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https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17630
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA17630_modest.jpg
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a crater within the larger Schiaparelli Crater.
Like any diverse group of explorers, scientists on the HiRISE team and the general public who submit target suggestions have different goals and interests for the Mars images they hope to get. More often than not, an image intended for one particular science investigation ends up having many other applications, answering and raising new questions. This image was targeted to look at potential changes in the distribution of dark sand compared to earlier pictures (PSP_005897_1790 three Mars years ago and ESP_016406_1790/ESP_017118_1790, approximately 1.5 Mars years ago). In a preliminary investigation, no such changes have been found, although we will keep looking.Originally, this area -- a crater within the larger Schiaparelli Crater -- was targeted to investigate the circumferential layers that fill the crater, evidence for possible past deposition from airfall dust or even water. In this image, we note something that becomes apparent if we zoom in to many of the areas containing dark sand. Here, the sand is on top of periodic bedrock edges oriented semi-radially from the crater and approximately perpendicular to the layers. How did these ridges form, and what is the relationship to the sand?The ridge origin is a mystery, but the sand may simply be nucleating on the ridges. This suggests that some apparent large ripples on Mars are sand nucleation sites on pre-existing topography. The extent of such ridges, and their relationship to sand elsewhere on the planet, can be further understood with future HiRISE images in other areas.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24952
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA24952_modest.jpg
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Apollinaris Sulci. Yardangs are created by long term winds scouring a poor cemented surface material into linear ridges and valleys.
Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of Apollinaris Sulci. Yardangs are present at the top of this VIS image. These features are created by long term winds scouring a poor cemented surface material into linear ridges and valleys. The direction of the ridge/valley is aligned with the wind direction, indicating the dominant wind direction in this region was north/south. These yardangs are the southern margin of Apollinaris Sulci, located south of Apollinaris Mons. It has been suggested that this region of Mars provides a large percentage of the surface dust seen around the planet. Ash falls from nearby volcanoes may have been the source of the surface materials eroded into these and other wind etched landforms.Orbit Number: 86395 Latitude: -12.5877 Longitude: 177.796 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-06-06 01:38Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10639
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA10639_modest.jpg
Monohydrated Sulfates in Aurorae Chaos
This image of sulfate-containing deposits in Aurorae Chaos was taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) at 0653 UTC (2:53 a.m. EDT) on June 10, 2007, near 7.5 degrees south latitude, 327.25 degrees east longitude. CRISM's image was taken in 544 colors covering 0.36-3.92 micrometers, and shows features as small as 40 meters (132 feet) across. The region covered is roughly 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) wide at its narrowest point.Aurorae Chaos lies east of the Valles Marineris canyon system. Its western edge extends toward Capri and Eos Chasmata, while its eastern edge connects with Aureum Chaos. Some 750 kilometers (466 miles) wide, Aurorae Chaos is most likely the result of collapsed surface material that settled when subsurface ice or water was released.The top panel in the montage above shows the location of the CRISM image on a mosaic taken by the Mars Odyssey spacecraft's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). The CRISM data covers an area featuring several knobs of erosion-resistant material at one end of what appears to be a large teardrop shaped plateau. Similar plateaus occur throughout the interior of Valles Marineris, and they are formed of younger, typically layered rocks that post-date formation of the canyon system. Many of the deposits contain sulfate-rich layers, hinting at ancient saltwater.The center left image, an infrared false color image, reveals a swath of light-colored material draped over the knobs. The center right image unveils the mineralogical composition of the area, with yellow representing monohydrated sulfates (sulfates with one water molecule incorporated into each molecule of the mineral).The lower two images are renderings of data draped over topography with 5 times vertical exaggeration. These images provide a view of the topography and reveal how the monohydrated sulfate-containing deposits drape over the knobs and also an outcrop in lower-elevation parts of the plateau.CRISM is one of six science instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Led by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., the CRISM team includes expertise from universities, government agencies and small businesses in the United States and abroad. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Science Laboratory for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the orbiter.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24991
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA24991_modest.jpg
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Olympia Undae in the middle of north polar spring.
Context imageThis VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected in the middle of north polar spring. As the season changes into summertime, the dune crests will lose all the winter frosts, completely revealing the darker sand beneath. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time.Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions.Orbit Number: 86712 Latitude: 80.9536 Longitude: 222.236 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-07-02 04:40Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20274
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA20274_modest.jpg
The yellow triangles on this graph indicate concentrations of the elements titanium and silicon in selected rock targets with high silica content analyzed by the APXS instrument on NASA's Curiosity rover in Mars' Gale Crater.
The yellow triangles on this graph indicate concentrations of the elements titanium and silicon in selected rock targets with high silica content analyzed by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument on NASA's Curiosity rover in Mars' Gale Crater. The pattern shows a correlation between enriched silicon content and enriched titanium content. Titanium is difficult to mobilize in weathering environments, and this correlation suggests that both titanium and silicon remain as the residue of acidic weathering. Ongoing research aims to distinguish between that possible explanation for silicon enrichment and an alternative of mobilized silicon being added to the site (see PIA20275).As a general comparison with these selected high-silica targets in Gale Crater, the gray dots in the graph show the range of titanium and silicon concentrations in all Martian targets analyzed by APXS instruments on three Mars rovers at three different areas of Mars.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14152
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows a huge ridge of sand in Russell Crater that makes its dune field one of the most unusual on Mars.
Context imageThe huge ridge of sand in Russell Crater makes its dune field one of the most unusual on Mars.Orbit Number: 41208 Latitude: 13.0148 Longitude: 74.2559 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-03-30 08:19Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00790
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These images show NASA's Mars Pathfinder's backshell to the southeast of the lander, and in front and to the left of 'Big Crater' after landing on Mars in 1997.
During the Entry, Descent and Landing phase of the mission, the final step is the separation of the lander and its surrounding airbags from the backshell. The conical backshell above the lander contains three solid rocketmotors each providing about a ton of force for over 2 seconds. They are activated by the computer in the lander. Electrical wires that run up the bridle close relays in the backshell which ignite the three rockets at the same instant.The brief firing of the solid rocketmotors at an altitude of 80-100 meters is intended to essentially bring the downward movement of the lander to a halt some 12 meters above the surface. The bridle separating the lander and heat shield is then cut in the lander, resulting in the backshell driving up and into the parachute under the residual impulse of the rockets, while the lander, encased in airbags, falls to the surface.The backshell is to the southeast of the lander, and in front and to the left of "Big Crater."Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05720
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA05720_modest.jpg
Spirit's Extended-Mission Destination
The drive route planned for NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during its extended mission is represented by the green line in this traverse map. The gold line traces the path Spirit drove during its prime mission of 90 sols.One objective for the rover's extended mission is to continue eastward to reach the high ground named "Columbia Hills," still about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away at the beginning of the extended mission. The base image for this map was taken from orbit by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. The entire area is within Gusev Crater.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20756
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Blue dots on this map indicate sites of recurring slope lineae (RSL) in part of the Valles Marineris canyon network on Mars, from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Blue dots on this map indicate sites of recurring slope lineae (RSL) in part of the Valles Marineris canyon network on Mars. RSL are seasonal dark streaks regarded as the strongest evidence for the possibility of liquid water on the surface of modern Mars. The area mapped here has the highest density of known RSL on the Red Planet.The RSL were identified by repeated observations of the sites using the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Map colors represent elevation, where red is high and blue is low. Valles Marineris is the largest canyon system in the solar system. The region shown here includes Melas Chasma and Coprates Chasma, in the central and eastern portions of Valles Marineris. The mapped area extends about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) east to west and about 280 miles (450 kilometers) north to south, at latitudes from 9 to 17 degrees south of Mars' equator. The base map uses data from the Mars Orbiter Camera and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter of NASA's Mars Global Surveyor mission.RSL extend downslope during a warm season, fade in the colder part of the year, and repeat the process in a subsequent Martian year. A study of 41 RSL sites in this canyon area, published July 7, 2016, provides support for the notion that significant amounts of near-surface water can be found on modern Mars, though the work also indicates that puzzles remain unsolved in understanding how these seasonal features form. Each site includes anywhere from a few to more than 1,000 individual "lineae." The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07052
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA07052_modest.jpg
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a typical north polar scarp and associated dark, windblown sand dunes on Mars. Layers of material, possibly dust and ice, are exposed by the scarp.
