Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems



    Introduction
    The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has monitored the Martian environment in Gale crater since landing in 2012. This study reports the record of optical depth derived from 440 nm and 880 nm images of the Sun. Aerosol optical depth, which is mostly due to dust but also includes ice, dominates the record, with gas optical depth too small to measure. The optical depth record includes the effects of regional dust storms and one planet-encircling dust event, showing the expected peaks during southern spring and summer and relatively lower and more stable optical depth in fall and winter.

    References -- See User's Guide


    Documentation
    User's Guide

    Accessing the Data
    Opacity Bundle

    The Data
    To retrieve the data, access the Compressed Data File Link this later

    Citing datasets for publication
    PDS recommendations for citing data sets can be found here

    The citation: Lemmon,M.T. et al. (2024). The Mars Science Laboratory Record of Optical Depth Measurements vis Solar Imaging, NASA Planetary Data System, https://doi.org/10.17189/fjh0-2978