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Collection:
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NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
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Title:
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MGS Mars Orbiter Camera: 10 Years In Space
Title
MGS Mars Orbiter Camera: 10 Years In Space
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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7 November 2006 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) was launched 10 years ago today, on 7 November 1996. The spacecraft reached Mars on 12 September 1997, and has been observing the ever-changing red planet over the course of the past 5 martian years. The Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has spent 10 years in the near vacuum of space-not bad, considering that the Primary Mission, at the time of launch, was expected to end in early 2000. Since September 1997, MOC has been acquiring new images that highlight the geology and meteorology of Mars; more than 240,000 images have been returned to Earth. A recent example, from 15 October 2006, is shown here. Two annular (i.e., somewhat circular) clouds are seen in the upper left corner of this mosaic of MOC wide angle camera daily global mapping images. To the right of the picture's center is the martian north polar cap. The image has a scale of about 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) per pixel. Annular clouds are common in mid-northern summer in the north polar region, and may result from eddy currents in the lower atmosphere. The appearance of such clouds happens every year; this year they came like clockwork within a two-week forecasted period, based on the previous 4 martian years of experience gained from MGS MOC daily global imaging. Despite their superficial resemblance to Earth-orbiting satellite views of hurricanes, these cloud features are not the result of strong winds, and they typically dissipate later in the day. The pictures used to make this mosaic were acquired less than 2 days before the MOC was turned off for MGS's fifth Mars-Earth Solar Conjunction period. During Conjunction, Mars was on the other side of the Sun, relative to Earth, and thus MGS could not transmit data (through the Sun) during the second half of October. Examples of north polar annular clouds seen in previous Mars years were featured by the MGS MOC team in September 2005: "Celebrating 8 Years at Mars: Repeated Weather Events." To review the MGS launch of 10 years ago, one can visit the NASA Kennedy Space Center web site, which includes pictures and video at: http ://science.ksc.nasa. gov/payload/missions /mgs/video.html. Video clips of the launch and many movies and videos from the earlier phases of the MGS mission can be reviewed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory web site at: http: //marsprogram.jpl.na sa.gov/mgs/movpics/a nim/anim.html.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
7 November 2006 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) was launched 10 years ago today, on 7 November 1996. The spacecraft reached Mars on 12 September 1997, and has been observing the ever-changing red planet over the course of the past 5 martian years. The Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has spent 10 years in the near vacuum of space-not bad, considering that the Primary Mission, at the time of launch, was expected to end in early 2000. Since September 1997, MOC has been acquiring new images that highlight the geology and meteorology of Mars; more than 240,000 images have been returned to Earth. A recent example, from 15 October 2006, is shown here. Two annular (i.e., somewhat circular) clouds are seen in the upper left corner of this mosaic of MOC wide angle camera daily global mapping images. To the right of the picture's center is the martian north polar cap. The image has a scale of about 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) per pixel. Annular clouds are common in mid-northern summer in the north polar region, and may result from eddy currents in the lower atmosphere. The appearance of such clouds happens every year; this year they came like clockwork within a two-week forecasted period, based on the previous 4 martian years of experience gained from MGS MOC daily global imaging. Despite their superficial resemblance to Earth-orbiting satellite views of hurricanes, these cloud features are not the result of strong winds, and they typically dissipate later in the day. The pictures used to make this mosaic were acquired less than 2 days before the MOC was turned off for MGS's fifth Mars-Earth Solar Conjunction period. During Conjunction, Mars was on the other side of the Sun, relative to Earth, and thus MGS could not transmit data (through the Sun) during the second half of October. Examples of north polar annular clouds seen in previous Mars years were featured by the MGS MOC team in September 2005: "Celebrating 8 Years at Mars: Repeated Weather Events." To review the MGS launch of 10 years ago, one can visit the NASA Kennedy Space Center web site, which includes pictures and video at: http ://science.ksc.nasa. gov/payload/missions /mgs/video.html. Video clips of the launch and many movies and videos from the earlier phases of the MGS mission can be reviewed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory web site at: http: //marsprogram.jpl.na sa.gov/mgs/movpics/a nim/anim.html. Original Caption Released with Image
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Image Credit
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Produced By:
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Malin Space Science Systems
Produced_By
Malin Space Science Systems
Produced By
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Mission:
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Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Mission
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Mission
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Spacecraft:
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Mars Pathfinder Lander
Spacecraft
Mars Pathfinder Lander
Spacecraft
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Target Name:
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Mars
Target_Name
Mars
Target Name
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Is a satellite of:
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Sol (our sun)
Is_a_satellite_of
Sol (our sun)
Is a satellite of
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Instrument:
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Mars Orbiter Camera
Instrument
Mars Orbiter Camera
Instrument
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Product Size:
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596 samples x 750 lines
Product_Size
596 samples x 750 lines
Product Size
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Producer ID:
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MOC2-1607
Producer_ID
MOC2-1607
Producer ID
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Polar
facet_what
Polar
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Pathfinder
facet_what
Mars Pathfinder
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Pathfinder Lander
facet_what
Mars Pathfinder Lander
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Surveyor
facet_what
Surveyor
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
facet_what
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
facet_what
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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November 1996
facet_when
November 1996
facet_when
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facet_when:
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September 1997
facet_when
September 1997
facet_when
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facet_when:
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November 2006
facet_when
November 2006
facet_when
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facet_when:
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12 September 1997
facet_when
12 September 1997
facet_when
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facet_when:
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15 October 2006
facet_when
15 October 2006
facet_when
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facet_when:
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September 2005
facet_when
September 2005
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1996
facet_when_year
1996
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1997
facet_when_year
1997
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2005
facet_when_year
2005
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2006
facet_when_year
2006
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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PIA01887
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01887
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01887
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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