16 November 2004This 1.6 meters (~5 feet) per pixel Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a typical north polar scarp and associated dark, windblown sand dunes. Layers of material -- possibly dust and ice -- are exposed by the scarp. The small white patches in the image are remnants of seasonal frost. When this north polar image was acquired in late September 2004, most of the polar frost had sublimed away. This image is located near 85.1°N, 210.8°W. The scene covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) across, and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24008
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA24008_modest.jpg
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Lucus Planum. The surface in this image has been eroded by the wind to form features called yardangs.
Context imageToday's VIS image is located on Lucus Planum. The surface in this image has been eroded by the wind to form features called yardangs. Yardangs form in a poorly cemented material where the wind cuts linear valleys, removing some of the material and leaving parallel ridges behind. The direction of the ridge/valley is aligned with the wind direction. The dominant wind direction in this region is along a northeast/southwest trend; however, other wind directions can occur within a localized region. There is a circular feature in the lower left side of the image. This is likely the remains of a crater. Meteor impacts melt the surface and subsurface, creating a harder material then the surrounding surfaces. The remnant of the crater are still visible due to being a more resistant material.Orbit Number: 81740 Latitude: -1.61604 Longitude: 187.227 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-05-18 18:55Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA15290
/content/Nasa_Mars_Images/PIA15290_modest.jpg
NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft captured this image on Feb. 19, 2012, 10 years to the day after the camera recorded its first view of Mars. This image covers an area in the Nepenthes Mensae region north of the Martian equator.
The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) camera on NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has completed an unprecedented full decade of observing Mars from orbit. THEMIS captured this image on Feb. 19, 2012, 10 years to the day after the camera recorded its first view of Mars. This image covers an area 11 by 32 miles (19 by 52 kilometers) in the Nepenthes Mensae region north of the Martian equator. The view depicts a knobby landscape where the southern highlands are breaking up as the terrain descends into the northern lowlands.Odyssey, launched in 2001, has worked at Mars longer than any mission in history. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. THEMIS was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Philip Christensen at ASU. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft. JPL and Lockheed Martin collaborate on operating it. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more information about Mars Odyssey, visit http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey. For more about THEMIS, see http://themis.asu.edu/.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13022
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows some of the effects that wind action has on the surface of Mars. This image is located near Zephyria Planum. Winds in the region have eroded and etched the surface materials.
Context imageThis VIS image shows some of the effects that wind action has on the surface of Mars. This image is located near Zephyria Planum. Winds in the region have eroded and etched the surface materials.Orbit Number: 36112 Latitude: -5.42819 Longitude: 154.63 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-02-03 17:38Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08045
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the edge of a trough, which is part of a large pit crater complex in Noachis Terra on Mars. This type of trough forms through the collapse of surface materials into the subsurface, beginning as individual pit craters.
6 April 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the edge (running diagonally from the lower left to the upper right) of a trough, which is part of a large pit crater complex in Noachis Terra. This type of trough forms through the collapse of surface materials into the subsurface, and often begins as a series of individual pit craters. Over time, continued collapse increases the diameter of individual pits until finally, adjacent pits merge to form a trough such as the one captured in this image. The deep shadowed area is caused in part by an overhang; layered rock beneath this overhang is less resistant to erosion, and thus has retreated tens of meters backward, beneath the overhang. A person could walk up inside this "cave" formed by the overhanging layered material.Location near: 47.0°S, 355.7°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18829
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The objective of this observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is to examine a light-toned deposit in a region of what is called 'chaotic terrain' at the base of the Valles Marineris canyon system.
Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe objective of this observation is to examine a light-toned deposit in a region of what is called "chaotic terrain" at the base of the Valles Marineris canyon system.The deposit displays a rough surface, in contrast to the smoothness of the surrounding area. Some parts of the surface appear as if they were eroded by a fluid flowing north and south, or perhaps sculpted by the wind. This area is also visible in a Context Camera image (P04_002747_1736). This deposit may be related to interior layered deposits in the Valles Marineris where it's been suggested to have formed in an ancient lake.This caption is based on the original science rationale.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09509
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Plains West of Viking Lander 2
Image PSP_001435_2280 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 16, 2006. The complete image is centered at 47.7 degrees latitude, 134.0 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 316.0 km (197.5 miles). At this distance the image scale is 31.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~95 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:11 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 49 degrees, thus the sun was about 41 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 136.2 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13727
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The bright areas in this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are covered by carbon dioxide frost, and the 'swiss cheese' terrain typical of the south polar residual cap covers much of the imaged area.
This 4 kilometer diameter feature near the edge of the South polar residual cap was recognized in Mariner 9 and Viking Orbiter images taken in the 1970s, but its origin could not be inferred. It was therefore targeted for HiRISE stereo imaging.The bright areas in this image are covered by carbon dioxide frost, and the "swiss cheese" terrain typical of the south polar residual cap covers much of the imaged area. The dark walls of the circular depression do not have as much frost on them, and are fractured in a polygonal pattern. Apparently the surface of the walls has been extensively modified by thermal expansion and contraction of water ice.It also appears that the "swiss cheese" terrain of the residual cap has buried the floor of the circular depression, as well as the terrain surrounding the feature, making it difficult to infer the origin of this depression. Its circular symmetry is consistent with an impact origin, but there is no evidence of a crater rim or ejecta (perhaps because they have been buried). The depression may have formed by collapse, but there is little evidence of extensional fractures that would be expected around a collapse pit. Analysis of HiRISE stereo data may help the interpretation of this feature.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.Originally released October 3, 2007
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00300
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Shown here is a digital mosaic of Olympus Mons, the largest known volcano in the Solar System, as seen by NASA's Viking Orbiter 1. Much of the plains surrounding the volcano are covered by the ridged and grooved 'aureole' of Olympus Mons.
Shown here is a digital mosaic of Olympus Mons, the largest known volcano in the Solar System. It is 27 kilometers high, over 600 kilometers at the base, and is surrounded by a well-defined scarp that is up to 6 km high. Lava flows drape over the scarp in places. Much of the plains surrounding the volcano are covered by the ridged and grooved 'aureole' of Olympus Mons. The origin of the aureole is controversial, but may be related to gravity sliding off of the flanks of an ancestral volcano. The summit caldera (central depression) is almost 3 km deep and 25 km across. It probably formed from recurrent collapse following drainage of magma resulting from flank eruptions.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22930
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These two thumbnail images, with the ghostly dot of a faint Sun near the middle of each, are the last images NASA's Opportunity rover took on Mars.
