Mars Surface Mineralogy from Hubble Space Telescope Imaging

Jennifer Heldmann

Advisors: Dr. James Bell, Cornell University

Dr. Thomas J. Balonek, Colgate University

Abstract

Mars was observed from the visible to near-infrared during the Cycle 6 observing run on the Hubble Space Telescope. A survey of the surface mineralogy of the planet was possible due to the wide range of spectral coverage, multitude of observations at different points in the planet's rotation, and the favorable position of the planet relative to Earth yielding superior image resolution. Images were mapped into polar, cylindrical, and mollweide projections to account for the rotation of the planet such that direct comparisons could be made among images. Three dimensional data cubes were then created from which spectra were extracted and subsequently analyzed. Spectra from different regions of varying topographical interest were studied in detail to constrain the surface mineralogy of the Red Planet.