Above are shown several diurnal cycles of the measured point-by-point Viking Lander 1 Lander Footpad Sensor Temperature values during two selected seasons, Ls ~300 (Mission Years 2 and 3) and Ls ~225 (mission Years 3 and 4). The Ls ~300 graph above (left) indicates that at that season during Years 2 and 3 the measured footpad temperature sensor values were similar. The Ls ~225 graph (right) indicates that the Year 4 temperatures were cooler during the day and warmer at night compared to the Year 3 temperatures; this is consistent with the greater dust optical depth which occurred at this season during Year 4 compared to Year 3.
The temperature values plotted above are available within the vl_ftpd.dat ASCII file located within the data folder which itself is within the Viking Lander data archive vl_1002. The contents of the vl_ftpd.dat file and a description of the structure of that file are available in the vl_ftpd.lbl file which is also located within the data folder within the data archive vl_1002. The VL2 point-by-point Lander Footpad Sensor temperature values are also located within the same data file indicated above.
For information about the Viking Lander Point-by-Point Footpad Temperature Sensor data sets, click here
For information about the Viking Lander mission, click here
For information about the Viking Lander Footpad Temperature instrument, click here
PDS: The Planetary Atmospheres Node
