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Quest_Moderator
Welcome to the web chat with the HiRISE Team. We already have some great questions,
and will be starting as soon as our experts are ready.
Alexandra_Davatzes
Hi everyone! Welcome to the webchat. We are excited to hear how things are
going and help you troubleshoot any problems you are having with HiWeb, and
answer questions about HiRISE!
Quest_Moderator
I notice quite a few questions on meteorites, and whereas these are great questions
and interesting, please keep your questions to the challenge at hand. Thanks
Virginia_Gulick
HI Everyone! Just a reminder: in order to see the questions asked before you
sign on, check the archive after the webchat!
Ms._Jamison_-_T
<Q>Will the students' questions be answered by the end of this week?
Quest_Moderator
A>Hi Mrs. Jamison, We will have the archive of questions and answers up
by the end of today. Naturally, some of the questions will not be answered,
like "Where is Mars at?"
Ehsan_Iran
< Q>Are the Hi-RISE raw images, have sent quickly after take to earth,
or MRO computers, do a series of operations on them before?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>HiRISE images are taken using a pushbroom motion, and then when the
data is returned to Earth, there are a series of "pipelines" that stich
together the strips into a single image, and put together the different color
bands and make geometric corrections so that north is pointing straight up. All
of this happens very quickly, usually within a day of the image being taken.
Ms._Jamison_-_T
<Q>Will students be allowed to work together or have to work independently?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Students may work together. It will be more fun that way!
mrs.jamisonsclass
<Q>What part of Mars is the most explored?Why?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Depends on what type of exploration you are talking about. The rovers
for example, have landed nearl the equatorial regions. This is partly because
there is more sun available newar the equatorial regions to power the rovers'
solar panels.
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>If Hi-RISE can take infrared photos, did it capture any photo from the
night side of the planet? Like MERs sites in night or newly discovered pits on
the surface of mars?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>The IR band is near-IR, so HiRISE does not take thermal IR (long wavelength
IR) images. We only image during the day. If you are interested in seeing night-side
images, THEMIS on Mars Odyssey does daytime and nighttime IR.
luxeden
<Q>why don’t they take pictures of Cydonia ?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>Several images of Cydonia have been taken, including the famous landform....i.e.
the Face. You can do an image search on the HiRISE website to see them.
Miss_Catalina_s_Explorers_Club
<Q>Can we image an area that the Pathfinder covered?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Yes, HiRISE you can. HiRISE has already taken images of the Pathfinder
landing site, so check the HiRISE website. However, the team often re-images
sites especially the landing sites to see if there are any changes.
mrs.jamisonsclass
<Q>Has any ice been found in any stream or gully? If so where?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Yes, we have seen frost in some of the gullies in the Southern hemisphere.
Check out the HiRISE website.
mrs.jamisonsclass
<Q>Will the craters have any affect on where water will be found?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>Yes, they could, because they excavate the underlying rocks. But the
key is to look at fresh new craters....the old ones have often been covered by
dust.
Quest_Moderator
Please keep the chat room as clear of "extra" messages like "You
there?" as possible. We are trying to answer good HiRISE questions and
extra greetings, etc. make it hard. Thanks
future_scientist2000
<Q>when will i get the mail about the hirise programme,i mean when will
i get the video of the place of mars,that i can choose the area for hirise?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>You will need to log on to HiWeb, HiRISE's Image Suggestion facility,
and suggest an image using HiWeb. New registrants should have access to HiWeb
shortly if not already. You should have received an email from me explaining
how to log on to HiWeb. If you didn't please receive this email, please send
me an email.
Maria_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>I am trying to see the landing site of the Pathfinder which is 19.33
N, 33.55 W, but I only seem to be able to view 33.55 East and I think I need
33.55 West.
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>Everything is done with respect to east. So everything is from 0 degrees
to 360 degrees. So, if you want to see something at 33.55 west,
subtract it from 360. 360-33.55= 326.45
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>If I have missed any questions, is there a way to view them?
