Virtual Viking, Images and animations of the Viking landing sites Options

[Phil Stooke]

In the past we've had some good Viking images here. Soon - all too soon - we will not have Phoenix any more, but despair not! Now we can re-live Viking by playing with old images. They can be searched by sol at the PDS.

As an example, I've made a composite of the very last Surface Sampler activities at either Viking site. This is work done on Viking 2 sol 957 and imaged on sol 957 and 959. (someone can animate it if they like!)

We see two separate trenching activities at the same place, and a soil dump (bottom) and a conical soil pile made by the second dump (middle). (more obvious in an animation, I just can't make one on this machine).

Phil

[scalbers]

Nice to see Vanden's persistence and new result with the VL2 noon color hi-res panorama!

[Vanden]

Thanks !

I edited my post "NOON HIGH RESOLUTION COLOR MOSAIC" to add a new high resolution color image : 21i091_HIGH_RESOLUTION_COLOR

Although modest in size it is a part of the famous/historical/mythical low-resolution color image (official version): PIA00571

For information here's how raw images (mainly used) are :
- Low-resolution color: 21i093
- High-Resolution black & white : 21i091

My Low Resolution version (21i090+21i093+21d224-225-226) :

[vikingmars]

Thanks !
I edited my post "NOON HIGH RESOLUTION COLOR MOSAIC" to add a new high resolution color image : 21i091_HIGH_RESOLUTION_COLOR
Although modest in size it is a part of the famous/historical/mythical low-resolution color image (official version): PIA00571

How nice Vanden ! Thanks a lot !

[Vanden]

Viking Lander 2 Camera 2 Low Résolution FROST Color Images :
22i067 (Sol 955 12:13)
22i109 (Sol 1050 12:40

Panorama 22i103-104-105-109 (Sol 1028, 1030 and 1050 between 11:34 and 12:40) :
22i103-104-105-109

I used a low-resolution panorama of Oliver (thank) as a basis for color calibration.


Viking Lander 2 Camera 2 Low Résolution SKY AT SUNRISE :
22b023 Sol 34 04:22
22h093 Sol 631 04:00


Viking Lander 1 Camera 2 Low Résolution SKY AT SUNRISE :
12e189 Sol379 07:50

[vikingmars]

Viking Lander 1 Camera 2 Low Résolution SKY AT SUNRISE

Thanks a lot Vanden for those good processings of yours ! How NICE they are ! Your 'frost' pan is gorgeous

The picture you show ('Low Resolution SKY AT SUNRISE') is a very interesting one indeed !
It is the 1st of three images taken more than ten minutes apart on Chryse Planitia by Viking Lander 1 on Sol 379 at 07:50 a.m, 08:03 a.m. and 08:15 a.m. respectively (see the 'triptych' herewith).
The fog had settled in over the entire area and it was dense enough so that the Sun was not visible above the horizon until the last image where it made a shy appearance (elevations respectively of 0.0°, 2.7° and 5.4°).
Like on Earth, sunrise on Mars often sees frost and patches of fog and low clouds made of water ice crystals.
These images were the first direct, visible evidence of water exchange (moisture) between the Martian surface and its atmosphere.
Sometimes, the cold nighttime temperatures lead to saturation of water vapor with fog formation that extends to altitudes of 60 m (97 feet) to 80 m (262 feet) above the surface during the night.
Usually, the fog disperses within two hours after sunrise.



About your good idea of processing VL2's nice Sol 631 sunrise, here is the full story of this picture : the goal was then to capture the blue aureole of the Martian sky above the horizon.
So, the Viking Lander Imaging Team members programmed camera # 2 to avoid imaging the Sun itself and the risk of damaging the delicate sensors.
But, the timing of the sequence was calculated without enough margin. When the camera started to record the scene, the Sun was not yet visible.
But when the mirror scanned the place where the Sun had to be, this one had just popped up over the horizon !
This small inaccuracy resulted in the making of one of the most ‘iconic’ picture ever recorded by the Viking Landers : the first picture showing a sunrise on Mars.
Please, note that the banding in the sky is an artifact produced by the subtle brightness levels that cannot be accurately captured by the camera imaging scan system.
Also, some oblique delicate wispy markings in the sky crossing the aureole are thin cirrus clouds made of small water ice particles and believed to be drifting at an altitude of 10 to 15 km (6.20 to 9.30 miles) above the surface.
This picture was the very first to capture Martian clouds from the surface.
At the lower right of the picture, part of the Lander’s leg #3 support structure can be seen (herebelow here is my version)