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Mariner 10 Television Photography Experiment (Mariner10)

1973

The objectives of this experiment were to photograph the surfaces (upper atmosphere in the case of Venus) of the planets Venus and Mercury. For Venus, specific objectives were to investigate the time-dependent properties of the UV clouds, and to obtain high-resolution imagery of the main clouds. For Mercury, specific objectives were to map its major physiographic provinces, determine its spin axis orientation, establish a cartographic coordinate system, and search for Mercurian satellites. The equipment consisted of two spherical (150 mm diameter) Cassegrain telescopes with eight filters, each attached to a GEC 1 inch vidicon tube camera (1500 mm focal length and 0.5 degree field of view) for narrow-angle photography. An auxiliary optical system mounted on each camera provided wide-angle (62 mm focal length, 11 x 14 degree field of view) photography by moving a mirror on a filter wheel to a position in the optical path. Exposure time ranged from 3 ms to 12 s, and each camera took a picture every 42 s. The TV picture consisted of 700 scan lines with 832 picture elements per line, which were digitally coded into eight-bit words for transmission. There were eight filter wheel positions: (1) wide-angle image relay mirror; (2) blue bandpass; (3) UV polarizing; (4) minus UV high pass; (5) clear; (6) UV bandpass; (7) defocusing lens (for calibration); and, (8) yellow bandpass. About 7000 photographs were obtained of Venus and Mercury, with a maximum resolution of 100 m for Mercury. Three photographic passes, separated by 6 month intervals, were made for Mercury.

From National Space Science Data Center, NSSDC ID: 1973-085A-01

Investigators

Related Websites

Publications

  • Kuhlow, William W. and Phillips, Dennis R. Navigation of Venus multiframe mosaics. In Studies of soundings and imaging measurements: Final scientific report on NAS5-21798, 1974-1976. Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center, 1977, pp127-152. UW SSEC Publication No.77.07.S1.

  • Levanon, Nadav. Final report for Venus wind-altitude radar (Prepared under contract no. NAS2-8015). Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center, 1974. Unpaged. UW SSEC Publication No.74.06.L1.

  • Limaye, Sanjay Shridhar. Venus stratospheric circulation: A diagnostic study. Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Meteorology, 1977. 104p. Ph.D. thesis. UW MET Publication No.77.05.L1.

  • Limaye, Sanjay. Stability of the lower atmosphere of Venus: A dry adiabatic diagram based on Van der Waal’s Equation of State. In Studies of the atmosphere using aerospace probes, 1975: Annual report, NOAA grant 04-3-158-61. Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center, 1976, pp79-91. UW SSEC Publication No.76.08.S1.

  • Murray, B. C.; Belton, M. J. S.; Danielson, G. E.; Davies, M. E.; Gault, D.; Hapke, B.; O’Leary, B.; Strom, R. G.; Suomi, V. E., and Trask, N. Venus: Atmospheric motion and structure from Mariner 10 pictures. Science v.183, 1974, pp1307-1314. Reprint #459.

  • Murray, Bruce C.; Belton, M. J. S.; Danielson, G. E.; Davies, M. E.; Kuiper, G. P.; O’Leary, B. T.; Suomi, V. E., and Trask, N. J. Imaging of Mercury and Venus from a flyby. Icarus v.15, 1971, pp153-173. Reprint #487.

  • Murray, Bruce C.; Belton, Michael J. S.; Danielson, G. Edward; Davies, M. E.; Gault, D.; Hapke, B.; O’Leary, B.; Strom, R. G.; Suomi, Verner, and Trask, N. Mariner 10 pictures of Mercury: First results. Science v.184, 1974, pp459-461. Reprint #483.

  • Murray, Bruce C.; Belton, Michael J. S.; Danielson, G. Edward; Davies, Merton E.; Gault, Donald E.; Hapke, Bruce; O’Leary, Brian; Strom, Robert G.; Suomi, Verner, and Trask, Newell. Television observations of Mercury by Mariner 10. Soviet-American Conference on Cosmochemistry of the Moon and Planets, Moscow, USSR, 4-8 June 1974. Washington, DC, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Scientific and Technical Information Office, 1977, pp865-885. Reprint #4799.

  • Murray, Bruce C.; Belton, Michael J. S.; Danielson, G. Edward; Gault, D. E.; Hapke, B.; O’Leary, B.; Strom, R. G.; Suomi, Verner, and Trask, N. Mercury’s surface: preliminary description and interpretation from Mariner 10 pictures. Science v.185, 1974, pp169-179. Reprint #482.

  • Orton, G.; Ortiz, J. L.; Baines, K; Bjoraker, G.; Carsenty, U.; Colas, F.; Dayal, A.; Derning, D.; Drossart, Pl; Frappa, E.; Friedson, J.; Goguen, J.; Golisch, W.; Griep, D.; Hernandez, C.; Hoffmann, W.; Jennings, D.; Kaminishi, C.; Kuhn, J.; Laques, P.; Limaye, S.; Lin, H.; Lecacheux, J.; Martin, T.; McCabe, G.; Mornary, T.; Parker, D.; Puetter, R.; Ressle, M.; Reyes, G.; Sada, Pl; Spencer, J.; Spitale, J.; Stewart, S.; Varsik. J.; Warell, J.; Wild, W.; Yanamandra-Fisher, P.; Fazio, G.; Hora, J., and Deutsch, L. Earth-based observations of the Galileo probe entry site. Science v.272, no.5263, 1996, pp839-840. Reprint #2267.

  • Schubert, G.; Counselman, C. C.; Hansen, J.; Limaye, S. S.; Suomi, V. E. et al. Dynamics, winds, circulation and turbulence in the atmosphere of Venus. Space Science Reviews v.20, no.4, 1977, pp357-387. Reprint #467.

  • Simpson, J. A.; Eraker, J. H.; Lamport, J. E., and Walpole, P. H. Mariner 10 Venus encounter. Science v.1893, no.4131, 1974, pp1289-1321. Reprint #260.

  • Suomi, Verner E. and Limaye, S. S. Venus: Further evidence of vortex circulation. Science v.201, no.4360, 1978, pp1009-1011. Reprint #130.

  • Suomi, Verner. Cloud motions on Venus. The Atmosphere of Venus, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY, 15-17 October 1975. Washington, DC, National Aeronautic and Space Administration, 1975, pp42-58. Reprint #941.

  • Suomi, V. E.; Krauss, R. J.; Limaye, S. L.; Phillips, D. Atmospheric dynamics of the planets. Volume one: Venus, UV cloud motions. Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Space Science and Engineering Center, 1976. UW SSEC Publication No.76.04.S1.

  • Tomasko, M. G.; Boese, R.; Ingersoll, A. P.; Limaye, S. S.; Suomi, V. E. et al. The thermal balance of the atmosphere of Venus. Space Science Reviews v.20, 1977, pp389-412. Reprint #134.

Images

  • Mariner 10 space probe prepared for encapsulation

    NASA

  • Mariner 10 being assembled.

    NASA

  • Ultraviolet image of Venus taken at 720,000 km (450,000 miles) by Mariner 10 on 6 February 1974.

    NASA

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