Mariner 6 and 7 Image Browser

Software for Mariner 6&7 TV experiment.

Program Mariner6&7View is created for M69_2001 CD-WO volumes produced by the Science Digital Data Preservation Task.

This data set has been generated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Science Digital Data Preservation Task (SDDPT) by migrating valuable space science data from older, deteriorating magnetic tapes to CD-ROM. The primary goal of the SDDPT is to reduce the amount of data stored on magnetic tapes, preserve valuable science data and make it more accessible to the user.
This data set (69-030A-0019) resides on a CD-ROM volume and contains Mariner 6 & 7 TV Reduced Data Records. The input for the compact disc was magnetic tape that, in most cases, was at least 20-27 years old. Accompanying each tape on the disc, there is a log file which documents SDDPT processing history. Therefore, if problems were encountered while recovering the data from tape, they will be documented in the log file. (The SDDPT is not reformatting the data). However, it has been made readable in standard ISO 9660 format on the compact disc useable on a variety of platforms.

This data set is available from National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC).
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/
More about this data set at:
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?ds=PSPG-00046

Mariner6&7View is a Windows viewer for this data set.

Example 1.
Mariner 6 and 7 far encounter.

Program options

• Auto Despeckle
• Auto Contrast Stretch
• Auto Flip Vertically
• Auto Rotate
• Auto Invert Display
• Auto Sharpen
• Auto Fill Missing Lines
• Auto Minimize 1 ( 50% original image for near encounter recommended)
• Auto Minimize 2 ( 25% original image for far encounter images recommended)
• Auto Scan - scan pause options (2,3,4,5 seconds)

Buttons

• Next and Previous image buttons
• Scan Forward button
• Scan Backword button
• Scan Stop button
• Restore Original Image button
• Despeckle on/off button
• Contrast Stretch on/off button
• Flip Vertically on/off button
• Rotate on/off button
• Sharpen on/off button
• Invert Display on/off button
• Fill Missing Lines on/off button
• Minimize 50% on/off button
• Minimize 25% on/off button
• Brightness up/down buttons
• Contrast up/down buttons
• Info Image button

Additional options

• Save as BMP
• Print Setup
• Print

• ETE pictures (every 28-th pixel)
• DV digital video pictures (every 7-th pixel)
• CAV composite analog video pictures
• Images reconstructed by JPL/IPL from the three data streams (CAV, DV, and ETE).
  Images were also digitally processed by an IBM 360/44 computer for enhancement
  and by an IBM 360/75 for noise removal in 1969 (enhancement program by Earl B. Sundquist).
• Images in orthographic projection processed by JPL/IPL in 1969.

          Informations received from Earl B. Sundquist indicates that images were processed
          by an earlier version 7080 computer (not by computer IBM 360 series) programed
          in language called MAP (macro assembler).

Files format on CD - variable length

.......         AAAAAAAA         AAAAAAAA
.......         BBBBBBBB         BBBBBBBB
PCCCCCC         00CCCCCC         CCCCCCCC
PCCDDDD         00CCDDDD         DDDDDDDD
PDDDDEE         00DDDDEE         EEEEEEEE
PEEEEEE         00EEEEEE         ........
.......         ........         ........
.......         ........         ........
.......         ........         ........
.......         NNNNNNNN         NNNNNNNN
.......         RRRRRRRR         RRRRRRRR
PSSSSSS         00SSSSSS         SSSSSSSS
PSSTTTT         00SSTTTT         TTTTTTTT
PTTTTUU         00TTTTUU         UUUUUUUU
PUUUUUU         00UUUUUU         ........

• 1)  Original 7-track magnetic tapes    P-parity bit

• 2)  Data on M69_2001 CD-WO    
  - 2 bytes Header length (8-bits used)
  - Header (6-bits used)
  - 2 bytes Line length (8-bits used)
  - Line data (6-bits used)

• 3)  Data converted by Mariner6&7View    
  - 2 bytes Header length (8-bits used)
  - Header (8-bits used)
  - 2 bytes Line length (8-bits used)
  - Line data (8-bits used)
  

Image 6N21 includes the boundary between dark Sabaeus Sinus and light Deucalionis Regio. Careful crater counts in both regions indicate there is no significant difference between crater distributions in light and dark areas.

