– Chinese researchers from the CAS have used images from the Tianwen-1 orbiter to create the highest resolution color map of Mars to date, at 76 meters per pixel.
– Previous maps had lower resolutions of hundreds of meters per pixel or more. This new map provides unprecedented detail.
– Images from Tianwen-1’s optical camera and imaging spectrometer were processed and color corrected to produce a true color mosaic.
– The team was able to precisely align individual images and reduce positioning errors, producing a seamless global map.
– The map, called Tianwen-1 Mars Global Color Orthomosaic 76 m v1, improves on the resolution and color accuracy of prior maps.
– It will serve as a useful reference for future robotic and crewed missions to select sites and map Mars at even finer scales. The level of detail will support missions planned for the 2030s onward.
– Producing this map highlights the scientific achievements of China’s Tianwen-1 mission, which has been exploring Mars for nearly three Earth years in orbit.
Source: Science Alert
