This image was acquired at the Viking Lander 1 site with camera number
2. There were two cameras on each of the two Viking Landers, so stereo
imagery could be acquired for a portion of each of the sites. Thus,
three dimensional products, such as topographic maps, could be
constructed.

This scene shows a rocky field. In the foreground activity from the
sampler arm is evident in the trenched and disturbed surface. Patches of
drift material and possibly bedrock are visible further from the Lander.

This synthetic high resolution color image was created by combining
standard low resolution Viking Lander color images with standard high
resolution Viking Lander black and white images, using image processing
techniques. In simple terms, the colors are separated from the color
image. Using the computer, those colors are then painted onto high
resolution images covering the same area. The image has had its colors
balanced to approximate what a person would see on Mars. Since the
Martian atmosphere carries extremely fine-grained red dust in suspension
the "on Mars" images are redder.

Credit: Mary A. Dale-Bannister, Washington University in St. Louis.