Full size (169 KB)

Data errors and problems information.

• line 2 - shorter line (EA04) compatible with line length
• line 4 and 5 - two missing lines ( compressed by software)
• line 7 - one missing line ( filled by software)
  Image processing example (514 KB)
  

Image 6N18 contains in the lower left the edge of what is apparently a large, nearly obliterated "ghost" crater. While the prominent crater in the upper middle of 6N18 may be easily identified in 6N17, this larger "ghost" crater edge is not apparent in the 6N17 frame.

Full size (192 KB)

2) Missing Header Line.

• No header length
• No information about image
  Image info example (75 KB)
  

Image 7N17 includes the actual South Pole near the lower left corner of the picture. In the vicinity of the Pole there is a noticeable lack of craters and other features common elsewhere on the Polar Cap. Notice, also, the alignment of curved streaks around the Pole.

Full size (173 KB)

3) Movement data inside line.

• Line 4 - two bytes movement data inside line
• Impossible automatic detection movement site
  Conversion 6 to 8 bits "snaked" data with movement - effect example (33 KB)
  

Image 7N12 is a deceptive telephoto view of the cap edge. Since the sunlight is coming from the left side of the frame, what appear to be shadowed crater walls are, in fact, the sunlit slopes from which the snow has been melted or sublimated by the direct sunlight. The bright slopes of the craters are the areas inclined away from the Sun where snow still remains.

Full size (159 KB)

Recommended tapes (folders on M69_2001 CD-WO).

Tape 69_321   7N1,7N3,7N5,7N7,7N9,7N11,7N13,7N15 orthographic projection Mariner 7 images
Tape 69_331   7N17,7N19,7N21,7N23,7N25,7N27,7N29,7N31 orthographic projection Mariner 7 images

Tape 69_041   6N01 to 6N13 near encounter Mariner 6 partly processed images
Tape 69_051   6N14 to 6N25 near encounter Mariner 6 partly processed images
Tape 69_061   7N01 to 7N13 near encounter Mariner 7 partly processed images
Tape 69_071   7N14 to 7N26 near encounter Mariner 7 partly processed images
Tape 69_081   7N27 to 7N32 near encounter Mariner 7 partly processed images

Tape Rbl_012   6F01 to 6F16 far encounter Mariner 6 images
Tape Rbl_011   6F17 to 6F32 far encounter Mariner 6 images
Tape Rbl_022   6F33 to 6F48 far encounter Mariner 6 images
Tape Rbl_010   6F49 far encounter Mariner 6 image

Tape Rbl_006   7F01 to 7F16 far encounter Mariner 7 images
Tape Rbl_020   7F17 to 7F32 far encounter Mariner 7 images
Tape Rbl_019   7F33 to 7F46 far encounter Mariner 7 images
Tape Rbl_026   7F47 to 7F62 far encounter Mariner 7 images
Tape Rbl_009   7F63 to 7F78 far encounter Mariner 7 images
Tape Rbl_021   7F79 to 7F93 far encounter Mariner 7 images

Near encounter thumbnails

Example 9.

Phobos - first time in history photographed by spacecraft

Phobos - (97 KB)

• one quarter image size is strongly recommended for low quality far encounter images
  Low quality far encounter image example (50 KB)
  

Mariner 7 near encounter image guide

Mariner 6 far encounter animated GIF - size 50 % (546 KB)

Mariner 6 far encounter animated GIF - size 25 % (126 KB)

Other Links :

DOWNLOAD Mariner6&7View version 1.02 NOW !!! (272 K)

For questions about this program, please contact:
mailto:piotr.a.masek@pro.onet.pl

Acknowledgements

• NSSDC and WDC-A/R&S
• Earl B. Sundquist
• dedicated to Dr. Robert B. Leighton (1919-1997)

visitors since 2001.09.12

Last Updated: 2002.07.20

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