Mars in 3-D!

Posted: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 6:23 PM by Alan Boyle

NASA / JPL-Caltech / UA / Lockheed Martin

Put on your red-blue glasses and take a look at this artist's conception of
Phoenix Mars Lander to get a 3-D effect. Click on the image for a larger view.

Time to whip out those red-blue glasses: Phoenix Mars Lander, which touched down on the Red Planet, is already sending back black-and-white images in stereo. If you're set up with 3-D specs - and who isn't? - it's the next best thing to being there.

The first images stay relatively close to home, revealing what's right in front of the lander. One widely distributed picture shows one of the lander's three legs extending down to the surface, with disturbed soil and pebbles surrounding it. (Here are versions from Kevin Baird's Flickr collection, The Martian Chronicles blog and Mars Unearthed. Baird also offers a video blog post tracing the process.)

Another stereo photo, showing shadows and rocks around the lander, is available from the Phoenix Web site at the University of Arizona. The rough-cut picture looks stretched out because it's designed for cylindrical-perspective projection, suitable for viewing as a partial 360-degree panorama. (Here's a nicer detail shot from HazyHills.com.)

This is just the start of what should be a fine collection of anaglyphs - that is, two-toned images that are designed for easy viewing through cheap 3-D glasses. What's that? You don't have your red-blue glasses yet? They're ridiculously easy to find at novelty stores or on the Web. You can even make your own glasses - and if you're feeling adventurous, you can take the spacecraft stereo pairs and create your own 3-D pictures.

Phoenix isn't the first Mars probe to send back stereo pairs. HazyHills offers about 70 stereo pairs from the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, while Mars Unearthed has scores of lovely anaglyphs from the rovers as well as from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Express. Michael Lyle has automated the process for creating 3-D versions of rover imagery, often with impressive (if not exactly user-friendly) results.

Looking for more 3-D thrills? Check out this NASA page, which brings together more than 200 anaglyphs from space missions ranging from the Saturn-orbiting Cassini probe to the sun-watching (and aptly named) STEREO satellite. Comet Wild 2 looks like it's coming straight for you in this 3-D picture from the Stardust probe, created by Calvin Hamilton.

Have you come across more killer 3-D views from space? Are you actually making them? Send along the links to your favorites.

Update for 8:45 p.m. ET: The Planetary Society's Emily Lakdawalla presents a before-and-after animation showing how Phoenix Mars Lander has changed the Martian landscape. You'll also find images that point out the lander's backshell and parachute from the air and from the ground. How cool is that?

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Comments

Neat!

I hope the research goes well up there.

Thanks Alan! :)

Matthew 'Floyd' Clough, Stockbridge GA (Sent Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:13 PM)

Well first of all congrats, for the first rocket descent since viking. I hope all goes well and all systems are go. Make the historic discovery

Earl Ruwell, Tampa, Florida (Sent Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:52 PM)

I hope to hear news that it found something that surprised scientists. Maybe probes like this and the rovers could locate place to put a future base or places to avoid putting a future base. I guess the question is about finding evidence of past liquid water and possible organic life would be the first one to answer with this and future probes.

S. B. Stein E.B. NJ (Sent Tuesday, May 27, 2008 9:37 PM)

$400 million for an artists rendition?

Poor Man (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 1:22 AM)

congratulations for the sucess and hoping ur research goes in full swing wishing u all the best

keerthana,manama,east riffa (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 3:16 AM)

See, now THAT is a robot. Not quite a rover, but a fine bot, non-the-less.

I hope it finds some sweet mud before it fades away.

ibanks, Seattle WA (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 4:18 AM)

"If you're set up with 3-D specs - and who isn't?"

Pretty elitist comment don't you think Hillary? At least you provided a source for DIY. Thanks.

ifosback, chile (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 5:13 AM)

Happy to hear that we, (mankind) are now on Mars. Maybe its our second home someday. Great work Nasa!

Praveen Pat, Bangkok, Thailand (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 5:52 AM)

I'm impressed with what i've seen so far. Keep 'em coming. Fine job.

Dominic (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 7:43 AM)

This is very awesome! GO NASA!

www.gvisions.org

Maxis (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 8:10 AM)

Congrats. The next digger must be the man himself not any more machine minded PROBE.

Shakhadri, Chennai. India (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 8:42 AM)

I think many people miss the importance of this and other projects conducted by JPL and NASA. So much can be gained from these missions. The knowledge learned from these and other missions is vital to our future.

steve stuckey (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 9:31 AM)

Congratulations NASA on the successful landing of Phoenix Mars Lander on Mars. Information that will be provided by this mission will help mankind to protect Earth and will also create a springboard for future missions to other planets and what to expect. This mission also will also us to compare what the scientist were expecting and what is really there. Even though it may seem waste of tax payers money but in a long run it will help future generation to go where no man has gone before. Wish you all the best

Ganesh, Raleigh, NC (Sent Wednesday, May 28, 2008 9:57 AM)

" $400 million for an artists rendition?"
Just who exactly is supposed to hold the camera???! Also, this post is loaded with links to imagery and information. But you have to click on them . . . .

