Fergie's Tech Blog

First Images from Mars Orbiter's High Resolution Camera Wow Researchers

This is the first color image of Mars from the HiRISE.
This is not natural color as seen by human eyes, but infrared color.
This image also has been processed to enhance subtle color variations.
Image source: NASA / JPL

Scientists are delighted with early shakeout shots by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter using its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera.

Late last week, another series of test images were released by the HiRISE Operations Center (HiROC) at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson.

HiRISE is the newest and most powerful camera now orbiting the red planet. Test images of Mars using the equipment were taken on March 23 and on March 25.

"The images are wonderful," said Alfred McEwen, leader of the HiRISE instrument at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "We’re learning a great deal about how to best acquire and process these giant images from our very complicated camera," he explained in a university press statement.

posted by Fergie @ 4/08/2006 12:26:00 PM