Posted to sci.astro:

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From: rgregoryclark@yahoo.com (Robert Clark)
Newsgroups: alt.sci.planetary,sci.space.policy,sci.astro,sci.astro.amateur,sci.geo.geology
Subject: Poll: Should the visible THEMIS images be released in color?

A poll was posted to the Space.com message boards:

Poll: should Mars Odyssey images be released in color?
http://uplink.space.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=tpc&s=874094803&f=484094803&m=4753052126

The mentioned THEMIS visible image taken in 5 bands but only released
in one had to do with this release:

1st Manned Lunar Landing and 1st Robotic Mars Landing
Commemorative Release: Viking 1 Landing Site in Chryse Planitia -
Visible Image (Released 20 July 2002).
"This 4 framelet image is part of a 5 band image sequence. This image primarily contains plains, wrinkle ridges and craters."
http://themis.la.asu.edu/zoom-20020720a.html

Only one band was shown of the 5 bands taken. In contrast, in the multi-band infrared release of Cydonia nine infrared bands were shown:

The So-Called 'Face on Mars' in Infrared (Released 24 July 2002).
http://themis.la.asu.edu/zoom-20020724A.html

I'm informed that there are still problems calibrating the combining of the separate visible band images into a single color image, though as mentioned in the poll there have been THEMIS visible color images shown at the Mars rover landing workshops.
I imagine there are similar problems calibrating the combining of the separate infrared bands as there are of the visible bands. I'm suggesting if the separate infrared bands could be released so also
should be the separate visible bands. This would allow those with image processing experience to try their techniques for combining separate filter band images into a single color image, including for example scientists who worked on the Viking missions:

From: Edwin Strickland (edstrick@io.com)
Subject: Re: On the colors of Mars and the mystery of the "Sinton bands".
Newsgroups: sci.astro, alt.sci.planetary, sci.astro.seti, sci.bio.misc
Date: 2002-02-12 01:09:42 PST
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=_Y4a8.94792$6o2.6424168@bin4.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com

Then the poll should be taken with the understanding that it includes the possibility of releasing the separate visible band images.

I'm informed that there is relatively little interest in the color visible images among scientists working with the THEMIS instrument. No doubt this stems from the idea that comparatively little information
would be gained from them.
I'm betting that there will several important instances where more
information will be gained from the visible color images than from the infrared images or from single visible B/W images:

From: Robert Clark (rgregoryclark@yahoo.com)
Subject: Liquid water on Mars and regions of high color variability.
Newsgroups: alt.sci.planetary, sci.space.history, sci.astro,
sci.astro.amateur, sci.geo.geology
Date: 2002-07-28 00:58:42 PST
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=832ea96d.0207272358.2025723a@posting.google.com

Bob Clark

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