PresentationPDF Available

Areomorphology by Plasma Processes?

October 2020

DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.23815.73124

Conference: The 23rd Annual International Mars Society Convention, 2020

Authors:

Holger Isenberg

areo.info

While observations from Mars orbiters and rovers offer new views into surface details and improve with every new mission, most theories and models devised to explain the creation of mountains, canyons, craters and microscopic features are still those of the 19th century, from the time when Charles Lyell, Percival Lowell and Giovanni Schiaparelli were conducting their research. As since then, science in general has evolved and much has been revised in other fields of study, it should be allowed to ask, which new concepts and explanations are available today. This presentation provides an overview of alternate models for planetary surface shaping backed up by laboratory experiments performed by various researchers using the now well developed sciences of electromagnetic and plasma processes.

Content uploaded by Holger Isenberg

Content may be subject to copyright.

A preview of the PDF is not available

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.

ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.

Presentation

Full-text available

Practical Color Calibration for Mars Surface Images

September 2017

Holger Isenberg

A human being’s psychological state depends in part on the colors of the surroundings. One of the familiar effects related to this is alertness stimulated by bluish light of high color temperature and induced weariness by reddish low color temperature light such as evening sunlight. Hence, creating images approximating the visual color experience human explorers would have standing on the ... [Show full abstract] surface of Mars is an important part of preparing for their first presence there. A professional photographer on Earth uses the combination of two devices, a spectrophotometer and a standardized color reference target, to color calibrate the raw image data for recreating the visual experience a visitor would have when standing in the location where a photo was taken. Because neither of these devices has yet been taken to the surface of Mars, an alternative approach is needed to determine a basis for color calibrating Mars surface images. This talk describes a practical approach to color calibrating Mars surface images taken in 1976 by the Viking Lander and images from 2012 until present taken by the Mars Curiosity Rover. As a distinctive feature, the presented approach works primarily using the spectral sensitivity functions (SSF) of the camera sensors and incorporates the nonstandard color calibration targets on the Mars landers only as secondary input.

Presentation

Full-text available

24 Cameras to Answer: Red or Blue Sky on Mars?

October 2022

Holger Isenberg

12 robots and 41 color cameras have been operated since 1976 on the Martian surface. However, the question of the visual color experience on the surface for humans is still unsolved. While robots don't care whether the sky appears red or blue, humans' psychophysical well-being is highly dependent on this. Research papers discussing this topic do exist, but actual color calibration anchors barely ... [Show full abstract] exist. The current Mars Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter, which doubled the total number of color cameras on the surface, should be able to shine a light on this topic due to the diversity of its camera models and the choice of commercial off-the-shelf image sensors for most of them. As the author and operator of the free Mars Rovers color camera daily archive https://areo.info I investigated this question by applying standard software for photographic raw image processing using a few new calibration anchor points. I'm presenting recent results, difficulties and conclusions from comparing calibrated images from Viking Lander through Ingenuity.

Presentation

Full-text available

Modern Martian Mysteries

October 2023

Holger Isenberg

Water and organic chemistry are the most frequently appearing topics in press releases about Mars today, but they weren't even surprising for models existing decades ago. More interesting discoveries not explained by any theory yet have been made recently by various missions and are barely discussed in public science. This presentations will provide an overview of a few of those: Ingenuity ... [Show full abstract] Helicopter portrayed an X-shaped permanent xerography-like image left in the shape of its resting rotor blades on the surface in 2021. In the same year, a video sequence from Perseverance Rover Navcam showed a rapidly expanding km-wide dust torus on the surface defying the available energy of thermal-based convection. Earlier already in 1976, Viking Orbiter provided true color images of bright blue-green spots in some craters which were confirmed by hyperspectral images from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter CRISM in 2023 as not being imaging artifacts. In addition, signs of atmospheric electrochemistry causing deposits of perchlorates have been observed.

Presentation

Full-text available

The changing colorful face of Mars

August 2024

Holger Isenberg

Large surface areas changing between sand color, black, blue, and even dark green on the scarred desert planet caught the eyes of telescope observers already 150 years ago. Today, with 7 active Mars orbiters from 5 national space agencies carrying color cameras, one would assume the features seen in these historical observations have been investigated in detail and their origin determined. ... [Show full abstract] Surprisingly, few scientific papers exist, and even fewer color visualizations for humans. This presentation gives an overview of the current situation and also looks into possible small-scale related features like the Blueberries. Inspirational starting points are given to solve this Martian Mystery of its seasonal changing surface.