Low-phase color images of Rhea Options

[Bjorn Jonsson]

The following images are 'byproducts' of the Rhea DEM and an associated color/albedo map I finished several weeks ago. When I did the color/albedo map I wanted low-phase global images. There are also global high-phase images but I wasn't interested in them for obvious reasons. The images are composited from calibrated PDS images. I used RED, GRN and BL1 NAC images in all cases.

The processing is similar in all cases:
(1) Calibrate the images.
(2) Create the color composite by using one image (usually GRN) as a reference and then 'warping' the other two images slightly.
(3) Sharpen the image a bit.
(4) Clean up noise and spurious color near the limb if present (it usually wasn't).

First a color image from 2005-01-26, range 496,000 km. The viewing geometry is also shown:



And from 2005-07-14, range 343,000 km:



2005-11-26, range 294,000 km:




2005-12-24, range 342,000 km:



2006-01-17, range 245,000 km:




2006-02-24, range 349,000 km:



2006-04-28, range 481,000 km:




2007-07-17, range 598,000 km:




One thing is obvious: Rhea isn't exactly a colorful body. There are some albedo markings, 'wispy terrain' and crater rays though and the trailing hemisphere is somewhat darker than the leading hemisphere.

I may post more images later.