Google Mars HiRISE base images for Opportunity Options

[elakdawalla]

Because it has become a forum FAQ, I've created this sticky thread containing information on where to obtain new base images for Opportunity's traverse for Google Mars, and for discussion on creating new ones. I will continue to add links to new base image layers to this first post as they become available.

New users: Download this 4-MB kml file and open it in Google Earth
Then go to the last post in the Opportunity Route Map thread for the latest traverse map
You need to download the new KML file each time in order to follow Opportunity's peregrinations.

Google Mars comes with a color base image mosaic created from HRSC imagery. In addition, there is an inset full-resolution HiRISE image covering the area from the landing site at Eagle crater, through Victoria, up to the point between sol 2040 and 2041 (just west of Mackinac) where Opportunity drove off the map.

Unfortunately, this Victoria crater HiRISE layer included within Google Mars is not perfectly registered to the HRSC base map. As far as is known, there is nothing to be done about that. Both John Cody's image layers and Eduardo Tesheiner's traverse maps are aligned with the inset HiRISE layer included with Google Mars, NOT to the HRSC base map.

In June 2009 SFJCody posted a reduced-resolution mosaic of HiRISE tiles that cover the entire future traverse area including Endeavour's rim. I have made some small modifications to that map and have hosted it in a single file here (17 MB). Download the file, run Google Earth, select the Mars view, and File>Open the KMZ to view it.

In September 2009 SFJCody posted another HiRISE base image, this one at full resolution, covering the Western Route and reaching not quite all the way to Santa Maria. Here is a link to the kml file (4 MB). Here is a link to a zipped version if you'd prefer to have it locally (256 MB) and I also wrote a blog entry about it.

During the discussion below, in late 2010, I created a small tile that covers just the immediate area around Santa Maria. Here is a link to the kml file covering that region.

In February 2011 Eduardo Tesheiner provided another set of base images covering the area from Santa Maria to Endeavour's rim. Here is a link to the kml file. If you would like to work from a local copy, you can download this 75 MB zip file and unzip it to a folder on your drive, then open the file PSP_010341_1775_RED.kml within it.

All three base images can be loaded at once using this kml file (the same one that is linked to at the very top of this post).

[Tesheiner]

Wow, downloaded and tested MapTiler and I think that's *the* tool we need.
Regarding your question about coordinates: it uses a similar definition of bounding box as in KML. In this case you should input the north, south, east, and west coordinates separated by spaces. Just for testing I used the lat/long coordinates of a KML file I had here which corresponds more or less to the Meridiani landing site: -1.899331338 -2.44643146 -5.298233309 -5.552521575. You can do the same. The result is the picture of Santa Maria all over the landing site but, more important, it zooms in and out smoothly.

Now, about the real coordinates...
I would do the following (and will probably do later ondone):
1) Look for a feature near the right edge of SFJCody's map extension, annotate its lat / long coordinates, search for the same feature in the picture with Santa Maria and annotate its (x, y) coordinates.


2) Calculate the angular size of the picture and of a single pixel. It has 8192 x 8192 pixels so it covers 2048 x 2048 meters. Given the mars circumference size (TBD) the picture covers X degrees and a single pixel covers Y degrees.

R = 3396.2km (equatorial), 3376.2km (polar)
X = 2.048 / (2*PI*R) * 360deg.
Y = X / 8192

3) Calculate the lat / long coordinates of all four borders using the results of 1) and 2).

north -2.160015615
south -2.194771186
west -5.45866131
east -5.424110413

Now, let's try it...