it’s just a rock, right?
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“SO, HOW DO I VIEW X3D STEREO?”
Simple! While viewing the stereo pair at a comfortable distance, gently cross your eyes (no eye-strain) until you perceive three images all the same width. The one in the center is in 3D. Just relax into it and your eyes will automatically bring it into focus. Once you have it, you will never forget how to do it. Kinda like riding a bicycle…
For another, more detailed method of viewing X3D stereo, click HERE.
(Click for full-sized image)
