Why is so much of InSight visible in this image?
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
It seems really strange to me that there is so little visible of the surface in this image, it mostly appears to be the deck of InSight. Why is so little visible?
mars photography insight
asked 2 days ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦
78.8k16223432
add a comment |
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
It seems really strange to me that there is so little visible of the surface in this image, it mostly appears to be the deck of InSight. Why is so little visible?
mars photography insight
asked 2 days ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦
78.8k16223432
13
It's just a selfie.
– Eric Duminil
2 days ago
4
There is very little of the surface visible because the robot is in the way. Not sure what else there is to say! If you want to take a picture of the surface you will have to point the camera in a different direction... Maybe you want to rephrase your question, i.e. what exactly do you consider strange?
– user2705196
2 days ago
9
Why is so much InSight in sight?!
– Joshua Ronis
2 days ago
@user2705196 I guess the OP is wondering why the decision was made to (a) have a camera facing this way, and (b) why use this camera for introductory photography. Personally I think the answer to both is fairly obvious but that doesn't mean it can't be given :)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
add a comment |
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
It seems really strange to me that there is so little visible of the surface in this image, it mostly appears to be the deck of InSight. Why is so little visible?
mars photography insight
asked 2 days ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦
78.8k16223432
It seems really strange to me that there is so little visible of the surface in this image, it mostly appears to be the deck of InSight. Why is so little visible?
mars photography insight
mars photography insight
asked 2 days ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦
78.8k16223432
asked 2 days ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦
78.8k16223432
asked 2 days ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦
78.8k16223432
asked 2 days ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦
78.8k16223432
asked 2 days ago
PearsonArtPhoto♦
78.8k16223432
78.8k16223432
13
It's just a selfie.
– Eric Duminil
2 days ago
4
There is very little of the surface visible because the robot is in the way. Not sure what else there is to say! If you want to take a picture of the surface you will have to point the camera in a different direction... Maybe you want to rephrase your question, i.e. what exactly do you consider strange?
– user2705196
2 days ago
9
Why is so much InSight in sight?!
– Joshua Ronis
2 days ago
@user2705196 I guess the OP is wondering why the decision was made to (a) have a camera facing this way, and (b) why use this camera for introductory photography. Personally I think the answer to both is fairly obvious but that doesn't mean it can't be given :)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
add a comment |
13
It's just a selfie.
– Eric Duminil
2 days ago
4
There is very little of the surface visible because the robot is in the way. Not sure what else there is to say! If you want to take a picture of the surface you will have to point the camera in a different direction... Maybe you want to rephrase your question, i.e. what exactly do you consider strange?
– user2705196
2 days ago
9
Why is so much InSight in sight?!
– Joshua Ronis
2 days ago
@user2705196 I guess the OP is wondering why the decision was made to (a) have a camera facing this way, and (b) why use this camera for introductory photography. Personally I think the answer to both is fairly obvious but that doesn't mean it can't be given :)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
13
13
It's just a selfie.
– Eric Duminil
2 days ago
It's just a selfie.
– Eric Duminil
2 days ago
4
4
There is very little of the surface visible because the robot is in the way. Not sure what else there is to say! If you want to take a picture of the surface you will have to point the camera in a different direction... Maybe you want to rephrase your question, i.e. what exactly do you consider strange?
– user2705196
2 days ago
There is very little of the surface visible because the robot is in the way. Not sure what else there is to say! If you want to take a picture of the surface you will have to point the camera in a different direction... Maybe you want to rephrase your question, i.e. what exactly do you consider strange?
– user2705196
2 days ago
9
9
Why is so much InSight in sight?!
– Joshua Ronis
2 days ago
Why is so much InSight in sight?!
– Joshua Ronis
2 days ago
@user2705196 I guess the OP is wondering why the decision was made to (a) have a camera facing this way, and (b) why use this camera for introductory photography. Personally I think the answer to both is fairly obvious but that doesn't mean it can't be given :)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
@user2705196 I guess the OP is wondering why the decision was made to (a) have a camera facing this way, and (b) why use this camera for introductory photography. Personally I think the answer to both is fairly obvious but that doesn't mean it can't be given :)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
30
down vote
accepted
That image was taken by the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC). It's located on the arm. With the arm in stowed position, it's logical that a section of the deck is in view.
