The Mars Color Imager, nicknamed MARCI, produces a global weather map of Mars that helps scientists understand the daily, seasonal and year-to-year variations in the climate of the Red Planet.
Main Job | To produce a global weather map of Mars to help characterize daily, seasonal, and year-to-year variations in the red planet's climate. |
Mass | ~1.06 pounds (481 g) |
Power | <5 Watts when imaging |
Size | 3.6 x 2.8 x 5.5 inches (9.2 x 7.2 x 14.0 centimeters) |
Data Return | A full resolution seven-band, global image can be acquired and downlinked for about 6.2 Gbits/day. |
Color Quality | Seven filters include five centered in visible-light wavelengths (425, 550, 600, 650 and 725 nanometers) and two in ultraviolet wavelengths (250 and 320 nanometers). |
Image Size | 1000 pixels wide and can be many thousands of pixels long, depending on the objective of the image. |
Image Resolution | Spatial resolution selectable from 0.6 mile (one kilometer) per pixel to 6 miles (10 kilometers) per pixel. |
Focal Length | Visible Optics Ultraviolet Optics |
Focal Ratio and Field of View | Visible Optics Ultraviolet Optics |
MARCI (Mars Color Imager) produces a global weather map of Mars to help characterize daily, seasonal, and year-to-year variations in the red planet's climate.
MARCI also observes processes such as dust storms and changes in the polar cap using five visible bands.
In addition, MARCI makes ultraviolet observations at two wavelengths to detect variations in ozone, dust, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. MARCI observes these processes on scales of tens of kilometers.
The Principal Investigator (lead scientist) is Mike Malin from Malin Space Science Systems.
Visit the instrument site: MARCI Instrument Site