Figure 1Figure 2 These two thumbnail images, with the ghostly dot of a faint Sun near the middle of each, are the last images NASA's Opportunity rover took on Mars as a dust storm darkened the sky.These images from the left and right eyes of the Panoramic Camera (Pancam) were used to estimate how opaque the atmosphere was (a measurement known as "tau") on Opportunity's final day of operation. With a tau of about 10.8 on that day, scientists knew that only a tiny amount of sunlight was getting through the dust. The left and right Pancam eyes had camera filters that typically help with geological investigations: 440-nanometer (deep blue) and 750-nanometer (red to infrared) filters, respectively. These filters would normally result in overexposed images, but with such weak sunlight, scientists were able to point the Pancams at the Sun and determine the tau.The left Pancam image (Figure 1) has more wavy gradations. In the right Pancam image (Figure 2), the Sun appears as the larger whitish feature in the middle of the frame.These images were taken in Perseverance Valley around 9:33 a.m. PDT (12:33 a.m. EDT) on June 10, 2018 (the 5,111st Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's mission). These thumbnails were not the last images transmitted by the rover: The last image sent (PIA22929) is a partial full-frame image of a dark sky. While full-frame image versions are typically sent after thumbnails, the full-frame versions of these images with faint spots of sun were never transmitted.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.For more information about Opportunity, visit https://www.nasa.gov/rovers and https://mars.nasa.gov/mer.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03053
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These windstreaks are located on the downwind side of impact craters located in Syrtis Major on Mars as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
Context image for PIA03053 Syrtis Major WindstreaksThese windstreaks are located on the downwind side of impact craters located in Syrtis Major.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 0.1N, Longitude 70.1E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04889
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on Nov 25, 2003 shows abundant dust devil tracks on Mars. Dark streaks across much of the surface are formed when dust devils sweep up the dust and reveal the darker underlying terrain.
Released 25 November 2003Abundant dust devil tracks dominate the scene in this THEMIS visible image. The dark streaks across much of the surface are formed when dust devils sweep up the dust and reveal the darker underlying terrain. Notice how the dust devil tracks are continuous over changes in topography (e.g. crater rims) and how the lengths and thicknesses of the tracks vary. This indicates that the dust devils vary in their size and duration.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -61.4, Longitude 120.2 East (239.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03547
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows an ancient lava flow surface near the volcano, Ascraeus Mons on Mars. The volcanic material has been completely covered by thick accumulations of dust.
17 November 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an ancient lava flow surface near the volcano, Ascraeus Mons. The volcanic material has been completely covered by thick accumulations of dust. An earlier accumulation of dust or ash was eroded by wind to form the sharp, nearly triangular hills and ridges seen on top of the flow surfaces. A small impact crater with bouldery ejecta has formed on top of the old flow material in the southern (lower) quarter of the image.Location near: 8.5°N, 110.5°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Autumn
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13411
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By high summer, the extensive dune fields of the north polar region are completely defrosted and the number and variety of dunes are readily visible. This image was captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey on August 31, 2010.
Context imageBy high summer, the extensive dune fields of the north polar region are completely defrosted and the number and variety of dunes are readily visible.Orbit Number: 38652 Latitude: 77.8461 Longitude: 311.187 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-08-31 22:31Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21157
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of Gigas Sulci.
Context image Today's VIS image shows a small portion of Gigas Sulci. Located in the Tharsis region, these small linear ridges follow two trends at angle to each other, one toward the upper left corner and the other generally across from right to left. Small dunes are located between the ridges. The ridges were most likely formed by tectonic activity.Orbit Number: 65422 Latitude: 9.32915 Longitude: 231.265 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-09-12 16:56Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18720
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Located on the floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Sirenum, the crater in the center of the this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft has numerous gullies on the inner rim.
Context imageLocated on the floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Sirenum, the crater in the center of the VIS image has numerous gullies on the inner rim. An ejecta deposit from a near by crater is visible at the bottom on this image.Orbit Number: 56451 Latitude: -38.1315 Longitude: 224.023 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-09-04 22:05Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10878
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a region of Mars' north polar dunes with less dune materials than other portions of the north polar erg.
Context image for PIA10878Polar DunesThis region of north polar dunes has less dune materials than other portions of the north polar erg. This allows the base that the dunes are moving across to be observed.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 77.9N, Longitude 116.7E. 20 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10987
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This anaglyph, acquired by NASA's Phoenix Lander shows a stereoscopic 3D view of a trench informally called 'Snow White' dug by Phoenix's Robotic Arm. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.
This anaglyph, acquired by NASA's Phoenix Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on Sol 36, the 36th Martian day of the mission (July 1, 2008), shows a stereoscopic 3D view of a trench informally called "Snow White" dug by Phoenix's Robotic Arm. Phoenix's solar panel is seen in the bottom right corner of the image.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25992
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Cyane Sulci.
Context imageThe top of today's VIS image shows a portion of Cyane Sulci. Located to the northeast of Olympus Mons, Cyane Sulci is a complexly fractured region of material inundated on its margins by volcanic flows.Orbit Number: 94217 Latitude: 22.1596 Longitude: 232.704 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-03-12 03:17Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07282
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows dark, windblown sand dunes in the north polar region of Mars. A vast sea of sand dunes nearly surrounds the north polar cap during the northern summer in December 2004.
20 January 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image, acquired during northern summer in December 2004, shows dark, windblown sand dunes in the north polar region of Mars. A vast sea of sand dunes nearly surrounds the north polar cap. These landforms are located near 80.3°N, 144.1°W. Light-toned features in the image are exposures of the substrate that underlies the dune field. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09577
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Sinuous Ridges in Argyre Basin
This HiRISE image covers a portion of a sinuous ridge on the floor of Argyre Basin in the southern hemisphere of Mars (55.0 degrees south, 319.2 east). The ridge is one of a number of similar ridges that split and rejoin as they wind across the floor of the basin and around hills and mountains. It is unclear what process is responsible for formation of the ridges, but glacial, coastal, and fluvial processes have all been suggested.For example, they may represent ancient coastal shorelines, sediments deposited in a river flowing under glacial ice, or an ancient river bed that has been left standing in relief as surrounding, probably finer grained sediments were subsequently eroded away.The HiRISE image shows that the sediments forming the ridge include many large boulders that are often 1-2 meters or more in diameter. In addition, the sediments appear to occur in crude layers in a few locations. Such characteristics hold important clues to the process(es) responsible for formation of the ridge.For example, if the ridge is the deposit formed by an ancient river then it may be difficult to account for the transport of so many large boulders.Observation GeometryImage PSP_001508_1245 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 21-Nov-2006. The complete image is centered at -55.0 degrees latitude, 319.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 251.0 km (156.9 miles). At this distance the image scale is 50.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~151 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:47 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 86 degrees, thus the sun was about 4 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 138.9 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04199
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a patch of frost-covered, dark sand that, at the time the picture was acquired in June 2005, had begun to defrost. The frost is carbon dioxide.
2 September 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a patch of frost-covered, dark sand that, at the time the picture was acquired in June 2005, had begun to defrost. The frost is carbon dioxide. Dunes and other patches of sand are usually the first polar features to develop dark spots as the frost begins to sublime away.Location near: 78.9°S, 80.2°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Spring
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16337
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This image NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the dune field on the floor of Brashear Crater.
Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of the dune field on the floor of Brashear Crater.Orbit Number: 48153 Latitude: -53.3619 Longitude: 240.455 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-10-22 00:28Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11787
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This cylindrical image from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the site within an alcove called 'Duck Bay' in the western portion of Victoria Crater taken in April, 2008.
Left-eye view of a color stereo pair for PIA11787Right-eye view of a color stereo pair for PIA11787NASA Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this stereo, full-circle view of the rover's surroundings on the 1,506th through 1,510th Martian days, or sols, of Opportunity's mission on Mars (April 19-23, 2008). North is at the top.This view combines images from the left-eye and right-eye sides of the navigation camera. It appears three-dimensional when viewed through red-blue glasses with the red lens on the left. The site is within an alcove called "Duck Bay" in the western portion of Victoria Crater. Victoria Crater is about 800 meters (half a mile) wide. Opportunity had descended into the crater at the top of Duck Bay 7 months earlier. By the time the rover acquired this view, it had examined rock layers inside the rim.Opportunity was headed for a closer look at the base of a promontory called "Cape Verde," the cliff at about the 2-o'clock position of this image, before leaving Victoria. The face of Cape Verde is about 6 meters (20 feet) tall. Just clockwise from Cape Verde is the main bowl of Victoria Crater, with sand dunes at the bottom. A promontory called "Cabo Frio," at the southern side of Duck Bay, stands near the 6-o'clock position of the image.This view is presented as a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric seam correction.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08493
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These streamlined islands are located in Mangala Vallis on Mars as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
Context image for PIA08493Streamlined IslandsThese streamlined islands are located in Mangala Vallis.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -15.2N, Longitude 210.9E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14367
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The windstreaks in this image of Syrtis Major Planum indicate winds blowing from the northeast. This image is from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.