In other words, it's an engineering instrument, not a science instrument.
answered 2 days ago
Hobbes
83.3k2230373
1
While the cameras primary intent is find the best spots to place the instruments, InSight reused Pheonix's hardware design to the extent that the arm still has the digging scoop the latter used to look for ice under the surface. While not part of the primary mission, it leaves an opening for the camera to be used as a science instrument in the probable extended phase by having the arm attempt to dig a trench and imaging the results.
– Dan Neely
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
13
down vote
To add to Hobbes' answer: InSight hasn't unpacked yet for its stay!
There is a lot of equipment which was packaged on top of the deck for transport, which will be moved to their proper places over the next weeks. The white tubing on the right and bottom edges of the picture is the robotic arm, to which this camera is attached to. The arm's grapple is in the bottom center. The metallic box on the left side is SEIS, which will be placed on the surface of the planet along with HP3.
There is a second camera (the ICC) below the deck, which would be unobstructed if not for a dust cover that has dust on it. This camera was more affected than the IDC by dust kicked up during landing, because this camera is below deck versus the IDC which is above-deck. You can make out a rock and a lander leg near the bottom of the image.
The next steps are to active the arm and use it to remove the dust covers of both cameras. The ICC should give a nice panoramic view of the nearby terrain, unobstructed by the lander. The IDC is on the arm and will be moved to various vantage points to survey the terrain and get close-up images of the nearby objects, unobstructed by the lander.
answered 2 days ago
Dr Sheldon
3,8681342
I saw this photo just few hours after the lander's touchdown. I still have my doubt: is this actually the raw image (B&W or colorful?) originally from the lander or it was computer-processed before publicly disclosed?
– Boosted Nub
yesterday
2
The lander has two colour cameras, it's not a false-colour image - but I think I saw that photo posted on Twitter with a comment saying it was processed to enhance the contrast of the ground.
– Robyn
yesterday
Of course, every photograph is false-colour to a degree! Although some colour profiles are more equal than others...
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
Re: colours. There's probably a "calibration target", including for colour, on the probe somewhere. Compare space.stackexchange.com/q/2200/10450
– Roger Lipscombe
yesterday
1
The InSight website at NASA has a section titled "Raw Images" and another titled "Images". The picture in my answer is a direct link to "Raw Images". Any image processing should be minimal, if at all. Both cameras are RGB color. Both have dust covers on, although I doubt that's affecting the color. The pictures are during Mars daytime, when the sky is orange; I think that's the greatest contributor to the color of the pictures.
– Dr Sheldon
yesterday
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
30
down vote
accepted
That image was taken by the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC). It's located on the arm. With the arm in stowed position, it's logical that a section of the deck is in view.
In other words, it's an engineering instrument, not a science instrument.
answered 2 days ago
Hobbes
83.3k2230373
1
While the cameras primary intent is find the best spots to place the instruments, InSight reused Pheonix's hardware design to the extent that the arm still has the digging scoop the latter used to look for ice under the surface. While not part of the primary mission, it leaves an opening for the camera to be used as a science instrument in the probable extended phase by having the arm attempt to dig a trench and imaging the results.
– Dan Neely
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
30
down vote
accepted
That image was taken by the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC). It's located on the arm. With the arm in stowed position, it's logical that a section of the deck is in view.
In other words, it's an engineering instrument, not a science instrument.
answered 2 days ago
Hobbes
83.3k2230373
1
While the cameras primary intent is find the best spots to place the instruments, InSight reused Pheonix's hardware design to the extent that the arm still has the digging scoop the latter used to look for ice under the surface. While not part of the primary mission, it leaves an opening for the camera to be used as a science instrument in the probable extended phase by having the arm attempt to dig a trench and imaging the results.
– Dan Neely
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
30
down vote
accepted
up vote
30
down vote
accepted
That image was taken by the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC). It's located on the arm. With the arm in stowed position, it's logical that a section of the deck is in view.
In other words, it's an engineering instrument, not a science instrument.
answered 2 days ago
Hobbes
83.3k2230373
That image was taken by the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC). It's located on the arm. With the arm in stowed position, it's logical that a section of the deck is in view.
