As of October 1999, the list has been reduced to two sites, including one that was not favored previously because MOC images suggested that the region was too rough---the "Hematite" surface detected by the MGS TES within central Sinus Meridiani. The zone that includes hematite has expanded as a result of continuous mapping by TES since March 1999, resulting in the inclusion of the western part of the hematite region as a potential landing zone because some MOC images show a relatively smooth surface in THIS portion of the hematite region--this zone is between 0-3 degrees South latitude and 2 to 7 degrees West longitude. MOC images within this zone, some obtained as recently as October 1999, are included here for examination.
The two sites presently (October 1999) being considered for the 2001 landing are:
Working with the Destriped Images
The "Destriped" MOC narrow angle camera images presented here are full-resolution and have only been "destriped" to remove streaks in the raw image. These images typically need to be rotated 180-degrees if a "north upward, east toward the right" orientation is desired (compare with the map-projected versions for orientation). The resolution of the destriped images is not given in the ASCII table that accompanies the release for each region. The MGS orbit is nearly circular, so a good estimate for a full-resolution image (summing 1, aspect ratio 1) is 1.5 m/pixel. Resolution in the cross-track dimension is a function of the 1.5 m/pixel times the summing factor (i.e., summing of 3 gives a 4.5 m/pixel image). Resolution in the down-track dimension is a function of the summing and aspect ratio (i.e., summing of 1 with aspect ratio of 1.5 gives a down-track resolution of 2.25 m/pixel). Typically, images are taken with aspect ratio of 1.5 to provide more spatial coverage of the planet, and ensure that a specific target will be hit by the camera (relative to orbits predicted 1-4 days in advance of the actual event). The ASCII table presented for each region includes other information about each image, these images and ancillary information are not validated and errors may be present. The comments that accompany the images listed in the ASCII table, for Mapping-Phase data, are comments on the original goal of the image when it was targeted (and not a necessarily a description of what was "hit" by the final image).
(Note: 12-1-99: There are no map-projected images for the "Set 2 (11/15/99)" data. To orient the images so that North is toward the top and East is toward the right, rotate the destriped picture 180°....K.E.)