Context imageThe windstreaks in this VIS image of Syrtis Major Planum indicate winds blowing from the northeast.Orbit Number: 41980 Latitude: -0.821278 Longitude: 70.4895 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-06-01 21:35Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19033
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the margin of the north polar cap.
Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows the margin of the north polar cap.Orbit Number: 4211 Latitude: 80.074 Longitude: 43.0149 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-11-26 05:54Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16261
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Image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the eastern flank of Arsia Mons midway between the summit of the volcano and the surrounding plains.
Context imageThis VIS image shows the eastern flank of Arsia Mons midway between the summit of the volcano and the surrounding plains. Note the small linear fractures which trend towards the top of the image; these fractures encircle the volcano.Orbit Number: 49227 Latitude: -9.4723 Longitude: 241.774 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-01-18 09:34 Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14763
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This is the highest-resolution view that the MAHLI camera on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity acquired of the top of a rock called 'Bathurst Inlet'; the rock is dark gray and is so fine-grained that MAHLI cannot resolve grains or crystals in it.
This is the highest-resolution view that the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity acquired of the top of a rock called "Bathurst Inlet." The rover's arm held the camera with the lens only about 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) from the rock. The view covers an area roughly 1.3 inches by 1 inch (3.3 centimeters by 2.5 centimeters). At this distance, the camera provides resolution of 21 microns per pixel. For comparison, the typical resolution in images from the Microscopic Imager cameras on earlier-generation Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity is about 31 microns per pixel.This is a merged-focus view combining information from a set of eight images taken by MAHLI at different focus settings during Curiosity's 54th Martian day, or sol (Sept. 30, 2012). A context image of the top of Bathurst Inlet, taken by MAHLI positioned about seven times farther from the rock (see PIA14762). Curiosity also examined Bathurst Inlet on the same sol with the other science instrument at the end of the rover's arm, the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer. The Bathurst Inlet rock is dark gray and appears to be so fine-grained that MAHLI cannot resolve grains or crystals in it. This means that the grains or crystals, if there are any at all, are smaller than about 80 microns in size. Some windblown sand-sized grains or dust aggregates have accumulated on the surface of the rock. MAHLI can do focus merging onboard. The full-frame versions of the eight separate images that were combined into this view were not even returned to Earth -- just the thumbnail versions. Merging the images onboard reduces the volume of data that needs to be downlinked to Earth. JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16080
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This graph shows readings for atmospheric pressure at the landing site of NASA's Curiosity rover. The data were obtained by Curiosity's Rover Environmental Monitoring Station from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, 2012.
This graph shows readings for atmospheric pressure at the landing site of NASA's Curiosity rover. The data were obtained by Curiosity's Rover Environmental Monitoring Station from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, 2012. The fluctuations between about 690 Pascals (6.9 millibars) and 780 Pascals (7.8 millibars) shows that the atmosphere is similar to predicated models.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05664
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on March 30, 2004 shows an area in Elysium Planitia near Isidis Planitia on Mars. The channel formation is surface controlled, while the lava-tube creation is mainly structurally controlled.
Released 30 March 2004The Odyssey spacecraft has completed a full Mars year of observations of the red planet. For the next several weeks the Image of the Day will look back over this first mars year. It will focus on four themes: 1) the poles - with the seasonal changes seen in the retreat and expansion of the caps; 2) craters - with a variety of morphologies relating to impact materials and later alteration, both infilling and exhumation; 3) channels - the clues to liquid surface flow; and 4) volcanic flow features. While some images have helped answer questions about the history of Mars, many have raised new questions that are still being investigated as Odyssey continues collecting data as it orbits Mars.The image shows an area in Elysium Planitia near Isidis Planitia. It was acquired May 17, 2002 during northern spring. The local time is 3:30pm. The image shows channels and collapsed lava-tubes. The channel formation is surface controlled, while the lava-tube creation is mainly structurally controlled.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 21.6, Longitude 125.5 East (234.5 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07812
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This image taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the region east of Alba Patera on Mars featuring the complex relations that can occur in regions of multiple structural events. There are fractures and graben in this area that intersect at multiple angles.
This VIS image taken in the region east of Alba Patera shows the complex relations that can occur in regions of multiple structural events. There are fractures and graben in this area that intersect at multiple angles.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 43.2, Longitude 269.4 East (90.6 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22619
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a section of one of the many channel forms found on the northwestern side of the Elysium Mons volcanic complex. The channel features are thought to have both a tectonic and volcanic origin.
Context imageToday's VIS image contains a section of one of the many channel forms found on the northwestern side of the Elysium Mons volcanic complex. The channel features are thought to have both a tectonic and volcanic origin. The linear depression resembles a graben (formed by tectonic forces) and the smaller sinuous channels to the top of the image more closely resemble features caused by fluid flow - either lava or water created by melting subsurface ice by volcanic heating.Orbit Number: 72646 Latitude: 29.3486 Longitude: 140.473 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-04-30 21:04Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10703
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This image shows NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's parachute top attached to the backshell bottom on the Mars surface.
This is an enhanced-color image from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera. It shows the Phoenix parachute top attached to the backshell bottom on the Mars surface. In this image, north is down.The blue/green and red filters on the HiRISE camera were used to make this picture. .The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24678
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Meridiani Planum.
Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Meridiani Planum.Orbit Number: 80686 Latitude: -3.46978 Longitude: 354.525 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-02-22 00:03Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05481
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NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a close-up of the region dubbed 'El Capitan,' which lies within the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars. A spherule, or sphere-shaped grain, is penetrating the interior of a small cavity called a vug.
This image, taken by the microscopic imager onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, shows a close-up of the region dubbed "El Capitan," which lies within the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars. In the lower left, a spherule, or sphere-shaped grain, can be seen penetrating the interior of a small cavity called a vug. This "cross-cutting" relationship allows the relative timing of separate events to be established. In this case, the spherule appears to "invade" the vug, and therefore likely post-dates the vug. This suggests that the spherules may have been one of the last features to form within the outcrop.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22013
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the dune field near Meroe Patera. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows.
Context image This image shows part of the dune field near Meroe Patera. High resolution imaging by other spacecraft has revealed that the dunes in this region are moving. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows. The paterae are calderas on the volcanic complex called Syrtis Major Planum. Dunes are found in both Nili and Meroe Paterae and in the region between the two calderas.The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images!Orbit Number: 28341 Latitude: 6.34784 Longitude: 68.078 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-05-04 22:05Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19440
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows several linear depressions that cross an unnamed crater. The depressions are tectonic fractures that are hundreds of km long.
Context imageToday's VIS image shows several linear depressions that cross an unnamed crater. The depressions are tectonic fractures that are hundreds of km long.Orbit Number: 58617 Latitude: -29.6672 Longitude: 211.652 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-03-02 05:34Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22436
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This enhanced color image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows the heavily channeled and ancient southern highlands of Mars. The elongated and jagged features are windblown dunes, perhaps hardened and eroded.
Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThe map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel.[The original image scale is 52.1 centimeters (20.5 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 156 centimeters (61.4 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.This enhanced color image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows the heavily channeled and ancient southern highlands of Mars. The elongated and jagged features are windblown dunes, perhaps hardened and eroded.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22798
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Noctis Labyrinthus. There are two directions of faults visible, which intersect at an approximately 90 degree angle.
Context imageThis VIS image is located in Noctis Labyrinthus. There are two directions of faults visible, which intersect at an approximately 90 degree angle. The faults running from bottom right to upper left are the younger set. The change in direction indicates a change in the tectonic stresses in the region.Orbit Number: 74276 Latitude: -6.04595 Longitude: 261.215 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-09-12 03:22Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04854
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In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers prepare to lift the Mars Exploration Rover-1 (MER-B) onto a spin table during preflight processing of the spacecraft.
May 29, 2003Prelaunch at Kennedy Space CenterIn the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers prepare to lift the Mars Exploration Rover-1 (MER-B) onto a spin table during preflight processing of the spacecraft. The rover is scheduled to launch aboard a Delta II rocket on June 25. NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans are not yet able to go. The launch of MER-2 (MER-A) is tentatively set for June 8.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09314
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Meridiani Planum. At the top of the image are small, bright windstreaks that form chevrons. The chevron pattern indicates that winds from two different directions formed the streaks.
Context image for PIA09314Dual WindsThis infrared image shows part of Meridiani Planum. At the top of the image are small, bright windstreaks that form chevrons. The chevron pattern indicates that winds from two different directions formed the streaks.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -0.2N, Longitude 8.8E. 99 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24123
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows parts of Ophir Chasma and Candor Chasma. Both are part of Valles Marineris.
Context imageToday's VIS image shows parts of Ophir Chasma (top of image) and Candor Chasma (bottom of image). Both are part of Valles Marineris. Candor Chasma is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and is divided into two regions — eastern and western Candor. This image is of western Candor Chasma. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Candor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides). Ophir Chasma is approximately 317km long (197 miles). This image shows the western end of Ophir Chasma. A landslide is visible in Ophir Chasma.Orbit Number: 82086 Latitude: -4.67658 Longitude: 285.773 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-06-16 06:38Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04621
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows part of a dark-floored valley system in northern Newton Crater on Mars.
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-418, 11 July 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) high resolution image shows part of a dark-floored valley system in northern Newton Crater. The valley might have been originally formed by liquid water; the dark material is probably sand that has blown into the valley in more recent times. The picture was acquired earlier this week on July 6, 2003, and is located near 39.2°S, 157.9°W. The picture covers an area 2.3 km (1.4 mi) across; sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21064
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This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a circular impact crater and an oval volcanic caldera on the southern flank of a large volcano on Mars called Pavonis Mons.
Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image shows a circular impact crater and an oval volcanic caldera on the southern flank of a large volcano on Mars called Pavonis Mons.The caldera is also the source of numerous finger-like lava flows and at least one sinuous lava channel. Both the caldera and the crater are degraded by aeolian (wind) erosion. The strong prevailing winds have apparently carved deep grooves into the terrain.When looking at the scene for the first time, the image seems motion blurred. However, upon a closer look, the smaller, young craters are pristine, so the image must be sharp and the "blurriness" is due to the processes acting on the terrain. This suggests that the deflation-produced grooves, along with the crater and the caldera, are old features and deflation is not very active today. Alternatively, perhaps these craters are simply too young to show signs of degradation.This deeply wind-scoured terrain type is unique to Mars. Wind-carved stream-lined landforms on Earth are called "yardangs," but they don't form extensive terrains like this one. The basaltic lavas on the flanks of this volcano have been exposed to wind for such a long time that there are no parallels on Earth. Terrestrial landscapes and terrestrial wind patterns change much more rapidly than on Mars. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19770
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The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Aureum Chaos.
Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Aureum Chaos.Orbit Number: 10537 Latitude: -3.64083 Longitude: 332.87 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-04-29 22:43Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03252
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This true-color panorama in hues of red and brown from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit taken in Sept, 2005 shows a field of view covered in rocks as the rover explored Gusev Crater on Mars.
Click on the image for Sweeping View of the "Columbia Hills" and Gusev Crater (QTVR)Spirit took this panorama of images, covering a field of view just under 180 degrees from left to right, with the panoramic camera on Martian days (sols) 594, 595, and 597 (Sept. 4, 5, and 7, 2005) of its exploration of Gusev Crater on Mars. This is an approximately true-color rendering generated using the camera's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer, and 430-nanometer filters.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13944
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey is of the south polar cap shows the tip of a trough and the surface surrounding it.
Context imageThis VIS image of the south polar cap shows the tip of a trough and the surface surrounding it.Orbit Number: 40448 Latitude: -86.0777 Longitude: 290.428 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-01-26 18:39Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23481
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows one of several craters located on the floor of the much larger Tikhonravov Crater in Terra Sabaea.
Context imageToday's VIS image shows one of several craters located on the floor of the much larger Tikhonravov Crater in Terra Sabaea. Named for Russian rocket scientist, Mikhail Tikhonravov, the crater is thought to have been the location of a large lake, which may have laid down layers of material now exposed on the margins of this pedestal crater. A pedestal crater is formed by removal of surface materials around a resistant layer of ejecta, eventually leaving the crater and ejecta as a mesa or plateau on the lower elevation base surface.Orbit Number: 78401 Latitude: 12.9296 Longitude: 34.4892 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-08-17 20:32Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04656
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a stair-stepped mound of sedimentary rock on the floor of a large impact crater in western Arabia Terra on Mars. A circular mound and other nearby mesas and knobs are present.
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-429, 22 July 2003This April 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a stair-stepped mound of sedimentary rock (right of center) on the floor of a large impact crater in western Arabia Terra near 11.0°N, 4.4°W. Sedimentary rock outcrops are common in the craters of this region. The repeated thickness and uniformity of the layers that make up this mound suggest that their depositional environment was one in which cyclic or episodic events occurred over some period of time. The sediments might have been deposited in a lake, or they may have settled directly out of the atmosphere. Most of the layered material was later eroded away, leaving this circular mound and the other nearby mesas and knobs. The image is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA15748
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is of Lismore Crater. This crater, located in Chryse Planitia, is relatively unmodified, meaning it appears very much like it did when it first formed.
Context imageToday's image is of Lismore Crater. This crater, located in Chryse Planitia, is relatively unmodified, meaning it appears very much like it did when it first formed.Orbit Number: 45965 Latitude: 27.0983 Longitude: 318.503 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-04-24 23:55Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07163
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This image released on Dec 2, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows Olympica Fossae, located closer to Alba Patera on Mars. A deep main channel and nearby collapse channels are seen.
This image is of Olympica Fossae, located further eastward than yesterday's image and closer to Alba Patera. Note the complexity of the deeper main channel and the nearby collapse channels. The deeper channel may represent an unroofed lava tube or open main lava channel. The floor texture seen in the main channel in both yesterday's and today's images may represent the surface of one of the last lava flows hosted by the channel.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 24.5, Longitude 245.4 East (114.6 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01460
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor acquired this image on April 20, 1998. Shown here are layered materials in the walls and on the floors of the enormous Valles Marineris system.
