PDS: The Planetary Atmospheres Node
Mariner 6 & 7 flew by Mars in 1969
Launched on Feb 25 and Mar 27, respectively, Mariner 6 flew within 2,132 miles of Mars on July 31 and on Aug 5 Mariner 7 passed within 2,130 miles of Mars’ southern hemisphere. Both spacecraft flew behind the planet and a radio occultation experiment measured the surface pressure of the Martian atmosphere to be between 6 and 7 mb, or less than 10% of Earth’s atmosphere at sea level. The images obtained by the cameras revealed a wind eroded terrain similar to that of the moon. Neither the large volcanoes nor the Grand Canyon were observed.
Early in the Mars exploration program there was not a rigorous approach for archiving the data and some of it was lost; however, efforts by Karen Simmons, a member of the original team, has allowed a certified dataset to be constructed and archived.
The Ultraviolet Spectrometer Data
Recovery of the data set
Essential publications for Mariner 6 & & Ultraviolet Spectrometer UVS Experiment
Barth, C.A., 1969. Applied Optics, 8, 7, 1295 Planetary Ultraviolet Spectroscopy doi: 10.1364/AO.8.00129
Barth, C.A., Fastie, W.G., Hord, C.W., Pearce, J.B., Kelly, K.K., Stewart, A.I., Thomas, G.E., Anderson, G.P., Raper, O.F., Science, 1969, v165, 1004-1005, Mariner6: Ultraviolet Spectrum of Mars Upper Atmosphere
Barth, C.A., 1970. Astrophysical Journal, 161, L181. Mariner6 Measurements of the Lyman-Alpha Sky Background doi: 10.1086/180599
Pearce, J.B., Gause, K.A., Mackey, E.F., Kelly, K.K., Fastie, W.G., Barth, C.A., 1971. Applied Optics, 10, 4, 805-812.Mariner 6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometers doi: 10.1364/AO.10.000805
Pearce, J.B., Lane, A.L., Kelly, K.K., Barth, C.A., 1971. Science, 172, 941-943. Mariner6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometer: In-Flight Measurements of Simulated Jupiter Atmosphere doi: 10.1126/science.172.3986.941
Barth, C.A. and Hord, C. W., 1971. Science, 173, 197-201. Mariner Ultraviolet Spectrometer: Topography and Polar Cap doi: 10.1126/science.173.3993.197
Barth, C.A., Hord, C.W., Pearce, J.B., Kelly, K.K., Anderson, G.P., Stewart, A.I., 1971. J. Geophys. Res., 76, 2213-2227 Mariner 6 and 7 ultraviolet spectrometer experiment: Upper Atmosphere Data doi: 10.1029/JA076i010p02213
Anderson, D.E.,Jr. and Hord, C.W., 1971. J. Geophys. Res., 76, 28, 6666-6673. Mariner 6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment: Analysis of Hydrogen Lyman-Alpha Data doi: 10.1029/JA076i028p06666
Hord, C.W., 1972. J. Geophys. Res., 16, 253-280 Mariner 6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment: Photometry and Topography of Mars doi: 10.1016/0019-1035(72)90072-3
Stewart, A.I., J. Geophys. Res., 1972, v77, 1, 54-68, Mariner 6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment: Implications of CO2+, CO, and O Airglow
Barth, C.A., Fastie, W.G., Hord, C.W., Pearce, J.B., Kelly, K.K., Stewart, A.I., Thomas, G.E., Anderson, G.P., Raper, O.F., Science, 1969, v165, 1004-1005, Mariner6: Ultraviolet Spectrum of Mars Upper Atmosphere
Barth, C.A., 1970. Astrophysical Journal, 161, L181. Mariner6 Measurements of the Lyman-Alpha Sky Background doi: 10.1086/180599
Pearce, J.B., Gause, K.A., Mackey, E.F., Kelly, K.K., Fastie, W.G., Barth, C.A., 1971. Applied Optics, 10, 4, 805-812.Mariner 6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometers doi: 10.1364/AO.10.000805
Pearce, J.B., Lane, A.L., Kelly, K.K., Barth, C.A., 1971. Science, 172, 941-943. Mariner6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometer: In-Flight Measurements of Simulated Jupiter Atmosphere doi: 10.1126/science.172.3986.941
Barth, C.A. and Hord, C. W., 1971. Science, 173, 197-201. Mariner Ultraviolet Spectrometer: Topography and Polar Cap doi: 10.1126/science.173.3993.197
Barth, C.A., Hord, C.W., Pearce, J.B., Kelly, K.K., Anderson, G.P., Stewart, A.I., 1971. J. Geophys. Res., 76, 2213-2227 Mariner 6 and 7 ultraviolet spectrometer experiment: Upper Atmosphere Data doi: 10.1029/JA076i010p02213
Anderson, D.E.,Jr. and Hord, C.W., 1971. J. Geophys. Res., 76, 28, 6666-6673. Mariner 6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment: Analysis of Hydrogen Lyman-Alpha Data doi: 10.1029/JA076i028p06666
Hord, C.W., 1972. J. Geophys. Res., 16, 253-280 Mariner 6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment: Photometry and Topography of Mars doi: 10.1016/0019-1035(72)90072-3
Stewart, A.I., J. Geophys. Res., 1972, v77, 1, 54-68, Mariner 6 and 7 Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment: Implications of CO2+, CO, and O Airglow
Retrieving the Data
Raw Data
Calibrated Data
PDS4 will allow us to make an index and let users download individual files.
