Atmospheric imaging results from the Mars exploration rovers: Spirit and opportunity

M. T. Lemmon; M. J. Wolff; M. D. Smith; R. T. Clancy; D. Banfield; G. A. Landis; A. Ghosh; P. H. Smith; N. Spanovich; B. Whitney; P. Whelley; R. Greeley; S. Thompson; J. F. Bell; S. W. Squyres

doi:10.1126/science.1104474

Atmospheric imaging results from the Mars exploration rovers: Spirit and opportunity

M. T. Lemmon, M. J. Wolff, M. D. Smith, R. T. Clancy, D. Banfield, G. A. Landis, A. Ghosh, P. H. Smith, N. Spanovich, B. Whitney, P. Whelley, R. Greeley, S. Thompson, J. F. Bell, S. W. Squyres

Lunar and Planetary Lab

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

212 Scopus citations

Abstract

A visible atmospheric optical depth of 0.9 was measured by the Spirit rover at Gusev crater and by the Opportunity rover at Meridiani Planum. Optical depth decreased by about 0.6 to 0.7% per sol through both 90-sol primary missions. The vertical distribution of atmospheric dust at Gusev crater was consistent with uniform mixing, with a measured scale height of 11.56 ± 0.62 kilometers. The dust's cross section weighted mean radius was 1.47 ± 0.21 micrometers (μm) at Gusev and 1.52 ± 0.18 μm at Meridiani. Comparison of visible optical depths with 9-μm optical depths shows a visibie-to-infrared optical depth ratio of 2.0 ± 0.2 for comparison with previous monitoring of infrared optical depths.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1753-1756
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	306
Issue number	5702
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1104474
State	Published - Dec 3 2004

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Lemmon, M. T., Wolff, M. J., Smith, M. D., Clancy, R. T., Banfield, D., Landis, G. A., Ghosh, A., Smith, P. H., Spanovich, N., Whitney, B., Whelley, P., Greeley, R., Thompson, S., Bell, J. F., & Squyres, S. W. (2004). Atmospheric imaging results from the Mars exploration rovers: Spirit and opportunity. Science, 306(5702), 1753-1756. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1104474

@article{77686bae674b44fe869697f5c3348d81,

title = "Atmospheric imaging results from the Mars exploration rovers: Spirit and opportunity",

abstract = "A visible atmospheric optical depth of 0.9 was measured by the Spirit rover at Gusev crater and by the Opportunity rover at Meridiani Planum. Optical depth decreased by about 0.6 to 0.7% per sol through both 90-sol primary missions. The vertical distribution of atmospheric dust at Gusev crater was consistent with uniform mixing, with a measured scale height of 11.56 ± 0.62 kilometers. The dust's cross section weighted mean radius was 1.47 ± 0.21 micrometers (μm) at Gusev and 1.52 ± 0.18 μm at Meridiani. Comparison of visible optical depths with 9-μm optical depths shows a visibie-to-infrared optical depth ratio of 2.0 ± 0.2 for comparison with previous monitoring of infrared optical depths.",

author = "Lemmon, {M. T.} and Wolff, {M. J.} and Smith, {M. D.} and Clancy, {R. T.} and D. Banfield and Landis, {G. A.} and A. Ghosh and Smith, {P. H.} and N. Spanovich and B. Whitney and P. Whelley and R. Greeley and S. Thompson and Bell, {J. F.} and Squyres, {S. W.}",

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T1 - Atmospheric imaging results from the Mars exploration rovers

T2 - Spirit and opportunity

AU - Lemmon, M. T.

AU - Wolff, M. J.

AU - Smith, M. D.

AU - Clancy, R. T.

AU - Banfield, D.

AU - Landis, G. A.

AU - Ghosh, A.

AU - Smith, P. H.

AU - Spanovich, N.

AU - Whitney, B.

AU - Whelley, P.

AU - Greeley, R.

AU - Thompson, S.

AU - Bell, J. F.

AU - Squyres, S. W.

PY - 2004/12/3

Y1 - 2004/12/3

N2 - A visible atmospheric optical depth of 0.9 was measured by the Spirit rover at Gusev crater and by the Opportunity rover at Meridiani Planum. Optical depth decreased by about 0.6 to 0.7% per sol through both 90-sol primary missions. The vertical distribution of atmospheric dust at Gusev crater was consistent with uniform mixing, with a measured scale height of 11.56 ± 0.62 kilometers. The dust's cross section weighted mean radius was 1.47 ± 0.21 micrometers (μm) at Gusev and 1.52 ± 0.18 μm at Meridiani. Comparison of visible optical depths with 9-μm optical depths shows a visibie-to-infrared optical depth ratio of 2.0 ± 0.2 for comparison with previous monitoring of infrared optical depths.

AB - A visible atmospheric optical depth of 0.9 was measured by the Spirit rover at Gusev crater and by the Opportunity rover at Meridiani Planum. Optical depth decreased by about 0.6 to 0.7% per sol through both 90-sol primary missions. The vertical distribution of atmospheric dust at Gusev crater was consistent with uniform mixing, with a measured scale height of 11.56 ± 0.62 kilometers. The dust's cross section weighted mean radius was 1.47 ± 0.21 micrometers (μm) at Gusev and 1.52 ± 0.18 μm at Meridiani. Comparison of visible optical depths with 9-μm optical depths shows a visibie-to-infrared optical depth ratio of 2.0 ± 0.2 for comparison with previous monitoring of infrared optical depths.

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Atmospheric imaging results from the Mars exploration rovers: Spirit and opportunity

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