Mars Pathfinder Keyword Definitions
Below are definitions for the limited selection of keywords from the
PDS labels which are shown on each of the browse pages. (A complete
listing of the definitions of all the keywords included in the PDS
labels is available in Appendix A of the Mars Pathfinder IMP EDR CD-ROM SIS.)
- Azimuth Motor
Clicks
- The number of motor step counts the camera rotated in the
horizontal direction from a low hard stop. Since each step count is
0.553 degrees, the approximate azimuthal position of the camera can be
derived from this value.
- Elevation Motor
Clicks
- The number of motor step counts the camera rottated in the
vertical direction from the low hard stop. Since each step count is
0.553 degrees, the approximate elevational position of the camera can
be derived from this value.
- Exposure Duration
- The time interval between the opening and closing of an instrument
aperture. The IMP camera does not have a shutter in the traditional
sense, so for MPF this value is the integration time for manual and
auto exposure, measured in milliseconds.
- Filter Name
- The name of the instrument filter through which the image was
acquired. The numbers refer to the effective wavelength in nanometers
of the filter for the left (L) or right (R) eye.
Filter Number |
Filter Name |
Application |
0 |
L440_R440 |
Stereo, Geology |
1 |
L450_R670 |
Solar |
2 |
L885_R947 |
Solar |
3 |
L925_R935 |
Solar |
4 |
L935_R990 |
Solar |
5 |
L670_R670 |
Stereo, Geology |
6 |
L800_R750 |
Geology |
7 |
L860_R-DIOPTER |
Geology |
8 |
L900_R600 |
Geology |
9 |
L930_R530 |
Stereo, Ranging, Geology |
10 |
L1000_R480 |
Geology |
11 |
L965_R965 |
Stereo, Ranging, Geology |
- Filter Number
- The number of the instrument filter through which the image was
acquired. (See Filter Name for details.)
- Frame ID
- Provides an identification for a particular instrument frame.
Valid values are LEFT, RIGHT, BOTH, and LEFT_HALF. The IMP camera
nominally operates in a mode where both the left and right images are
exposed and transferred into the frame buffer simultaneously. Then
either the RIGHT, LEFT, or BOTH frames are transmitted. For even
shorter shutter times, the left image only may be transferred into the
frame buffer (LEFT_HALF). The presence of BOTH in this field
indicates that the image should be part of a stereo pair.
- Image Time
- Date and time at which the image was acquired, recorded in UTC
system format. Shown as: "YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss.fffZ".
- Instrument Azimuth
- One of two angular measurements of the pointing direction of the
IMP camera. (Note: this is the boresight pointing, not the pointing
of an individiual camera eye.) The azimuth is measured positively in
the clockwise direction (as viewed from above). It is measured
parallel to the x-y plane of the IMP coordinate frame, with the
YIMP axis of the frame defining the zero reference
direction.
- Instrument Compression
Ratio
- The ratio of the size, in bytes, of the original uncompressed data
file to its compressed form.
- Instrument
Deployment State
- Indicates whether or not the IMP camera had been deployed to the
end of its 80 cm mast at the time the image was acquired.
- Instrument
Elevation
- One of two angular measurements of the pointing direction of the
IMP camera. (Note: this is the boresight pointing, not the pointing
of an individual camera eye.) The elevation is measured positively
upwards from the plane which is co-planar with the x-y plane of the IMP
coordinate frame and which intersects the elevation axis around which
the camera rotates.
- MPF Local Time
- Local time at the lander site on the surface of Mars, meaured in
local hours, minutes, and seconds, from midnight. Local hours are
defined as one twenty-fourth of a local solar day. Local minutes are
one sixtieth of a local hour, and local seconds are one sixtieth of a
local minute. Format is "hh:mm:ss".
- Observation Name
- The purpose of an observation or sequence of commands.
- Planet Day Number
- The Martian day (ie., sidereal day, equal to a rotation of 360
degrees) on which the image was taken. Starts with 1 as the first day
of surface operations, the day the spacecraft landed. Negative values
refer to pre-surface images.
- Product Id
- A permanent, unique identifier assigned to each data product. For
the IMP EDRs, this is constructed from the words "IMP_EDR" followed by
the spacecraft clock start count, followed by the image observation
type, followed by the image id.
- Solar Azimuth
- One of two angular measurements indicating the position of the Sun
as measured from the lander. The azimuth is measured positively in
the clockwise direction (as viewed from above) with the meridian
passing through the positive spin axis of the planet (ie., the north
pole) defining the zero reference.
- Solar Elevation
- One of two angular measurements indicating the position of the Sun
as measured from the lander. The elevation is measured up from the
plane which is perpendicular to the line passing between the lander
and the center of Mars and which intersects the lander.
- Surface Based
Instrument Azimuth
- One of two angular measurements of the pointing direction of the
IMP camera. (Note: this is the boresight pointing, not the pointing
of an individual camera eye.) The azimuth is measured positively in
the clockwise direction (as viewed from above) with the meridian
passing through the positive spin axis ("north pole") defining the
zero reference. It is measured in a plane perpendicular to the line
between the lander and the center of Mars. The surface based
instrument azimuth is derived from the instrument pointing and
spacecraft orientation. It is co-linear with the Mars Surface Fixed
coordinate system, but the origin is not co-incident with that
system.
Note that the surface based instrument azimuth describes the pointing
direction of the camera rather than the angular coordinates of the
target of an observation. Thus, this parameter cannot be used to
uniquely describe the position of a viewed object across changes in
the position of the camera (for example, when it went from STOWED to
DEPLOYED).
- Surface Based
Instrument Elevation
- One of two angular measurements of the pointing direction of the
IMP camera. (Note: this is the boresight pointing, not the pointing
of an individual camera eye.) The elevation is measured positively
upwards from the plane perpendicular to the line between the lander
and the center of Mars. It is derived from the instrument pointing
and spacecraft orientation. It is co-linear with the Mars Surface
Fixed coordinate system, but the origin is not co-incident with that
system.
Note that the surface based instrument elevation describes the
pointing direction of the camera rather than the angular coordinates
of the target of an observation. Thus, this parameter cannot be used
to uniquely describe the position of a viewed object across changes in
the position of the camera (for example, when it went from STOWED to
DEPLOYED).
- Target Name
- Identifies the intended target of an observation. Can be
either a planetary body or a physical object. Valid values are
ALTAIR, APXSSITE, ARCTURUS, CALIMG, DEIMOS, LANDER, MAG(netic
targets), MARS, PHOBOS, ROVER, SKY, SUN, VEGA, and WINDSOCK. (Note
that ALTAIR, ARCTURUS, and VEGA are all stored in the STAR directory.)
This list does not include feature names like "Barnacle Bill" and
"Yogi". For details on feature names, please consult the gazetteer on this CD.