In other words, it's an engineering instrument, not a science instrument.
answered 2 days ago
Hobbes
83.3k2230373
edited yesterday
answered 2 days ago
Hobbes
83.3k2230373
answered 2 days ago
Hobbes
83.3k2230373
answered 2 days ago
Hobbes
83.3k2230373
83.3k2230373
1
While the cameras primary intent is find the best spots to place the instruments, InSight reused Pheonix's hardware design to the extent that the arm still has the digging scoop the latter used to look for ice under the surface. While not part of the primary mission, it leaves an opening for the camera to be used as a science instrument in the probable extended phase by having the arm attempt to dig a trench and imaging the results.
– Dan Neely
2 days ago
add a comment |
1
While the cameras primary intent is find the best spots to place the instruments, InSight reused Pheonix's hardware design to the extent that the arm still has the digging scoop the latter used to look for ice under the surface. While not part of the primary mission, it leaves an opening for the camera to be used as a science instrument in the probable extended phase by having the arm attempt to dig a trench and imaging the results.
– Dan Neely
2 days ago
1
1
While the cameras primary intent is find the best spots to place the instruments, InSight reused Pheonix's hardware design to the extent that the arm still has the digging scoop the latter used to look for ice under the surface. While not part of the primary mission, it leaves an opening for the camera to be used as a science instrument in the probable extended phase by having the arm attempt to dig a trench and imaging the results.
– Dan Neely
2 days ago
While the cameras primary intent is find the best spots to place the instruments, InSight reused Pheonix's hardware design to the extent that the arm still has the digging scoop the latter used to look for ice under the surface. While not part of the primary mission, it leaves an opening for the camera to be used as a science instrument in the probable extended phase by having the arm attempt to dig a trench and imaging the results.
– Dan Neely
2 days ago
add a comment |
up vote
13
down vote
To add to Hobbes' answer: InSight hasn't unpacked yet for its stay!
There is a lot of equipment which was packaged on top of the deck for transport, which will be moved to their proper places over the next weeks. The white tubing on the right and bottom edges of the picture is the robotic arm, to which this camera is attached to. The arm's grapple is in the bottom center. The metallic box on the left side is SEIS, which will be placed on the surface of the planet along with HP3.
There is a second camera (the ICC) below the deck, which would be unobstructed if not for a dust cover that has dust on it. This camera was more affected than the IDC by dust kicked up during landing, because this camera is below deck versus the IDC which is above-deck. You can make out a rock and a lander leg near the bottom of the image.
The next steps are to active the arm and use it to remove the dust covers of both cameras. The ICC should give a nice panoramic view of the nearby terrain, unobstructed by the lander. The IDC is on the arm and will be moved to various vantage points to survey the terrain and get close-up images of the nearby objects, unobstructed by the lander.
answered 2 days ago
Dr Sheldon
3,8681342
I saw this photo just few hours after the lander's touchdown. I still have my doubt: is this actually the raw image (B&W or colorful?) originally from the lander or it was computer-processed before publicly disclosed?
– Boosted Nub
yesterday
2
The lander has two colour cameras, it's not a false-colour image - but I think I saw that photo posted on Twitter with a comment saying it was processed to enhance the contrast of the ground.
– Robyn
yesterday
Of course, every photograph is false-colour to a degree! Although some colour profiles are more equal than others...
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
Re: colours. There's probably a "calibration target", including for colour, on the probe somewhere. Compare space.stackexchange.com/q/2200/10450
– Roger Lipscombe
yesterday
1
The InSight website at NASA has a section titled "Raw Images" and another titled "Images". The picture in my answer is a direct link to "Raw Images". Any image processing should be minimal, if at all. Both cameras are RGB color. Both have dust covers on, although I doubt that's affecting the color. The pictures are during Mars daytime, when the sky is orange; I think that's the greatest contributor to the color of the pictures.
– Dr Sheldon
yesterday
add a comment |
up vote
13
down vote
To add to Hobbes' answer: InSight hasn't unpacked yet for its stay!
There is a lot of equipment which was packaged on top of the deck for transport, which will be moved to their proper places over the next weeks. The white tubing on the right and bottom edges of the picture is the robotic arm, to which this camera is attached to. The arm's grapple is in the bottom center. The metallic box on the left side is SEIS, which will be placed on the surface of the planet along with HP3.
There is a second camera (the ICC) below the deck, which would be unobstructed if not for a dust cover that has dust on it. This camera was more affected than the IDC by dust kicked up during landing, because this camera is below deck versus the IDC which is above-deck. You can make out a rock and a lander leg near the bottom of the image.
