Mars Clock Options

[James Tauber]

I recently built this:

http://jtauber.github.com/mars-clock/

It's a single web page with calculations being done live in Javascript.

It started off just as a way to calculate the LMST and LTST for Curiosity but it has a range of calculations for Mars overall from Allison and McEwen's 2000 paper.

Recently I've started adding explanations of each of the calculations including the formulas used.

It's been a huge learning experience for me and I'd appreciate any feedback, both in terms of experts correcting what I've done incorrectly and amateurs such as my self saying what they'd like elaboration on.

[Tman]

Thanks Marc for your clarifications.

For Spacecrafts on Mars and along with their images it's nice to have local true solar time, since the position and motion of the sun is so dominant.

For my MER Filename decoder, that is trying to get LTST for each entered image link or code, I've never used any SCLKs to synchronize the seconds past Jan 1, 2000. No clue how to use and get it into my JavaScript program.
(Btw, I just see there was another adjustment on 05 Sep 2012)

Instead of that, I still go via the Pancam Data Tracking Web Interface to get the current drift of the Spacecraft's clock on Mars. Where I mean there is always an assumed constant drift implemented, till the next monthly or more "clock adjustment session" between Earth and the Spacecraft is performed, where then the time will be finally correct adjusted for this day/sol (as I understand that).
You can find this/my calculation in the javascript file under // Start Clock Correction Spirit (or Opportunity).

That's the whole thing that I use now for my 'new' MSL clock and image decoder too, but where I have to go without such as the Data Tracking Web Interface.
Until further options, I've assumed that in the official Raw Images site the UTC time below the images are accurate, i.e. it is possible to get the drift of MSL's clock on Mars of them.
So it goes currently with that displayed drift together with the seconds in the filename code of the images - when they are integrated. Otherwise have a look at the tooltip below the enter box for more options.

The above display of the current Sol and local time should as usually be accurat as Mars24 - still correlated with the system time accuracy of the executing computer and the used coordinates.