One of the most striking discoveries of the Mars Global Surveyor mission has been the identification of thousands of meters/feet of layers within the wall rock of the enormous martian canyon system, Valles Marineris.Valles Marineris was first observed in 1972 by the Mariner 9 spacecraft, from which the troughs get their name: Valles--valleys, Marineris--Mariner.Some hints of layering in both the canyon walls and within some deposits on the canyon floors were seen in Mariner 9 and Viking orbiter images from the 1970s. The Mars Orbiter Camera on board Mars Global Surveyor has been examining these layers at much higher resolution than was available previously.MOC images led to the realization that there are layers in the walls that go down to great depths. An example of the wall rock layers can be seen in MOC image 8403, shown above (C).MOC images also reveal amazing layered outcrops on the floors of some of the Valles Marineris canyons. Particularly noteworthy is MOC image 23304 (D, above), which shows extensive, horizontally-bedded layers exposed in buttes and mesas on the floor of western Candor Chasma. These layered rocks might be the same material as is exposed in the chasm walls (as in 8403--C, above), or they might be rocks that formed by deposition (from water, wind, and/or volcanism) long after Candor Chasma opened up.In addition to layered materials in the walls and on the floors of the Valles Marineris system, MOC images are helping to refine our classification of geologic features that occur within the canyons. For example, MOC image 25205 (E, above), shows the southern tip of a massive, tongue-shaped massif (a mountainous ridge) that was previously identified as a layered deposit. However, this MOC image does not show layering. The material has been sculpted by wind and mass-wasting--downslope movement of debris--but no obvious layers were exposed by these processes.Valles Marineris a fascinating region on Mars that holds much potential to reveal information about the early history and evolution of the red planet. The MOC Science Team is continuing to examine the wealth of new data and planning for new Valles Marineris targets once the Mapping Phase of the Mars Global Surveyor mission commences in March 1999.This image: Massive (non-layered) material exposed in central Candor Chasma. MOC image 25205 subframe shown at 11.7 meters (38.4 feet) per pixel resolution. Image shows the southern tip of a massive "interior deposit" that points like a giant tongue from Ophir Chasma (to the north) down into the center of Candor Chasma. The ridged and grooved bright unit is the "interior deposit." South of this ridged unit is a low elevation surface mantled by dark dunes and sand. Image covers an area approximately 5.7 by 5.7 kilometers (3.5 x 3.5 miles). North is approximately up, illumination is from the lower right. Image 25205 was obtained during Mars Global Surveyor's 252nd orbit at 2:45 p.m. (PDT) on April 20, 1998.Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20174
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This view from the Mast Camera (Mastcam) in NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the 'Marias Pass' area where a lower and older geological unit of mudstone.
Annotated VersionClick on the image for larger viewDownload the full resolution annotated TIFF fileThis view from the Mast Camera (Mastcam) in NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the "Marias Pass" area where a lower and older geological unit of mudstone -- the pale zone in the center of the image -- lies in contact with an overlying geological unit of sandstone.Just before Curiosity reached Marias Pass, the rover's laser-firing Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument examined a rock found to be rich in silica, a mineral-forming chemical. This scene combines several images taken on May 22, 2015, during the 992nd Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars. The scene is presented with a color adjustment that approximates white balancing, to resemble how the rocks and sand would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. Figure 1 includes a scale bar of 2 meters (79 inches). Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates the rover's Mastcam. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover.For more information about the Mars Science Laboratory mission and the mission's Curiosity rover, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05449
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NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's view of the rocky and bumpy terrain that lies between it and the large crater dubbed 'Bonneville.' A large rock called 'Humphries' can be seen.
This image shows the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's view of the rocky terrain that lies between it and its intended target, the large crater dubbed "Bonneville." The landscape here is roughly two times as bumpy and more difficult to traverse than that crossed so far. Spirit has currently stopped to examine the soil and rocks at a region nicknamed "Middle Ground." The rover is 98 meters (322 feet) away from "Bonneville" and facing northeast. The large rock called "Humphries" can be seen in the lower right corner. The image was taken on the 53rd martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission by the rover's panoramic camera.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24774
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small unnamed channel. This channel is located along the topographic boundary between highlands of Terra Sabaea and lowlands of Protonilus Mensae.
Context imageNear the top of today's VIS image is a small unnamed channel. This channel is located along the topographic boundary between highlands of Terra Sabaea and lowlands of Protonilus Mensae.Orbit Number: 85301 Latitude: 39.2867 Longitude: 51.0852 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-03-08 00:03Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05899
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This vertical-projection mosaic was created from images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired May 8, 2004.The rover was on its way to the 'Columbia Hills,' which can be seen on the horizon.
This vertical-projection view was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 123 (May 8, 2004). Spirit is sitting at site 44. The rover is on the way to the "Columbia Hills," which can be seen on the horizon. To this point, Spirit has driven a total of 1,830 meters (1.14 miles). The hills are less than 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) away, and the rover might reach them by mid-June.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16498
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The lava flows in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of the extensive lava plains of Daedalia Planum.
Context imageThe lava flows in today's VIS image are part of the extensive lava plains of Daedalia Planum.Orbit Number: 47479 Latitude: -22.2275 Longitude: 239.677 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-08-27 13:00Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06791
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Sweeping the Dust Away
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit brushed the dust away from a rock target on an outcrop dubbed "Clovis" prior to grinding a hole and conducting mineral studies. This view is a mosaic combining four frames that Spirit took with its microscopic imager on martian sol 214 (Aug. 9, 2004).
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA26026
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a region of wind etched materials. In regions of poorly cemented surface materials it is possible to create large features due to just the action of the wind.
Context imageToday's VIS image shows a region of wind etched materials. In regions of poorly cemented surface materials it is possible to create large features due to just the action of the wind. The equatorial region between Olympus Mons and Apollinaris Mons is dominated by wind etched regions. The direction of the wind aligns with the ridges and valleys. The dominant wind direction in this region is southeast to northwest; however, other wind directions can occur within a localized region.Orbit Number: 94405 Latitude: -0.344951 Longitude: 212.207 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-03-27 14:40Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18259
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The unnamed channels in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located in northern Arabia Terra.
Context imageThe unnamed channels in this VIS image are located in northern Arabia Terra.Orbit Number: 54291 Latitude: 38.2988 Longitude: 29.8555 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-03-11 04:26Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21316
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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows dust devil tracks on the plains of Aonia Terra.
Context image Today's VIS image shows dust devil tracks on the plains of Aonia Terra. As the dust devil moves across the surface it scours the fine dust particles, revealing the darker rock surface below.Orbit Number: 66800 Latitude: -65.2605 Longitude: 239.338 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-01-04 04:52Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11004
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This image taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager shows the trenches, labeled Dodo-Goldilocks and Snow White, and the areas that were identified for digging, labeled Cupboard and Neverland.
This image taken by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Surface Stereo Imager shows the current trenches, labeled Dodo-Goldilocks and Snow White, and the areas identified for future digging, labeled Cupboard and Neverland.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA_x0092_s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24336
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The HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was able to capture this image of the final location of the parachute that helped slow down NASA's Perseverance rover during its landing on the surface of Mars.
The High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was able to capture this image of the final location of the parachute that helped slow down NASA's Perseverance rover during its landing on the surface of Mars. It is a close-up version of a larger image showing several parts of the Mars 2020 mission landing system that got the rover safely on the ground, PIA24333. The image was taken on Feb. 19, 2021.These close-ups were processed to make them easier to see. The insets showing the descent stage and parachute have had color added and include data from the infrared band of light.MRO's mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver, built the spacecraft. The University of Arizona provided and operates the High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE).A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07830
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft is of a dune field on Mars located in Holden Crater. Sand seas on Earth are often called ergs, an Arabic name for dune field.
Our topic for the weeks of April 4 and April 11 is dunes on Mars. We will look at the north polar sand sea and at isolated dune fields at lower latitudes. Sand seas on Earth are often called "ergs," an Arabic name for dune field. A sand sea differs from a dune field in two ways: 1) a sand sea has a large regional extent, and 2) the individual dunes are large in size and complex in form.A common location for dune fields on Mars is in the basin of large craters. This dune field is located in Holden Crater at 25 degrees South atitude.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -25.5, Longitude 326.8 East (33.2 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04995
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This is the first color image of Mars taken by the panoramic camera onboard NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. It is the highest resolution image ever taken on the surface of another planet.