The next steps are to active the arm and use it to remove the dust covers of both cameras. The ICC should give a nice panoramic view of the nearby terrain, unobstructed by the lander. The IDC is on the arm and will be moved to various vantage points to survey the terrain and get close-up images of the nearby objects, unobstructed by the lander.
answered 2 days ago
Dr Sheldon
3,8681342
I saw this photo just few hours after the lander's touchdown. I still have my doubt: is this actually the raw image (B&W or colorful?) originally from the lander or it was computer-processed before publicly disclosed?
– Boosted Nub
yesterday
2
The lander has two colour cameras, it's not a false-colour image - but I think I saw that photo posted on Twitter with a comment saying it was processed to enhance the contrast of the ground.
– Robyn
yesterday
Of course, every photograph is false-colour to a degree! Although some colour profiles are more equal than others...
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
Re: colours. There's probably a "calibration target", including for colour, on the probe somewhere. Compare space.stackexchange.com/q/2200/10450
– Roger Lipscombe
yesterday
1
The InSight website at NASA has a section titled "Raw Images" and another titled "Images". The picture in my answer is a direct link to "Raw Images". Any image processing should be minimal, if at all. Both cameras are RGB color. Both have dust covers on, although I doubt that's affecting the color. The pictures are during Mars daytime, when the sky is orange; I think that's the greatest contributor to the color of the pictures.
– Dr Sheldon
yesterday
add a comment |
up vote
13
down vote
up vote
13
down vote
To add to Hobbes' answer: InSight hasn't unpacked yet for its stay!
There is a lot of equipment which was packaged on top of the deck for transport, which will be moved to their proper places over the next weeks. The white tubing on the right and bottom edges of the picture is the robotic arm, to which this camera is attached to. The arm's grapple is in the bottom center. The metallic box on the left side is SEIS, which will be placed on the surface of the planet along with HP3.
There is a second camera (the ICC) below the deck, which would be unobstructed if not for a dust cover that has dust on it. This camera was more affected than the IDC by dust kicked up during landing, because this camera is below deck versus the IDC which is above-deck. You can make out a rock and a lander leg near the bottom of the image.
The next steps are to active the arm and use it to remove the dust covers of both cameras. The ICC should give a nice panoramic view of the nearby terrain, unobstructed by the lander. The IDC is on the arm and will be moved to various vantage points to survey the terrain and get close-up images of the nearby objects, unobstructed by the lander.
answered 2 days ago
Dr Sheldon
3,8681342
To add to Hobbes' answer: InSight hasn't unpacked yet for its stay!
There is a lot of equipment which was packaged on top of the deck for transport, which will be moved to their proper places over the next weeks. The white tubing on the right and bottom edges of the picture is the robotic arm, to which this camera is attached to. The arm's grapple is in the bottom center. The metallic box on the left side is SEIS, which will be placed on the surface of the planet along with HP3.
There is a second camera (the ICC) below the deck, which would be unobstructed if not for a dust cover that has dust on it. This camera was more affected than the IDC by dust kicked up during landing, because this camera is below deck versus the IDC which is above-deck. You can make out a rock and a lander leg near the bottom of the image.
The next steps are to active the arm and use it to remove the dust covers of both cameras. The ICC should give a nice panoramic view of the nearby terrain, unobstructed by the lander. The IDC is on the arm and will be moved to various vantage points to survey the terrain and get close-up images of the nearby objects, unobstructed by the lander.
answered 2 days ago
Dr Sheldon
3,8681342
answered 2 days ago
Dr Sheldon
3,8681342
answered 2 days ago
Dr Sheldon
3,8681342
answered 2 days ago
Dr Sheldon
3,8681342
3,8681342
I saw this photo just few hours after the lander's touchdown. I still have my doubt: is this actually the raw image (B&W or colorful?) originally from the lander or it was computer-processed before publicly disclosed?
– Boosted Nub
yesterday
2
The lander has two colour cameras, it's not a false-colour image - but I think I saw that photo posted on Twitter with a comment saying it was processed to enhance the contrast of the ground.
– Robyn
yesterday
Of course, every photograph is false-colour to a degree! Although some colour profiles are more equal than others...
