Aug 17 2003


Sep 4 2003

Images of Mars obtained with UKIRT showing how images in the 2.0 micrometre CO2 band can be used to image Martian topography. The images are extracted from spectral cubes obtained with UIST on the UKIRT 3.8m telescope on Mauna Kea Hawaii. The images are from observations on Aug 17 and Sep 4 2003 showing roughly opposite hemispheres of Mars. The left image in each set is a straight albedo image showing the normal surface markings. The centre image is an image of the strength of the CO2 absorption band at 2.0 micrometres. The strength of this band measures the atmospheric column of CO2 and hence the surface altitude. Dark features have strong CO2 bands and hence low altitudes. Bright features are at high altitudes. The right image is a comparison image obtained from the Mars Global Surveyor Laser Altimeter (MOLA).

The results show that these ground-based images can easily see the major topographic features such as the Valles Marineris canyon system, the major volcanos and the Hellas and Argyre impact basins, features that were only discovered by the Mariner 9 spacecraft. Future observations of this type might be used to detect  Martian weather systems  due to their surface presure changes.  Observations and analysis by Sarah Chamberlain and Jeremy Bailey.

See Chamberlain et al., 2006, PASA, 23, 119-124.

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