Quest_Moderator
<A>We will archive the question and answer pairs today. We will attempt
to answer as many of the HiRISE appropriate questions as possible.
nitin
<Q>how long be the program?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Please see the Quest website for information on the Fall HiRISE Challenge
and associated deadlines.
Mrs.Jamisons_class_kd
<Q>how do you make a prediction
Virginia_Gulick
<A>You can submit an image suggestion using HiWeb, HiRISE's mage suggestion
facility. When you register you will receive an email from me explaining how
to access HiWeb.
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>How long and how wide the usually photos that taken by Hi-RISE on the
mars? What's the biggest range which Hi-RISE can take a photo on mars?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>This depends on what resolution we take the image at, because that will
control how long an image can be. But generally, images are about 6 km in wdth
and 12 km in length.
Mrs.Jamisons_class_kd
<Q>do you think there can be water?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>yes, certainly underground as ice, and probably there was water on the
surface in the past.
nht
<Q>i m very confused bcoz of so many links, can u suggest me what r the
important parts to be checked in the site?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>YOu should start with the hiRISE Challenge website at http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/hirise/
and register if you haven't already. You will then recieve an email detailing
how to log on to HiWeb: HiRISE's image suggestion facility. To check out the
the current hiRISE images go to http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu. You can also pan
and zoom around many of the HiRISE images right withibn your web browser by going
to http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/hirise
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>There seems to be so many steps. Is there a really easy way to follow
the process?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Please see my answer to nht's question which is similar.
Ehsan
<Q>What's the meaning of colors in Hi-RISE false-colour pictures from mars?
Are this colours wrong in fact or not ? How Hi-RISE take these pictures ?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>the false color just means the wavelengths are shifted a bit. We have
three bands on the spacecraft, red, blue-green, and near infra-red. Normally
we look at things in "RGB"- red, green blue. So we shift the wavelenths
a bit- near IR shows up as Red, red shows up as green, and green-blue shows up
as blue.
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>Did Hi-RISE capture a photo from the famous human-face shaped hill,
on mars since now?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>yes, see reply above.
nht
<Q>i m a student ,i have took part in it,so i want to know should i send
any other encloser with the form?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>When you register, you will receive an email from me on how to access
HiWeb. You will then go on to HiWeb and can you the many tools available to explore
Mars and make a suggestion. YOu can also go to the HiRSE Learning and Acitivites
page to view HiWeb tutorials and more info about Mars geared towrds different
grade levels.
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>Why in the first photos which sent from vikings and Mars pathfinder
and MERs, we see a lot of separate stones? Is it due to the climate condition
changes?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>Yes, these form by erosion, just like on Earth. could be from water,
wind or just mass wasting.
Quest_Moderator
Be sure that you have asked your questions about HiRISE. We're at about the
midway point on the chat and most of the questions about using HiWeb or HiRISE
have been tackled.
Mrs.Jamisons_class_kd
<Q>how long does it take to see ur picture
Virginia_Gulick
<A>If submitted by October 5th, we will try to image as many suggestions
as possible. The suggestions that arr targeted should be acquired by mid-November.
Ehsan
<Q>Is there any geological activity like acitive volcanos on the surface
of the mars, now ?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>We haven't seen any evidence yet for active volcanoes.
Mrs.Jamsion_s_class
<Q>If there is a volcano there can you help me try to find the area of
the volcano?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>There are several volcanos on Mars. You can go to the hirise website
and do an image search for "volcano" to see what we've found. One thing
to keep in mind is that the volcanoes are much larger than the area covered in
a HiRISE image, so you may see part of a caldera or a lava flow, but not the
whole thing. You can start to find out more by doing web searches for Tharsis,
Olympus Mons, Arsia Mons (to just name a few) or just "Mars volcano"...
