Many thanks Doug, for your comments and encouragement.
I decided to do this after reading Damia's post (a few posts back) but I didn't work full time on it. I don't clock in (after all I'm retired) My estimate is it took more than 10 hours over two days. I know a bit of HTML, CSS and JavaScript ...
And now I have a bug to hunt down. Mnham!
Thanks again for the great feedback
Fernando

Thank you so much fredk ! I like the suggestion, although I'll have to think about what to do when there are no thumbnails (not every image has one, I believe). Thanks also for the correction to ChemCam credits.
Fernando

Hi everyone!
Here is a prototype for a Curiosity raw images viewer. It is not intended for smart phones.

Not so quick but still somewhat dirty: the code does not have much robustness. It consists of a single HTML file and does use CSS and JavaScript (how else?)
I'm releasing it in order to get some feedback: Am I going in the right direction? Does it have your favourite features? What is wrong and what else would you like to have it do? Just post here or PM me.
The crucial thing about it is the JSON file(s). If NASA changes those then everything will need reviewing.

About installing it:
Because I do not have a web site in which to host the file I am attaching it here. Simply download it to your favourite location. Click (or double click) on it to open it on your default browser.
However, this creates a problem as the page is local for the browsers and makes cross-domain requests (the famous CORS problem). The solution is to install a browser add-on. I am using Firefox so I installed CORS Everywhere . There is one for Chrome as well Allow CORS. This is quite an easy process.

About using it:
Open the file. It will automatically be positioned on the most recent sol and display all its images, in small format. The images are displayed by sol. Any sol can be selected by typing its number on the appropriate entry field (top right) or using the scroller. Press the "GO !" button to load the images.The images can be filtered by instrument. A row of buttons, one for each instrument, is dynamically built when the images are loaded. Press a button to see the corresponding images. Clicking on an image opens it in large format on an independent (resizeable) window which also shows the available information for image. Any number of images can be opened (depending on your computer's resources).
Note: the code is fast but some sols have hundreds, even thousands of images. This takes time, and I do have a fast connection!

Future:

1. Simultaneously selecting images from several instruments;
2. Selecting images by type (full, subframe, etc);
3. Downloading images;
4. Should image loading be automatic, or after filters are applied? Should it be by small batches (50 images?)
5. ... ?

Enjoy and let me have your feedback. Thanks

Fernando
 MSLImageViewer.html ( 15.59K ) Number of downloads: 1799

Here is an update to sol 2873. Curiosity has been busy in this location since sol 2829 but meanwhile the Planetary Data System has issued a new data release, included in this update.
Data taken from the PDS Release 24 includes:
- Path data for sols 0-2783 (the full path has been reviewed and updated)
- Analyst's Notebook data for sols 1-2713
Phil's sketch of the drilling at the Mary Anning block is also included.
Fernando

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2873_2020SEP04.kmz ( 875.66K ) Number of downloads: 320

Mars Science Laboratory Release 24
The NASA Planetary Data System announces the 24th release of data from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, covering data acquired from Sol 2580 through Sol 2713 (November 8, 2019, to March 25, 2020).

This release consists of raw and derived data sets from the following instruments:
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS)
Chemistry & Micro-Imaging (ChemCam)
Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin)
Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN)
Hazard Avoidance Cameras (Hazcam)
Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)
Mars Descent Imager (MARDI)
Mast-mounted Cameras (Mastcam)
Navigation Cameras (Navcam)
Position Localization and Attitude Correction Estimate Storage (PLACES)
Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD)
Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)
Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)
Spacecraft, Planet, Instrument, Pointing C-Matrix, and Event kernels (SPICE)

To access the above data, please visit the following link:
https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscriptio...-20200801.shtml

Links to all MSL data sets may be found on the PDS Geosciences Node web site http://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/msl/. The data may also be reached from the main PDS home page, https://pds.nasa.gov/. MSL data are archived at the PDS Atmospheres, Planetary Plasma Interactions (PPI), Geosciences, Imaging, and Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) Nodes.

PDS offers two services for searching the MSL archives:
The Planetary Image Atlas at the Imaging Node allows selection of MSL image data by specific search criteria.
https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/search/

The MSL Analyst's Notebook at the Geosciences Node allows searching and downloading of all MSL data in the context of mission events.
http://an.rsl.wustl.edu/msl

The PDS Team

Mailto: pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov
Phone: (818) 393-7165

Update to sol 2829.
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2829_2020JUL25.kmz ( 796.53K ) Number of downloads: 392

Many thanks for the link Phil.
Laura Kerber had mentioned to me that creation of a global mosaic was ongoing, which might be useful to another project I'm working on, but I never got to use it.
Looking at the linked LPSC abstract I feel very sure this is the one she mentioned. There is a lot to explore here, it is truly gigantic! Thanks again

Fernando

Thank you Phil. Do keep me honest!

