Through Martian Eyes

Image Title: Through Martian Eyes
Source: Viking Orbiter 1

Description

Except for Earth-based observations, all the images that we have of Mars are those seen through the eyes of our robotic explorers. When I began work on this global image of Mars, taken by Viking as it approached the planet, I had planned to create an accurate color rendition of Mars. At some point while working on this image my mind wandered off to the original War of the Worlds movie. In particular I thought of the scene where the scientists have hooked up the captured Martian eye and were seeing the world as the Martians saw it. I began to wonder, how would one of those Martian eyes have perceived their own world. Electric Mars is my rendition of what Mars might have looked like to the eyes of its inhabitants as conjured up by H. G. Wells.

Source Image Background

This image is composed of two pictures of Mars taken by the Viking 1 Orbiter as it approached the planet in June 1976. The two images were both taken by camera A, one using the green filter and the other using the violet filter.

Image Processing:

Processing of this image was done using Adobe Photoshop. The two raw Viking images that were combined to produce the final image were relatively clean, making my job much easier.

Downloads

I have created a low resolution version of Through Martian Eyes for use as a desktop wallpaper. Note that this wallpaper version is made available for your personal use only and is not to be modified. It is not to be redistributed in any form by any means.

Through Martian Eyes, 1024 x 768 Wallpaper Image by Jim Plaxco