"Pretty elitist comment"
Eh?? Please engage your humor-detection system....

"The next digger must be the man himself not any more machine minded PROBE."
Actually it most certainly will NOT be a human. Sending a human mission to Mars would cost, conservatively, at least 100 BILLION dollars, or 250x the price of Phoenix. NASA doesn't have anything like that amount to work with. Besides it would be better spent on remotes (these probes are *not* robots...) like the Rovers or Phoenix since a couple hundred of them can 'do more science' than a handful of human scientists packed up in space suits. And orbiters can do even more.

Phoenix is a unique mission in that several science teachers were chosen from across the US to actually take part. They attended a week+ of intensive training at the U of AK Fairbanks 2 years ago, to learn about the science and engineering associated with the mission. This event was called MARSFEST. Since then they have been planning and organizing to incorporate the mission directly into their teaching, in 'real time'. My guess is that all of them and most of their students were tuned in to watch coverage of the landing on NASA TV on Sunday.

JC, Fairbanks, AK (Sent Thursday, May 29, 2008 12:21 AM)

Let's hope for organics being found on Mars. A truly dry, cold, world that has no signature of past life is hard to fathom considering the form that Mars takes.

Thomas Ashby, Calgary (Sent Thursday, May 29, 2008 12:53 AM)

This is in the history books people, not to be forgotten, I'm glad I was around to see first hand the begings of a whole new world

Renee, Portland, ME. :) (Sent Thursday, May 29, 2008 4:08 AM)

I wish they'd post 3D images as small stereo pairs. It's not at all hard to learn to free view stereo images, and the results are FAR better than anaglyphs. The "cross-eyed" viewing technique is a little more difficult to master than simple free viewing, but once you've got it down you can look at much larger paired images. The only difference is that the right and left images must be reversed.

A 3D fan (Sent Thursday, May 29, 2008 7:25 PM)

Geee,
Mars seems to SWELL through my glasses. Hopefully we may one day get Google Earth style resolution so that we may check out all kinds of new formations that may have been caused by water/life.

Jennifer Spengler (Sent Friday, May 30, 2008 2:18 PM)

i hope they find human and they only have pice and love one world
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE VIDEO ABOUT THIS EVENT

NAYAN PATEL ,COVINGTON,GA,30014 (Sent Friday, May 30, 2008 10:10 PM)

When we first gazed at the moon through powerful telescopes, the moon appeared to be full of dirt and rocks. However, we were not convinced so we sent astronauts there. They brought back samples for scientists to analyze and it was confirmed that indeed, this was just dirt and rocks. However, we were not convinced so we went to the moon another dozen times or so just to really be sure it was real dirt and real rocks.

When we first gazed at Mars through powerful telescopes it appeared to be a mysterious planet. Our early flybys of this planet revealed a terrain full of dirt and rocks. However, we were not convinced so we sent Rover there. The little robotic vehicle traversed the topography sending back pictures and data and guess what? - more dirt and rocks. However, we were not convinced so we sent Phoenix there. It landed safely and started analyzing the soil and sending beautifully detailed images of a Martian landscape full of … dirt and rocks.

But wait, this is different. The Phoenix landed in the North Pole area in the hopes of discovering life. Its little sensors microscopically scrutinized the soil and made an amazing discovery. Mars is still full of dirt and rocks. But wait, this is different. The dirt has a pattern to it.

John Wilkinson, Denver, Colorado (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 12:45 PM)

Yes, and "we first gazed on the ocean through powerful sextants and the earth appeared FLAT. However, we were not convinced, so we sent explorers. They brought back samples for scientists to analyze and it was confirmed that indeed, the earth was flat. However, we were not convinced so we went further and another dozen times or so just to really be sure it was really flat.

When we first gazed at the sextant it appeared to be a mysterious planet. Our early voyages of this planet revealed a terrain full of flatness. However, we were not convinced so we sent ships there. The little vehicles traversed the topography sending back data and guess what? - it was FLAT. However, we were not convinced so we sent them again. They landed safely and started analyzing the soil and sending beautifully detailed images and drawings of the land and landscape full of … dirt and rocks.
But wait, this is different. The ships landed in the northern area in the hopes of discovering life. Its little sensors microscopically scrutinized the soil and made an amazing discovery. Earth is still full of dirt and rocks. But wait, this is different. The dirt has a pattern to it." AND IT HAD LIFE AND WAS ROUND!

WOW, were have i hear this story before!

Live, Experience, and Learn from History - We are the Explorers, We are AMERICANS!

Bob O' Neill, Plumsted, New Jersey (Sent Saturday, May 31, 2008 11:56 PM)

John Wilkinson..LOL

There is an eerie truth to what you say. I personally believe there was never life on Mars...so what? When a 1000 years has passed and humanity still comes to the conclusion that life only happened on earth, in this solar system, we will always be faced with the "God question". Still another eternal problem.

