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Another THEMIS visible color release.

Mars In Color (Released 3 October 2003)
http://themis.la.asu.edu/zoom-20031003a.html

This appears to be the same as the "False Color" image available
here:

Image Data Page for V04582011
http://themis-data.asu.edu/img/V04582011_C321.html

The image is larger and more detailed on the Image Data Page.

The blue areas are interesting but this apparently has not been
calibrated by comparison to Hubble images, so the colors are suspect.

See for example:

Color Imaging of Mars with the Visible Imaging Subsytem (VIS) on the
Mars Odyssey THEMIS Instrument.
J.F. Bell III1, T. McConnochie1, M.J. Wolff2, P.R. Christensen3, G.
Mehall3, M. Malin4, M. Caplinger4, M. Ravine4,
L.L. Cherednik3, K.C. Bender3, K. Murray3, and the THEMIS Science
Team, 1Cornell University, Dept. of Astronomy,
Ithaca NY 14853-6801; jfb8@cornell.edu , 2Space Science Institute,
Boulder CO, 3Arizona State University,
Dept. of Geology, Tempe AZ, 4Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San
Diego CA.
Lunar and Planetary Science XXXIV (2003) 1993.pdf
"VIS images corrected
for these instrumental effects are then converted
to PDS-format image cubes calibrated to radiance using
regions observed by VIS and the Hubble Space
Telescope over the same wavelengths and during the
same martian season [e.g., 3,7]."
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2003/pdf/1993.pdf

High Spatial Resolution Visible Color Units on Mars from the Mars
Odyssey THEMIS/VIS Instrument.
J.F. Bell III1, T. McConnochie1, D. Savransky1, B. Stiglitz1, M.J.
Wolff2, P.R. Christensen3, G. Mehall3, P.B.
James4, M. Malin5, M. Caplinger5, M. Ravine5, L.L. Cherednik3, K.C.
Bender3, K. Murray3, and the THEMIS Science
Team, 1Cornell University, Dept. of Astronomy, Ithaca NY 14853-6801;
jfb8@cornell.edu , 2Space Science
Institute, Boulder CO, 3Arizona State University, Dept. of Geology,
Tempe AZ, 4U. Toledo, Toledo OH, 5Malin
Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego CA.
Sixth International Conference on Mars (2003) 3238.pdf
"Our approach is twofold: (1)
We use our "superflat" observations in each filter
to derive an average 5-color Mars corrected DN
spectrum as observed by VIS. We then use wellcalibrated
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide
Field/Planetary Camera 2 clear-atmosphere observations
from 255 to 1042 nm [3] to generate an
average HST spectrum of Mars using data obtained
only at the same average incidence angle as
the VIS measurements. This average HST spectrum
is then convolved to the VIS bandpasses and
the ratio of it to the average VIS corrected DN
spectrum results in a set of scaling coefficients to
convert corrected DN per msec to W/m2/nm/sr.
(2) The validity of this approach is being tested
by new sets of simultaneous VIS and HST observations
during 2003. The first set of simultaneous
measurements was performed on March 8, 2003;
29 sets of 5-color VIS sequences were acquired
within two hours of HST multispectral imaging
from 220 nm to 892 nm using HST's new Advanced
Camera for Surveys (ACS) instrument; 10
of these VIS image sets were acquired at exactly
the same time as the HST measurements. Initial
analysis of these simultaneous observations
shows that our default average-based radiance
coefficient approach appears to be accurate to
within ~5% for VIS bands 1 through 4, and within
~15-20% for VIS band 5 (860 nm), which has the
largest scattered light component. These results
are preliminary and will be augmented by additional
simultaneous HST/Odyssey observing
campaigns."
...
"Results: Examples of some mapped and
coregistered images are provided below, along
with some typical 4-color VIS spectra extracted
from these data (band 5 is still problematic). Several
themes are emerging from this high resolution
multispectral imaging campaign: (1) Color
variations are usually subtle–many occur but often
at the limits of VIS resolution; (2) Dark, apparently
aeolian deposits exhibit different colors,
suggesting particle size and/or compositional
variations; and (3) An enigmatic class of “blue”
crater floor deposits has been identified but its
composition or origin is not yet understood."
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/sixthmars2003/pdf/3238.pdf

Also, the image that accompanied the Science article discussing White Rock appears not to have been calibrated in comparison to Hubble images judging by its poor color contrast:

Re: White Rock -> Red Rock [re: AlexBlackwell]
exoscientist
06/24/03 02:29 PM
http://uplink.space.com/showthreaded.php? Board=sciastro&Number=514194

Bob Clark

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