papa, the right image in the link provided (bottom one if you can see it in my original post) is actually the .JPG format which is supposedly inferior image quality to .IMG. I hope you all see what I mean!!
papa, although I paid for my Photoshop CS2, I too love open source/free software whenever available For viewing PDS (Planetary Data Systems) .IMG/.IMQ file formats I'm using ImageJ, but you have to download PDS reader plugin separately and�copy it in the Plugins directory of ImageJ.
Once installed, you can access PDS files from all Mars missions here
Good luck and let me know if you have any difficulties finding your way around PDS site or opening .IMG files with ImageJ.
Update on ImageJ
PDS reader plugincannot open .IMQ files as they are compressed. IMQ is the image file format used for some Mars missions including MGS MOC.
PDS reader plugin however still can be used for viewing .IMG files at PDS (MER imagery).
Sorry for misleading you in my previous comments, I should have read more carefully between the lines when offering free software..
-- Edited by Humanoid on Sunday 1st of August 2010 02:06:51 PM
I think we all members of this forum know Winston since all of us also frequent J.P.Skipper's guest book. Now according to Winston and he has maintained this throughout his numerous posts there, .IMG file format is superior in image quality to the .JPG image format. Actually this is the way it should be at least in THEORY! After all .IMG files are bigger (meaning more file info hence greater image quality) compared to .JPG files.
Now lets compare the quality of the images below. Both images are the same (as originally shown at source) and seen at 600% zoom in, but one is in .IMG format and the other is .JPG. What we see is the Anomalous white object in Spirit Pan Cam 585 as found and posted by ARP2. Decide for yourself if one is SUPERIOR in quality to the other!!
P.S. Just to make it clear I'm unable to host the image online in .IMG format so both images are actually .JPGs. Theoretically converting .IMG into .JPG should degrade quality, but what you see here is exactly what I see quality wise on my PC in .IMG format!!
-- Edited by Humanoid on Sunday 1st of August 2010 02:04:54 PM