For those of us who are fans of stereo photography -- and I have been ever since I acquired my first Viewmaster in the early 1950s -- the past few weeks have been an amazing time. Spirit's views often are sent back in stereo pairs, and it's an easy matter to download views and then just free-base view them on the computer screen, if you know the trick to letting your eyes slide views on top of each other. This has been a great treat for me, as it really gives me the feel of being on the surface of another planet, examining even soil in great detail, seeing these views in depth. From the ground in Gustav, Mars has a somehow homey feel. But now another spectacular view of Mars comes up in 3D, Valles Marineris as seen by the European Space Agency's Mars Express. The stereo view posted today is like nothing I've ever seen before. It verges on science fiction. Go to the ESSA site at http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=34316

-- download both Valles pictures, then view them in stereo. It's bizarre enough in two dimensions, but in depth it is astonishing. Best wishes, Joe