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>If we want to compare Hi-RISE with a simple digital camera, a usual
photo from Hi-RISE, how many pixels high and wide?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>A full HiRISE image is approximately 20,000 pixels wide. The length
can be variable up to approximately 80,000 pixels. Full HiRISE resolution is
about 25 cm/pixel!
Miss_Catalina_s_Explorers_Club
<Q>What kind of information can we get about the geology of a particular
site?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>A variety of different things, depending on the area. All kinds of things
can be important- the size and shapes of the boulders, the patterns on the ground
(polygonal patterning is quite common), the shapes of channels and grooves, the
number of craters can give you an age. Any texture you see in the image can tell
you something about the history of the area.
Mrs.Jamsion_s_class
<Q>Will you please give me a website to find the pick?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Once your teacher has registered, they will be sent the instructions
on how to access HiWeb: HiRISE's image suggestion facility to find and to suggest
good locations on Mars to pick. You should also peruse the exisiting HiRISE images
to get an idea of what surface features look like at HiRISE resolution.
Ehsan
<Q>How deep MRO can penetrate the surface of mars by using its cameras
in different wavelenghtes ?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>HiRISE does not penetrate the surface, it just gives images of the surface.
Same with CTX and CRISM. The only instument on MRO that penetrates the surface
is SHARAD, in the top few hundred meters.
Mrs.Jamisons_class_kd
<Q>how much ice did you all find on mars
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>There is a tremendous amount of ice in the polar caps, but we've also
seen a lot of evidence of ice just beneath the surface. The Phoenix lander will
hopefully tell us more about that.
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>What is the principal defference between Hi-RISE and cameras on the
other spacecrafts ?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>HiRISE has much higher resolution than any other camera flown on previous
orbiters to Mars. In addition, the center 20% of the image is taken in 3 filters
so we can get a "color" image of that portion that is very helpful
in distinguishing different surface features and units.
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>What's the principal source of spiders on the southern hemisphere on
mars?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>The "spiders" on Mars are a very interesting and enigmatic
feature, probably resulting from sublimation of ice. Check out this image, which
is fantastic, one of my faves, of the spiders: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_003734_0950
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>How the spider's web shaped sands, formed inside the victoria crater?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Material blown in to the crater is blown around by the prevailing winds
and forms dunes. The spidery pattterns you describe are actually dune fields.
Ehsan
<Q>What is the difference between sand dunes on mars and earth?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>The particle size may be a bit different on Mars, but basically the
dune forms are similar.
Ehsan
<Q>What we see in the amzing pictures of Hi-RISE from the south polar region
of mars in fact? Dry ice or water ice ? I informed last week that scintists found
out that the south pole of mars is consist of 85 % water ice.
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>Yes, it is a mix of carbon dioxide ice and water ice. Most of the CO2
ice is seasonal, and accumulates during the cold season on the caps.
Highlander
<Q>Hi, what do you think about some possibility of finding water in the
crater pits in Arsia Mons? (sorry, my english is very bad ::laugh)
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>The pits are fascinating, check out the most recent image: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_004847_1745.
As for what is inside, I have no idea, that is anyone's guess. Also, a scientific
paper just came out about these pits this past week, there have been several
news reports to check out.
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>If Hi-RISE can take infrared photos, did it capture any photo from the
night side of the planet? Like MERs sites in night or newly discovered pitson
the surface of mars?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Generally we don't take pictures whenthe camera is on the night side
except for prehaps calibration. HiRISE is a visible camera that has a near-infrared
filter. However, THEMIS which is an infrared imaging spectrometer on the Mars
Odyssey Orbiter is taking pitures of the surface during the day and night albeit
at lower resolution.
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>At a resolution of 25cm / pixel, how much detail can you see in one
pixel?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>Generally you need three pixels to be able to identify a feature, so
basically you can see things that are about the size of a school desk.
Ehsan_Iran
<Q>What's your idea about newly discovered pits on mars? What they can
be?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>These are probably like the "pit craters" in Hawaii, which
form from underground collapse. We've imaged them straight down and to the side,
and they appear to have vertical walls.