This is the first color image of Mars taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. It is the highest resolution image ever taken on the surface of another planet.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18512
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This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows features commonly found in dusty areas: impacts, slope streaks and bed-forms.
Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionDusty regions on Mars are often considered to look boring in HiRISE images because the dust obscures surface features. However, new meteor impacts are found most easily in dusty regions such as the one in this image because the new impacts blast away the dust at the surface, leaving obvious dark spots that can be seen in images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera (CTX). HiRISE will then take a close up image of the dark spots to image any new craters that have formed as a result of the impact.As well as confirming a new impact, this image also showed other features commonly found in dusty areas: slope streaks and bed-forms. A close-up picture of the roughly 2.5-kilometer-diameter crater at the bottom of the main image shows ridges on the crater floor where dust has become trapped, and bright and dark streaks down the crater walls where dust has cascaded down the slope. HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00613
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NASA's Mars Pathfinder took this image of surrounding terrain in the mid-morning on Mars (2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time) in 1997. Part of the small rover, Sojourner, is visible on the left side of the picture.
The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) took this image of surrounding terrain in the mid-morning on Mars (2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time) earlier today. Part of the small rover, Sojourner, is visible on the left side of the picture. The tan cylinder to the right of the rover is one of two rolled-up ramps by which the rover will descend to the ground. The white, billowy material in the center of the picture is part of the airbag system. Many rocks of different shapes and sizes are visible between the lander and the horizon. Two hills are visible on the horizon. The notch on the left side of the leftmost conical hill is an artifact of the processing of this picture.Pathfinder, a low-cost Discovery mission, is the first of a new fleet of spacecraft that are planned to explore Mars over the next ten years. Mars Global Surveyor, already en route, arrives at Mars on September 11 to begin a two year orbital reconnaissance of the planet's composition, topography, and climate. Additional orbiters and landers will follow every 26 months.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07885
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows
25 April 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows terrain in eastern Isidis Planitia that is very heavily peppered with impact craters of diameters of a few hundred meters (a few hundred yards) or less. One aim of the MGS MOC Picture of the Day series is to showcase the rich variety of martian surfaces; this one should be compared with other Pictures of the Day in recent weeks, as most of these are shown covering an area of about the same width, approximately 3 kilometers (1.9 miles).Location near: 17.5°N, 263.1°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Summer
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04757
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of the ancient Auqakuh Vallis system on Mars. The valley was cut into layered bedrock. It was once much deeper than today, but much of the surrounding materials have been eroded away.
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-491, 22 September 2003Auqakuh Vallis is an ancient valley system that might have once been a conduit for liquid water flowing north, across northeastern Arabia Terra, toward the Nilosyrtis region. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the Auqakuh Vallis system. The valley was cut into layered bedrock. It was once much deeper than today, but much of the surrounding materials have been eroded away. Windblown sediments now cover the floor of the valley, a reflection of the parched conditions of the modern martian environment. This picture is located near 29.1°N, 299.6°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16101
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This color panorama shows a 360-degree view of the landing site of NASA's Curiosity rover, including the highest part of Mount Sharp visible to the rover.
Raw VersionClick on the image for larger version This color panorama shows a 360-degree view of the landing site of NASA's Curiosity rover, including the highest part of Mount Sharp visible to the rover. That part of Mount Sharp is approximately 12 miles (20 kilometers) away from the rover. The images were obtained by the rover's 34-millimeter Mast Camera. The mosaic, which stretches about 29,000 pixels across by 7,000 pixels high, includes 130 images taken on Aug. 8 and an additional 10 images taken on Aug. 18. These images were shot before the camera was fully characterized.Scientists enhanced the color in one version to show the Martian scene as it would appear under the lighting conditions we have on Earth, which helps in analyzing the terrain. A raw version is also available.JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21585
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This small mesa is one of several surrounded by sand dunes in Noctis Labyrinthyus, an extensively fractured region on the western end of Valles Marineris, as seen by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a small (0.4 kilometer) mesa, one of several surrounded by sand dunes in Noctis Labyrinthyus, an extensively fractured region on the western end of Valles Marineris.Heavily eroded, with clusters of boulders and sand dunes on its surface, this layered mesa is probably comprised of sedimentary deposits that are being exhumed as it erodes. The layers themselves are visible as faint bands along the lower left edge of the mesa.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 20.7 centimeters (19.6 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 158 centimeters (62.2 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05508
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NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the outcrop that sits just inside the small crater where the rover landed. The region dubbed 'El Capitan,' is where scientists gained their first clues to the outcrop's watery past.
This image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera shows the outcrop that sits just inside the small crater where the rover landed. Highlighted in black and white is the region dubbed "El Capitan," where scientists gained their first clues to the outcrop's watery past. The color portion of the image is low-resolution, and the black and white portion is high-resolution.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11974
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Time for a Change; Spirit's View on Sol 1843
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images that have been combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,843rd Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's surface mission (March 10, 2009). South is in the middle. North is at both ends. The rover had driven 36 centimeters downhill earlier on Sol 1854, but had not been able to get free of ruts in soft material that had become an obstacle to getting around the northeastern corner of the low plateau called "Home Plate."The Sol 1854 drive, following two others in the preceding four sols that also achieved little progress in the soft ground, prompted the rover team to switch to a plan of getting around Home Plate counterclockwise, instead of clockwise. The drive direction in subsequent sols was westward past the northern edge of Home Plate. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23013
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small section of Ma'adim Valles. Ma'adim Valles is located in Terra Cimmeria and empties into Gusev Crater, the home of the MER Spirit rover.
Context imageThis VIS image shows a small section of Ma'adim Valles. Ma'adim Valles is located in Terra Cimmeria and empties into Gusev Crater, the home of the MER Spirit rover.Orbit Number: 75277 Latitude: -22.7745 Longitude: 176.665 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-03 14:00Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05365
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This image, part of an images as art series from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on Feb 2, 2004 shows an interesting symbol in the bottom-left corner that looks like a peace sign on Mars.
Released 2 February 2004Humanity is a very visual species. We rely on our eyes to tell us what is going on in the world around us. Put any image in front of a person and that person will examine the picture looking for anything familiar. Even if the examiner has no idea what he/she is looking at in a picture, he/she will still be able to make a statement about the picture, usually preceded by the words "it looks like..." The image above is part of the surface of Mars, but is presented for its artistic value rather than its scientific value. When first viewed, this image solicited a statement that "it looks like..." something seen in everyday life.This particular image contains an interesting symbol in the bottom-left corner; perhaps it's a peace sign.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07272
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows an ancient valley in far northwestern Arabia Terra, near the Cydonia region on Mars. Large, windblown ripples occur on the valley floor.
10 January 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an ancient valley in far northwestern Arabia Terra, near the Cydonia region. Large, windblown ripples occur on the valley floor. This valley is located near 33.2°N, 10.1°W. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across, and is illuminated by sunlight from the left/lower left.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25054
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Terra Sabaea.
Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Terra Sabaea.The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the Martian surface using five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from using multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Orbit Number: 85226 Latitude: 26.2646 Longitude: 56.742 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-03-01 19:46Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03934
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows windstreaks features caused by the interaction of wind and topographic landforms. These windstreaks are located northeast of Olympus Mons and southwest of Alba Patera.
