mgsw3.jpl.nasa.gov/seq/images/mromid.pdf

This gives the "Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mid-Range Planning Schedule (5-23-06 update)".
On November 6, 2006, it shows an icon labeled DEIMOS CALIBRATION (name split between two pages).
Anybody know what instruments will be used for this? OK, it's only for calibration purposes, but if
CRISM and HIRISE are used, there's a good chance new scientific info will result, if only as a
by-product. I'd love to know distance from Deimos, instruments used, expected resolutions, etc.
Someone please help a poor monitorlizard learn more.

Sheepishly, I now remember the answer to my own question. At one of the pre-orbit insertion news
conferences for MRO, someone asked if Phobos and Deimos were going to be studied during
aerobraking. The answer was that there would be no science observations in the aerobraking phase,
but once the science orbit was established, the CRISM team wanted to use Deimos to calibrate their
instrument. There was no mention of HIRISE being used. Well, at least we now know the date and
can look forward to some satellite science.

Just one more thought on this topic, in hopes of attracting a response. Aren't CRISM and HIRISE
boresighted to have overlapping fields of view? If so, it should be possible to use HIRISE to image
Deimos at the same time as CRISM with no additional retargeting of MRO. There are a few possible
reasons why this might not happen: (1) CRISM might want to operate alone to avoid interference
effects from HIRISE; (2) Deimos will probably be tens of thousands of kilometers away, so HIRISE
wouldn't improve resolution over previous Viking images (although the IR channel of HIRISE might
yield new information); (3) there might be different viewing contraints that would allow use of CRISM
but not HIRISE.

Most of this is speculation on my part. If anyone can provide more definitive answers, I'd be grateful.

I will say that I and probably several others are interested in this but have no clue what the answer is!

Phobos was well imaged by Viking, and has been looked at by MGS and MEX. Deimos was only seen well in a surprisingly few images from Viking, all on one side, and has not been imaged by MGS. MEX images of it are very distant. So any HIRISE image is likely to add useful information. This is especially true if it can see the trailing side, the one not well seen by Viking. In fact most of the trailing side was only ever seen in one single Viking image at high phase. No stereo, no topographic shading.

There is some hope MGS can capture part of that side of Deimos (obliquely) over the horizon of Mars, but it will not be as good as HIRISE could do.

Phil

CRISM's interest in this target is for the spectral information as well as for calibration (related to solar flux). There is no "interference" issue here.

There's now one - count 'em! - one MGS image of Deimos. (Taken after Phil's post.)

From the JGR preprint on the HiRISE instrument (the web address of which I have listed in its own topic) comes the following quote (on page 13):

Radiometric and stray light calibrations of Phobos and Deimos will be conducted as opportunities warrant

This is the confirmation many of us having been waiting for. It doesn't necessarily mean that it will happen in November, but at least we know its in the pipeline.

The HiRISE Blog has some welcome info about Deimos imaging (hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/HiBlog/?p=46#more-46). HiRISE will image Deimos on November 13 as a ride-along to the primary task of CRISM observing Deimos. Main purpose is for HiRISE to get stray light measurements, so it won't be an ideal image, but it's good news nonetheless.

Nice! Wonder if they'll do color? Just what pixel scale are we expecting here?

As an Image Guy I'm looking forward to the forthcoming HIRISE image of Deimos. I don't expect to see anything new, though.

When the MOC image was taken, my hope was that it would show part of the trailing side around longitude 270, which is a broad depression - actually, I hoped to see the ridge on the far side of it at about longitude 240. Unfortunately, it was all hidden behind a large ridge at about longitude 300. The MOC image was somewhat useful because it was our best view of longitude 300 on the limb. Viking images show that area on the terminator instead. HRSC images show it too but at lower resolution. Anyway, what we see will depend critically on illumination - what phase is Deimos in the images? And you always have a chance to see subtle new details close to the terminator.

Phil

My reading of that link was that the Deimos imaging effort would be a CRISM shoot and that there wouldn't be much (if any) imagery from HiRise.

I know HiRISE is planning on taking at least one picture of Deimos, however, I know nothing other than that on the subject.

From the last HiBlog post:




So, there should be a Deimos picture coming in late January/ Early Febuary.