Data Set Information
DATA_SET_NAME MGS SAMPLER MARS ORBITER CAMERA IMAGES
DATA_SET_ID MGS-M-MOC-4-SAMPLER-V1.0
NSSDC_DATA_SET_ID
DATA_SET_TERSE_DESCRIPTION Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) operated in Mars orbit between September 1997 and November 2006. It returned more than 240,000 images spanning portions of 4.8 Martian years.
DATA_SET_DESCRIPTION
MOC is a three-component imaging 
      system (one narrow-angle and two wide-angle cameras) designed to 
      take high spatial resolution pictures of the surface and to obtain 
      lower spatial resolution, synoptic coverage of the surface and 
      atmosphere [Malin et al., 1992; 1998]. The cameras are based on 
      the 'push broom' technique, acquiring one line of data at a time 
      as the spacecraft orbits the planet. Using the narrow-angle camera 
      during the Mapping Phase of the mission, areas ranging from 2.8 x 
      2.8 km to 2.8 x 25.2 km (depending on available internal digital 
      buffer memory) can be imaged at about 1.4 m/pixel. Additionally, 
      lower-resolution pictures (to a lowest resolution of about 11 
      m/pixel) can be acquired by pixel averaging; these images can 
      be much longer, ranging up to 2.8 x 500 km at 11 m/pixel. 
      High-resolution data will be used to study sediments and 
      sedimentary processes, polar processes and deposits, volcanism, 
      and other geologic/geomorphic processes. The MOC wide-angle 
      cameras are capable of viewing Mars from horizon to horizon and 
      are designed for low-resolution global and intermediate 
      resolution regional studies. Low-resolution observations can be 
      made every orbit during the Mapping Phase, so that in a single 
      24-hour period a complete global picture of the planet can be
      assembled at a resolution of at least 7.5 km/pixel. Regional 
      areas (covering hundreds of km on a side) may be imaged at a 
      resolution of better than 250 m/pixel at the nadir. These images 
      will be particularly useful in studying time-variable features 
      such as lee clouds, the polar cap edge, and wind streaks, as well 
      as acquiring stereoscopic coverage of areas of geological 
      interest. The limb can be imaged at vertical and along-track 
      resolutions of better than 1.5 km. Color filters within the two 
      wide-angle cameras permit color images of the surface and 
      atmosphere to be made to distinguish between clouds and the 
      ground and between clouds of different composition.
      
      During the Orbit Insertion Phase of the mission a number of MOC 
      images have been acquired on a best efforts basis. Most of the 
      data have been acquired in the high resolution mode. Nine of these 
      images are included on this MGS Science Sampler volume and are 
      stored as GIF files.
DATA_SET_RELEASE_DATE 1998-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
START_TIME 1997-10-03T12:00:00.000Z
STOP_TIME 1998-01-21T12:00:00.000Z
MISSION_NAME MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR
MISSION_START_DATE 1994-10-12T12:00:00.000Z
MISSION_STOP_DATE 2007-09-30T12:00:00.000Z
TARGET_NAME MARS
TARGET_TYPE PLANET
INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID MGS
INSTRUMENT_NAME MARS ORBITER CAMERA
INSTRUMENT_ID MOC
INSTRUMENT_TYPE LINEAR ARRAY CAMERA
NODE_NAME Geosciences
ARCHIVE_STATUS ARCHIVED
CONFIDENCE_LEVEL_NOTE
N/A
CITATION_DESCRIPTION Malin, M., and E. Eliason, Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera Sampler, MGS-M-MOC-4-SAMPLER-V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 1998.
ABSTRACT_TEXT Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) data products on this volume are nine Narrow Angle Camera images selected from orbits between 13 and 100; i.e., some images are from outside the Assessment Orbits range of 19-36. The images are in GIF format with detached PDS labels, and they have had some cosmetic corrections applied (see VOLINFO for description). As the images are large, reduced-size versions have also been included for browsing. To assist in locating the images on the planet, 'finder frames' have been provided; these are Viking Orbiter MDIMs showing the outlines of the MOC images in the context of the larger area. The locations of the MOC images are also shown on the Mercator and South Polar Stereographic orbit ground track maps below. (Note: MOC image files are named according to the form NAnnnnxx, where nnnn is the orbit number and xx is the image number within the orbit.)
PRODUCER_FULL_NAME MICHAEL MALIN
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