A Scenic Walk
Contributed by ASU Undergraduate research aide Sydney Larriva
On Sol 383 (March 19, 2022), Mastcam-Z shot a panorama sequence called zcam08411, which consisted of 26 left and 26 right images using filter 0, the RGB color filter. The 26 left images were eventually transformed into this gorgeous, enhanced-color mosaic. There are a number of impressive features present in this mosaic. From a set of Perseverance’s tire tracks, to the infamous flat-topped mesa Kodiak, this image is chock-full of cool landmarks. While it might seem like Perseverance is simply on a site-seeing tour of Jezero Crater, she is in fact hard at work! In this image, Perseverance is helping to document the composition and stratigraphy of the delta through stereo and multispectral
imaging using Mastcam-Z.
In actuality, Mars would not look like this to human eyes! The Martian surface is truly red and ruddy as you initially imagine it, with an orangish-tan sky. Color enhancement has changed the mosaic so scientists can better differentiate between materials and therefore make more informed observations about Mars and its geological features. Even so, the detailed rock formations, the ethereal-looking ridges in the distance, and the blue-tinted sky created from the enhanced color makes it seem like a picture someone might take as they are hiking through a canyon trail here on Earth, not millions of miles across the solar system – the power of color enhancement!
The opening image of this entry is a 1/5th scale version of the mosaic, for ease of downloading. Full-resolution versions, with and without annotations of the informally-named regions of interest, are available for downloading below!
March 19, 2022