The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Public Target Request Site began collecting public and science community suggestions for MOC narrow angle imaging on 20 August 2003. Suggested targets are incorporated into the MGS MOC operational database at Malin Space Science Systems. There, they wait until a time in the future when MGS is predicted to pass over the requested site. When the predicted ground track intersects a site of interest, the MOC operations team determines the best way to acquire the requested image, then commands the camera to do so. Several days later, the image is acquired and returned to Earth.

Publicly suggested images are posted on this web page once a month. Images and ancillary data presented on this page have not yet been validated or archived, and should be considered previews. Within 6 to 12 months of acquisition, all data are validated and archived in final form with the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) and posted in the MOC Gallery. Typically, the labor-intensive data validation process may result in improvements and corrections to the image headers and the table (.tab) of ancillary information. For MOC images that have data drops in them, the validation process may also result in improved recovery of the dropped data. Until the images are validated and archived, the data posted on this page are the best available.

Each column header in the table below has a brief explanation (click on the header) of the item listed in that column. If you click on a .gif image and get a symbol (e.g., R09-02059p.gif), it means that the image is too long (too many lines) for your web browser to handle. If this happens, try viewing the image with a different web browser (a more recent version), or download the image to your desktop and open with another image viewing/processing tool.

All data posted to this page are in the public domain. The processed images posted here are value added products; their use in all forms of publication should be credited to NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems. Click here for MSSS Image Use Policy.