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
Re: colours. There's probably a "calibration target", including for colour, on the probe somewhere. Compare space.stackexchange.com/q/2200/10450
– Roger Lipscombe
yesterday
1
The InSight website at NASA has a section titled "Raw Images" and another titled "Images". The picture in my answer is a direct link to "Raw Images". Any image processing should be minimal, if at all. Both cameras are RGB color. Both have dust covers on, although I doubt that's affecting the color. The pictures are during Mars daytime, when the sky is orange; I think that's the greatest contributor to the color of the pictures.
– Dr Sheldon
yesterday
add a comment |
I saw this photo just few hours after the lander's touchdown. I still have my doubt: is this actually the raw image (B&W or colorful?) originally from the lander or it was computer-processed before publicly disclosed?
– Boosted Nub
yesterday
2
The lander has two colour cameras, it's not a false-colour image - but I think I saw that photo posted on Twitter with a comment saying it was processed to enhance the contrast of the ground.
– Robyn
yesterday
Of course, every photograph is false-colour to a degree! Although some colour profiles are more equal than others...
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
Re: colours. There's probably a "calibration target", including for colour, on the probe somewhere. Compare space.stackexchange.com/q/2200/10450
– Roger Lipscombe
yesterday
1
The InSight website at NASA has a section titled "Raw Images" and another titled "Images". The picture in my answer is a direct link to "Raw Images". Any image processing should be minimal, if at all. Both cameras are RGB color. Both have dust covers on, although I doubt that's affecting the color. The pictures are during Mars daytime, when the sky is orange; I think that's the greatest contributor to the color of the pictures.
– Dr Sheldon
yesterday
I saw this photo just few hours after the lander's touchdown. I still have my doubt: is this actually the raw image (B&W or colorful?) originally from the lander or it was computer-processed before publicly disclosed?
– Boosted Nub
yesterday
I saw this photo just few hours after the lander's touchdown. I still have my doubt: is this actually the raw image (B&W or colorful?) originally from the lander or it was computer-processed before publicly disclosed?
– Boosted Nub
yesterday
2
2
The lander has two colour cameras, it's not a false-colour image - but I think I saw that photo posted on Twitter with a comment saying it was processed to enhance the contrast of the ground.
– Robyn
yesterday
The lander has two colour cameras, it's not a false-colour image - but I think I saw that photo posted on Twitter with a comment saying it was processed to enhance the contrast of the ground.
– Robyn
yesterday
Of course, every photograph is false-colour to a degree! Although some colour profiles are more equal than others...
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
Of course, every photograph is false-colour to a degree! Although some colour profiles are more equal than others...
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday
Re: colours. There's probably a "calibration target", including for colour, on the probe somewhere. Compare space.stackexchange.com/q/2200/10450
– Roger Lipscombe
yesterday
Re: colours. There's probably a "calibration target", including for colour, on the probe somewhere. Compare space.stackexchange.com/q/2200/10450
– Roger Lipscombe
yesterday
1
1
The InSight website at NASA has a section titled "Raw Images" and another titled "Images". The picture in my answer is a direct link to "Raw Images". Any image processing should be minimal, if at all. Both cameras are RGB color. Both have dust covers on, although I doubt that's affecting the color. The pictures are during Mars daytime, when the sky is orange; I think that's the greatest contributor to the color of the pictures.
– Dr Sheldon
yesterday
The InSight website at NASA has a section titled "Raw Images" and another titled "Images". The picture in my answer is a direct link to "Raw Images". Any image processing should be minimal, if at all. Both cameras are RGB color. Both have dust covers on, although I doubt that's affecting the color. The pictures are during Mars daytime, when the sky is orange; I think that's the greatest contributor to the color of the pictures.
– Dr Sheldon
yesterday
add a comment |
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13
It's just a selfie.
– Eric Duminil
2 days ago
4
There is very little of the surface visible because the robot is in the way. Not sure what else there is to say! If you want to take a picture of the surface you will have to point the camera in a different direction... Maybe you want to rephrase your question, i.e. what exactly do you consider strange?
– user2705196
2 days ago
9
Why is so much InSight in sight?!
– Joshua Ronis
2 days ago
@user2705196 I guess the OP is wondering why the decision was made to (a) have a camera facing this way, and (b) why use this camera for introductory photography. Personally I think the answer to both is fairly obvious but that doesn't mean it can't be given :)
– Lightness Races in Orbit
yesterday