Resolution Examples

To give you an idea of how high-resolution the Viking Orbiter images are, compared to the standard-scale maps (and to any map that is smaller than a football stadium when printed), here is an example, using a pair of craters named Bok and Lod, located about 100km northeast of the planned landing site for Mars Pathfinder.

16 pixels per degree

This is the resolution currently used for inline images in the Mars Atlas, with the Bok/Lod detail from the actual map used expanded by a factor of 20 and smoothed.

256 pixels per degree

This is the resolution used in the original USGS map tiles, which you can download from the Mars Atlas (some setup required).

40 meters per pixel

This is the resolution provided by some of the raw Viking Orbiter images which you can download from the Mars Atlas (some setup required) or see inline at 1/8 scale. A more typical resolution is 80 meters per pixel.

Clearly, a scientist trying to explain which forces caused erosion in this area, or estimating the age of the surface by counting small craters, should not ignore the high-resolution images despite their disadvantages.

Kanef@Ptolemy.ARC.NASA.gov