The boxes from my kmz are drawn with the coordinates, themselves marked as approximate, shown in the slide. The boxes seen in the slide appear to be smaller than the GE file ones.
GE's CTX map does not have complete coverage, it is obvious. I have come across many CTX images not included in GE's "CTX global map" while searching for polygonal ridges for a Zooniverse project. Glad you confirm CTX coverage is now nearly complete. Cheers

Fernando

Searching Alan Boyle's twitter posts I chanced upon a post by Thomas Schumann. At the EPSC-DPS 2019 Joint Meeting the late Dr. Wei Yan gave a presentation about China's first Mars mission. One of the slides clearly shows two landing sites in Utopia Planitia. Thomas also says "As far as I've understood, the Chinese will evaluate final landing sites once in orbit."

Here is a Google Mars globe with the CTX map made available by Google (see the side bar for how to enable the CTX global map) and those two areas marked, and a closer view that shows Area A has very little coverage. However, Google has not mapped every CTX image, so other images may be available (as well as from the HiRISE camera).



This is the kmz file I used to mark the areas.  Tianwen_1_CandidateLandingAreas.kmz ( 876bytes ) Number of downloads: 623


Fernando

Hope has called home.

Update to sol 2824.
Curiosity just passed the 24km marker. I've added a flag but may need to review the location.
Also added the 14 mi marker.
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2824_2020JUL19.kmz ( 796K ) Number of downloads: 378

Update to sol 2817.
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2817_2020JUL11.kmz ( 793.08K ) Number of downloads: 400

Update to sol 2804.
As Phil says, MSL is staying put for a few sols, while new software is installed (link).
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2804_2020JUN27.kmz ( 790.77K ) Number of downloads: 555

Nice! For some reason (my inability?) I prefer to see it with my desktop.
Fernando

Update to sol 2797. Getting up close and personal (against the cliff and at a large angle!)
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2797_2020JUN19.kmz ( 789.06K ) Number of downloads: 279

You spoil us Sean! (I don't mind )


Seeing the movie and contrasting it with the latest notional route is an interesting exercise.
Those loops around the central hills near the mound look quite difficult ... Notional the route is.
Fernando

Update to sol 2790. Moving fast!
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2790_2020JUN14.kmz ( 786.74K ) Number of downloads: 293

Rob,
This is excellent! I haven't yet tried the MER paths but why do you say MSL's path is flawed?
Congratulations.
Fernando

Update to sol 2783.
Going around the sand patches. Curiosity is about 80m away from a detour start point, as marked in the latest planned route. Will it be followed?
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2783_2020JUN06.kmz ( 784.1K ) Number of downloads: 399

Here is an update to the collection of notional routes / planed traverses.

I have added a new version (the 9th!) of the Mount Sharp Ascension Route. The route is shown in Figure 1 of the paper, submitted to the 51st LPSC, "2426 - Mass Movements and Debris Deposits in the Grand Canyon and Gediz Vallis,Gale Crater, Mars".

I am indebted to UMSF member Paul Hammond (PaulH51) for not only calling my attention to the paper but also for sketching the route and very generously sharing it with me. With his permission, I have made a few changes so any errors you may find are my responsibility only. We both suspect that, in some places, alternative traverses are shown. However, we have chosen to interpret the route as if all paths will be followed, which leads to some segments being passed by two or three times.

As with previous paths, this is a notional path, and Curiosity will follow it only approximately, just compare the actual route with them. At 11.2 km in length, the route passes many interesting places and Curiosity might need a few years to investigate them all! Looking forward to it and enjoying the scenery.
Fernando

 MSL_Planned_Routes_2020MAY21.kmz ( 192.8K ) Number of downloads: 333

Update to sol 2747.
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2747_2020MAY02.kmz ( 781.22K ) Number of downloads: 254

I was waiting for those names ... Curiosity has tottaled over 22km (the marker's location is a best guess) and looks like it is getting ready to take a closer view of Tower Butte.
Update to sol 2742.
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2742_2020APR25.kmz ( 780.18K ) Number of downloads: 231

Update to sol 2734. I too forgot the 2702 sol, labelling it 2700 instead! Thanks for bringing it up Phil.
Curiosity drove about 31m on sol 2734, confidentely descending from the Greenheugh pediment and moving to a location near sol 2658.
Just another few meters and it will pass the 22km mark!
Fernando
 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2734_2020APR18.kmz ( 778.96K ) Number of downloads: 260

BepiColopmbo: The Earth Flyby collection, by ESA:
http://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2...Colombo_s_flyby
Fernando

After 29 sols Curiosity has moved a few meters in a westerly direction (WNW).
Here is the update to sol 2729.
Fernando

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_2729_2020APR10.kmz ( 777.54K ) Number of downloads: 209