Comment Re:Why b/w & filter? (Score 2, Informative) 273
The imaging system used is a monochromatic camera, because they are simpler to operate and calibrate. The science teams aren't particularly interested in colour photography, the filters are there to narrow down the response range of the detector to provide some useful information on the surface properties of the things they image, as different minerals reflect/absorb/scatter light differently. By using filters of known transmission characteristics you can infer things about the soil and rocks around you. A colour CCD like you have in your average digital camera wouldn't be able to do this.
As a side-effect you can colorise and recombine the images to approximate a colour picture as you might see if you were stood there yourself. Some NASA PR guys stitch these together while the science team go to work on the black and white stuff.
As a side-effect you can colorise and recombine the images to approximate a colour picture as you might see if you were stood there yourself. Some NASA PR guys stitch these together while the science team go to work on the black and white stuff.
