The Planetary Laboratory for Image Analysis (PLIA)

• Published in: Advances in space research Vol. 46; no. 9; pp. 1120 - 1138
• Main Authors: Hueso, Ricardo, Legarreta, J., Rojas, J.F., Peralta, J., Pérez-Hoyos, S., del Río-Gaztelurrutia, T., Sánchez-Lavega, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Jupiter; Planetary atmospheres; Saturn; Software; Venus; Planetary atmospheres; Jupiter; Software; Saturn; Venus; Image processing; Space research; Jupiter planet; Saturn planet; Venus planet; Image analysis; Limb darkening; IMAGE satellite; Solar system; Corrections
• ISSN: 0273-1177; 1879-1948
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2010.05.016

The observation, characterization, and understanding of planetary atmospheres are key components of Solar System exploration. Their study requires, among other observations, the use of image data acquired from spacecrafts. The basic tasks that are generally used to work with planetary image data are: image navigation, projection, image processing, limb-darkening correction, composition of multiwavelength images and mosaicing. We illustrate the mathematical techniques required for the study of planetary images obtained from spacecrafts using as an example our own software package (PLIA). We present examples of analysis of Galileo SSI, Cassini ISS and Venus Express VIRTIS observations covering a large range of image peculiarities. The paper is organized as a guide for anyone willing to replicate one or several of the capabilities incorporated in the PLIA software. An open source version of PLIA for astronomical image processing is available.