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>Can HIRISE use spectra to tell what minerals might be in an area?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>HIRISE has a near-infrared filter so it can detect some differences
in mineralogy in the near IR. However, there is another instrument onborad MRO
called CRISM which is a visible-infrared imaging spectrometer that can identify
specific minerals at the surface.
Quest_Moderator
Our time is coming to a close. I thank you for your questions, and trust that
you will check back for answers about HiRISE that could not be handled during
this hour.
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
< Q>I was trying to figure out how to ZOOM in on an image
Virginia_Gulick
<A>If you are at http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/hirise/hirise_images. Once
you select an image, you can just progressively zoom in by clicking on the image.
YOu can also use the arrow slider or the + in the zoom panel to the right of
the image to zoom into the image. To pan around the image just click and drag
on the image.
Quest_Moderator
Please be sure to check all of the questions. In order to give you as many
answers as possible, we have tried not to duplicate questions. Your answer
may be attached to someone else's question.
Mrs.Jamisons_class_kd
<Q>What part of mars are most pictures taken?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>There are pictures taken everywhere on Mars. Go to the HiRISE image
viewer site at http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/hirise/hirise_images to see a map
showing the locations of HiRISE images that have already been acquired.
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>Can HIRISE target a particular rock? We are interested in YOGI (found
by the Sojourner)
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>I am not sure if Yogi is big enough, but you should try downloading
one of the pathfinder images (just to a search on the main hirise page for Pathfinder)
and looking for it. I think it is a big rock, and you might see it if you zoom
in to full res.
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>Can HIRISE detect carbonates through the spectra?
Virginia_Gulick
<A>HiRISE can see color differences in the surface material but CRISM which
is the visible-infrared imaging spectrometer flying onboard MRO can detect carbonates.
Quest_Moderator
Thanks all for joining us today. We will finish up some questions we have in
the queue before closing. We look forward to working with you as you select
an area to be imaged on Mars!
Mrs.Jamsion_s_class
<Q>Does Mars have the largest volcano? Do you think water might have been
around that area?
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>Yes. Olympus Mons is the largest volcano on Mars. Many of the volcanoes
have valley networks down the sides, suggesting there may have once been water
there.
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>Once we have an image with HIRISE is there a way to correlate with other
instruments on the MRO
Virginia_Gulick
<A>Yes. HiRISE images are nested with the other insruments. For example,
CTX takes images at a lower reolution but has a much wider field of view allowing
users to see more context and CRISM takes spectral information of the same area.
In addition using HiWeb you can view data from THEMIS and images from MOC.
Miss_Catalina_Explorers_Club
<Q>we would like to know how to determine a relative age of craters using
hirise so we can look for craters where the Mars Meteorite came from (since there
may be evidence of carbon in the meteorite, there may have been life, therefore
WATER!
Alexandra_Davatzes
<A>You can generally tell if a crater is young and fresh, either because
it wasn't seen by previous orbiters, or because it is not covered by dust. Telling
the age of an older crater is harder. You can tell if the overall area is old
because there are lots of craters, or you can tell if the area is young because
there are few craters (and those craters are therefore relatively young) but
there is no simple way to date a single crater unless it occurred in the last
few years!
Alexandra_Davatzes
Good luck! Can't wait to see your suggestions!
Virginia_Gulick
Thanks for joining us. We're looking forward to your image suggstions! Remember
October 5th is the deadline!
Virginia_Gulick
Well, we've come to the end of our webchat. If you have additional questions,
you can continue to post them and we'll answer them when we can. If you have
any problem with HiWeb please email me. If you registered before the webchat
you have been sent an email detailing how to log on to HiWeb. You should
now have access to HiWeb.
Quest_Moderator
Thanks to all of our participants who joined us. The archive will be placed
online today. Thanks to Ginny & Alix for you super endurance in answering
so many questions. Bye for now!
Information regarding this project may be found at: http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/hirise/index.html.
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