MarsWatch FTP Site

In order to transfer images to be verified and placed on the MarsWatch website, we have set up a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. This server is convenient and fast, and only requires a few instructions to help you get started. After you have finished uploading your images, please send an e-mail message to David Klassen so the images can be processed to the web site as quickly as possible.

If you have problmes or difficulty with the FTP site, you can attach your images to your e-mail message and they will also get processed. Use of the ftp server, however, is preferred.

Instructions

Uploading with your browser (Note this only appears to work with Netscape 4.x; Netscape 6.x and 7.x took this feature away)

Go to the FTP site and drag-and-drop the file(s) from your Windows Explorer window (on the PC) or your Hard Drive folder (Mac) to the browser window. You will be asked if you want to upload the dragged file(s) to the FTP server. Click OK and your file(s) will be uploaded.

Using an FTP utility

Open a command prompt window and change to the folder containing the images and text files you wish to upload

At a command prompt type ftp elvis.rowan.edu

At the login prompt type anonymous

Enter your e-mail address for your password

Change to the upload directory by typing cd pub/marswatch/incoming

Set your ftp client to binary transfer mode by typing bin

Turn on the progress meter by typing hash

Upload your files by typing put filename for each file

Note for advanced users: to transfer multiple files at once if the only files in your folder are those you wish to upload

Turn off interactive prompting by typing p

Upload all images by typing mput *

Disconnect and exit by typing bye

Using a graphical FTP client

Similar to above, but you will be entering in the machine name into some kind of connection command box. You will be able to change directories by double-clicking on them and transfer files by highlighting them and clicking at transfer button.

Formats

If at all possible, please send all images as JPEG or PNG format. These formats are the most universal and allow us to quickly view, verify and post them to the MarsWatch website. Note that Unysis holds a patent on the GIF format and it is unclear if we can use this format without paying a license processing fee. If you send a file of a different type, please indicate this by the extension you use for the file (".tif" for TIFF, ".pic" for PICT, etc.).

File Naming Conventions

When sending an image, please name it YYYY-MM-DD-OOOA.FOR where YYYY is the UT year of observation, MM is the month number, DD is the day number, OOO is your observer code, usually your first, middle, and last initial. A is a letter for multiple images on the same day (start from "A", then "B", etc.). FOR is the standard image format suffix (e.g. jpg, gif, tif, etc.). This will make the work of posting your image on the website and the ftp area much easier.

Be sure to include an ASCII text description of this image and name this text file the same as your image file, with the extension .txt" (this way we can keep images and descriptions together). The description only need be one or two sentences long but can be as descriptive as you wish. We reserve the right to edit descriptions for length and clarity, but for the most part we probably will not have that kind of time, so please make your descriptions as clear as possbible. At the very least include your full name, date, time and place of observation, fliters used (if any) and sky conditions for the observation. Additional information on observing techniques would be appreciated by all.

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