How to create your own color images of Mars

What is the real color of Mars? We have all seen those dusty red scenes from this and other Mars landers. But how do we now what we are looking at is the "true color" of Mars? Well, we send something along that we know what the color is. This s called a "Calibration Target" The Viking landers both had them As did the Mars Pathfinder. The MER Rovers have several, for the various cameras and instruments.

The Panoramic Camera's calibration target is, by far, the most unique the rover carries. It is in the shape of a Sundial and is mounted on the rover deck. The camera will take pictures of the sundial many times during the mission so that scientists can make adjustments to the images they receive from Mars. They will use the colored blocks in the corners of the sundial to calibrate the color in images of the Martian landscape. Pictures of the shadows that are cast by the sundial's center post will allow scientists to properly adjust the brightness of each camera image. Children provided artwork for the sides of the base of the sundial. By taking a picture of the sundial on Mars through the proper filters, we can see if the colors are true, by comparing them with exact copies of the Sundial on Earth.


CONTINUED....


Could it be so simple?

I know squat about this stuff but I do know one thing, if you have a reference to compare anything to and your reference can be accurately quantified and then used to compare against a new standard then you have a measuring system in place.

Oooh, our own "How to" site, that's very cool. Thanks for that, gonna try it on my own now...

This has been covered and solved on ATS... First.. our own story on the topic... www.atsnn.com... Then... after research, our answer, carried by several news outlets... www.atsnn.com...

Thanks for the links Skeptic.


It has been discussed, but no one has been TRYING anything.

Please have a look at my new thread on examining the methods.

Why not a research project.

Lets start making our own color images.

Since NASA won't do it the right way we must make our own, or wait months for the sulplemetary data, and do nothing.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
This has been covered and solved on ATS...

First.. our own story on the topic...
www.atsnn.com...

Then... after research, our answer, carried by several news outlets...
www.atsnn.com...

i dont honestly care how its done; if the rgb values dont match, its wrong.

Lets look at the definition of RGB

Red (700 nm)
Green (546.1 nm)
Blue(435.8 nm)




Now lets look at the response of the pancam:

L2 750 nm
Bandpass 20

L3 670 nm
Bandpass 16

L4 600 nm
Bandpass 17

L5 530 nm
Bandpass 19

L6 480 nm
bandpass 27

L7 430 nm
Bandpass 25

L8 440 nm
Bandpass 20


The response curve is not so simple, and can be found in the Pancam Investigation on page 95.

But it is clear that L2 is NOT the proper filter to use for creating RGB composites.

[Edited on 8-2-2004 by ArchAngel]

Lets start with the images at NASA's press page that include the sundial and see how the described method compares with what they are publishing. This is after all the evidence they provided to counter the questions of the color.


A

Press Release

The sundial looks much like the ones I created from the raw data other than it is reduced in size, and uses A higher level of Jpeg compression.

So lets recreate it and see what our looks like. I would post it right here, but I can't. The raw data for it is not on NASA's site. They must have it because this image is up on their press page, but they have not yet shared it even though the data was received over a week ago.


B

Press Release

This one has a VERY similar image supposedly from a different Sol[data pacK]. It is unfortunate that NASA has not yet posted the data for this although they received it over a week ago.


C

Full Size Image
Press Release

If you look at the sundial on the full size image you will see that the colors are wrong. They are using L2 in place of L4 again.

Now lets make our own. Guess what?

This time there is data, but their is only data for one small strip, and yes it does include the sundial.



The image on the right is a normal RGB composite. The left has Green reduced 20% and blue reduced 40%.

Notice that the color of the ground is not as red.


Other than the image discussed in Kano's thread there are no more with the sundial on NASA's page.

We cannot verify the work NASA has done to prove the color of Mars.

[Edited on 8-2-2004 by ArchAngel]

Responded here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Please don't start multiple threads on the same topic. (Especially when there are already quite a few present anyway). Then just make the same posts in both...