Thomas Ashby, Calgary (Sent Sunday, June 01, 2008 4:20 AM)

To John Wilkinson:

What did you expect to find on the moon and mars? Did you fantasize anything comparable. If we went to Saturn or Jupiter, or the sun, would we be looking for dirt and rocks. I think not.

You vaguely remind me of the know it alls in the 60's complaining about all the money spent on going to the moon. We spent 24 billion dollars on this enterprise. We were told by your kind, the money could be put to better use here on earth. So the moon missions ended and so did the 24 billion. So tell me this, what happened to that 24 billion that was so desperately needed by the sick and starving. Sure did't get to them did it? Ahhhh, but wait. I know where it went. It went to ExxonMobile and their greedy buddies. A noble cause indeed, wouldn't you say so John.

ed defazio, anthem, az (Sent Monday, June 02, 2008 12:18 AM)

If life is discovered on Mars, it will confirm the authenticity of the Creation story in the book of Genesis in the Bible.

Dr. Ted Baehr, Atlanta, GA (Sent Monday, June 02, 2008 11:01 PM)

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe....attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion...I've seen sea beams glitter in the dark near the Ten Hauser gate....All those moments will be lost..in time....like tears....in rain....time to die" Well, not quite there yet, but Mars is a good place to start. Great job NASA.

Kevin J Gaughan, Seattle, Wash (Sent Monday, June 02, 2008 11:08 PM)

Asimov said: There is but one light of science. Good job, NASA.

Fernando Garcia, Santo Domingo (Sent Thursday, June 05, 2008 10:29 PM)

I agree ... AWESOME NASA! I am sooo proud of what we have accomplished so far!
I pray we find remnants of life ... I dont want us to be the only planet in the universe... that is just tooo dang lonely a prospect for me!

Melanie, Liverpool, Pa (Sent Wednesday, June 18, 2008 8:11 PM)

It will be nice if he could find PETROLEOUNNNN.

CAMILO SANCHEZ (Sent Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:19 PM)

Why are we here on Mars when we can't feed or supply medical help on earth...BULL----!!!!!!!!!!

Steven Geisler Pleasant Hill Oregon (Sent Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:30 PM)

Great bunch of comments for the most part and I should add the learning curve of our planet and space will remain expensive and necessary. I'm old enough to almost remember the vast majority of religious sources refusing to except the fact that man would and could someday fly in our skies. Funny, but each advance forwards met with new discoveries of new information recently being found in the very old so-called documents of the highest order, by our religious leaders. How convenient.

If we look upward toward heaven, then we have already visited there with our explorers. I still meet with sadness when thinking I'll be gone when man not only finds evidence of past life on a space surface but also find life moving and living there as well.

Great job NASA, now we need to make sure we remain cost effective and a good start would be to make sure we operated without corruption or dishonesty. President Obama will be a great leader in this department, which has been missing for the last 16 years.

Karl Bratcher, Florence, Oregon (Sent Thursday, June 19, 2008 11:24 PM)

Ice found on Mars-amazing.They think. A simple reading
with a temperature probe would confirm this wouldn't it? Funny no one has mentoned the temp, of the white material or the surroundings, or did I miss something? I would tend to believe it has more to do with light and refraction and time as the "ice" was not there the next day? Sounds more like the moon mission to me, were we really there?

The Shoe,Petersburg,Alaska (Sent Friday, June 20, 2008 12:11 AM)

NASA and the rest of the space exploration community contiues to make me proud of this awesome country. Ever since the 60's when we were in the race to go to the moon, and we won, we are a proud country. We all know that it is expensive to keep exploring other places, other worlds, but it is just that, the exploration that is exciting. Keep making us proud, and someday, I hope in my life time, we will be watching the first person walking on the surface of Mars. We need a person up there to really explore, like we did from 69-72 on our moon. We should have never stopped. Good luck and God speed to you all.

Andy Spano, Fort Drum, NY (Sent Friday, June 20, 2008 5:38 AM)

How would life on Mar confirm the Creation belief of Christians? That makes absolutely no sense at all. Does it say.. on the 2nd Day God created little green martians to fly over our cornfields and abduct people?

Randy (Sent Friday, June 20, 2008 8:57 AM)

Do we know if NASA is going to be creating an x3d version of this for us to use?

Mike Echlin, Canada (Sent Saturday, June 21, 2008 9:58 AM)

obviously,our efforts are to seek rare perhaps non existent mineral elements for the future energy needs.I hope,it's also obvious that any future colonization is also a crazy decision.I feel time has come to follow Japanese robotic ideas for our conquest for our salvation here on our precious planet

jesseb (Sent Sunday, June 22, 2008 12:22 AM)

I hope we don’t find life on Mars. If we do the next thing will be to give them social security benefits and health care, next a driver’s license. Then we’ll have to press 3 to hear the phone menu in Martian. Then we’ll have to bail out their banks and rover industry.Not to mention Martian anchor babies.

John Regan, Humble TX (Sent Wednesday, July 08, 2009 9:59 AM)

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