Windstreaks are features caused by the interaction of wind and topographic landforms. The raised rims and bowls of impact craters causes a complex interaction such that the wind vortex in the lee of the crater can both scour away the surface dust and deposit it back in the center of the lee. If you look closely, you will see evidence of this in a darker "rim" enclosing a brighter interior. These windstreaks are located northeast of Olympus Mons and southwest of Alba Patera. The lava flows the windstreaks occur on most likely originated from Alba Patera.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 31.3, Longitude 235.1 East (124.9 West). 36 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24518
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the rim of Holden Crater. Located in Noachis Terra, Holden Crater is 152km (94 miles) in diameter.
Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of the rim of Holden Crater. Located in Noachis Terra, Holden Crater is 152km (94 miles) in diameter.Orbit Number: 72777 Latitude: -26.7099 Longitude: 327.236 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-05-11 15:45Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA14129
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A dance-step pattern is visible in the wheel tracks near the left edge of this scene recorded by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on Mars on April 1, 2011.
A dance-step pattern is visible in the wheel tracks near the left edge of this scene recorded by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity during the 2,554th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (April 1, 2011). The pattern comes from use of a new technique for Opportunity to autonomously check for hazards in its way while driving backwards. For scale, the distance between the parallel tracks of the left and right wheels is about 1 meter (about 40 inches).The rover team routinely tells Opportunity to drive backwards because experience has shown this is less likely to increase the amount current drawn by the drive motor in the right-front wheel. More than two years ago, the right-front wheel on Opportunity began showing signs of drawing more current than other wheels. Opportunity's twin, Spirit, had shown similar elevated current in the right-front wheel for more than a year before that wheel on Spirit stopped working in 2006. The view looks back after Sol 2554's drive at the tracks imprinted by the drive. The drive covered at total of 118.6 meters (389 feet). Rover drivers had planned the drive based on images taken from the rover's Sol 2553 location. The first portion -- which imprinted the more distant, simpler, tracks -- was a backward "blind" drive. Rover drivers command blind drives -- either forward or backward -- when they can assess the safety of the terrain well enough from the images taken at the drive's starting point that they don't need the rover to pause and look for obstacles along the route. For the Sol 2554 drive over flat ground, the drivers chose a blind drive of 100 meters (328 feet). They commanded Opportunity to begin using backward autonomous navigation after it reached the end of the blind drive on that sol. That "backward autonav" driving imprinted the nearest portion of the tracks visible here.The rover team began using the backward autonav strategy last year as a modification of forward autonav, which the team has used since the rovers' first year on Mars. In autonav mode, the rover pauses periodically during a drive, uses its stereo navigation camera to view the route in the intended drive direction, analyzes the images for potential hazards in the route, and makes a decision about what to do based on that analysis. One catch, when driving backwards, is that the navigation camera's view is partially blocked over the rear of the rover by the low-gain antenna. So, lest a hazard be hidden behind that antenna, the backward autonav technique includes turning the rover 17.5 degrees away from the drive direction just before taking the navigation camera images. This gives the camera an unobstructed view in the drive direction. This little maneuver -- repeated every 1.2 meters -- is what created the dance-step pattern in the foreground portion of the rover tracks in this image.In forward autonav, Opportunity can plot its own way around an obstacle and continue driving. In backward autonav, Opportunity just ends the drive for the day if the onboard analysis of images detects a hazard in the route. On the level terrain Opportunity has been crossing this spring on the trek from Santa Maria crater toward Endeavour crater, obstacles are few, so backward autonav has significantly extended the distance the rover can cover in one sol's driving.This mosaic combining several pointings of the navigation camera is presented in a cylindrical projection. The center of the image is toward the northeast, and the full view covers a sweep of 252 degrees, from westward on the left to southeastward on the right. Opportunity has been exploring the Meridiani Planum region of Mars since early 2004 in a mission originally planned to last for three months. Both Opportunity and Spirit have made important discoveries about wet environments on ancient Mars that may have been favorable for supporting microbial life. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25910
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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows several dark streaks near the summit of Alba Mons.
Context imageThis VIS image shows several dark streaks near the summit of Alba Mons. Similar large, dark streaks are found on all the Tharsis volcanoes. This type of dark streak does not form due to surface winds flowing around topographic features like craters. Instead these streaks seem to form from in response to large slope winds blowing over the volcano. Such winds are called orographic winds, and are caused by air mass movement around mountains.Orbit Number: 93873 Latitude: 41.5398 Longitude: 251.186 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-02-11 20:09Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19207
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a large portion of the dune field located in the floor of Rabe Crater.
Context imageToday's VIS image show a large portion of the dune field located in the floor of Rabe Crater.Orbit Number: 58024 Latitude: -43.6968 Longitude: 34.8234 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-01-12 09:48Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05730
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NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired this microscopic imager view of its capture magnet on April 6, 2004. The magnets' primary purpose is to collect the martian magnetic dust so it can be analyzied with the rover's Moessbauer spectrometers.
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired this microscopic imager view of its capture magnet on sol 92 (April 6, 2004). Both Spirit and the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity are equipped with a number of magnets. The capture magnet, as seen here, has a stronger charge than its sidekick, the filter magnet. The lower-powered filter magnet captures only the most magnetic airborne dust with the strongest charges, while the capture magnet picks up all magnetic airborne dust.The magnets' primary purpose is to collect the martian magnetic dust so that scientists can analyze it with the rovers' Moessbauer spectrometers. While there is plenty of dust on the surface of Mars, it is difficult to confirm where it came from, and when it was last airborne. Because scientists are interested in learning about the properties of the dust in the atmosphere, they devised this dust-collection experiment.The capture magnet is about 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter and is constructed with a central cylinder and three rings, each with alternating orientations of magnetization. Scientists have been monitoring the continual accumulation of dust since the beginning of the mission with panoramic camera and microscopic imager images. They had to wait until enough dust accumulated before they could get a Moessbauer spectrometer analysis. The results of that analysis, performed on sol 92, have not been sent back to Earth yet.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16034
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This cut-out from a color panorama image taken by NASA's Curiosity rover shows the effects of the descent stage's rocket engines blasting the ground. It comes from the left side of the thumbnail panorama obtained by Curiosity's Mast Camera.
This cut-out from a color panorama image taken by NASA's Curiosity rover shows the effects of the descent stage's rocket engines blasting the ground. It comes from the left side of the thumbnail panorama obtained by Curiosity's Mast Camera. (See PIA16029.) JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20430
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The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Capri Mensa.
Context imageThe THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Capri Mensa.Orbit Number: 35445 Latitude: -13.2721 Longitude: 312.893 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-12-10 19:37Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA11183
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This image from the Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows morning frost inside the 'Snow White' trench dug by the lander, in addition to subsurface ice exposed by use of a rasp on the floor of the trench.
This image from the Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows morning frost inside the "Snow White" trench dug by the lander, in addition to subsurface ice exposed by use of a rasp on the floor of the trench.The camera took this image at about 9 a.m. local solar time during the 113th Martian day of the mission (Sept. 18, 2008). Bright material near and below the four-by-four set of rasp holes in the upper half of the image is water-ice exposed by rasping and scraping in the trench earlier the same morning. Other bright material especially around the edges of the trench, is frost. Earlier in the mission, when the sun stayed above the horizon all night, morning frost was not evident in the trench.This image is presented in false color that enhances the visibility of the frost. The trench is 4 to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) deep, about 23 centimeters (9 inches) wide.Phoenix landed on a Martian arctic plain on May 25, 2008. The mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development was by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23079
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This image acquired on January 23, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows the western portion of a well-preserved (recent) impact crater in Ladon Basin.
Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image covers the western portion of a well-preserved (recent) impact crater in Ladon Basin. Ladon is filled by diverse materials including chemically-altered sediments and unaltered lava, so the impact event ejected and deposited a wide range of elements. This image is the first of a pair of images for stereo coverage, so check out the stereo anaglyph when completed.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 52.4 centimeters (20.6 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 157 centimeters (61.8 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20259
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This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located on the margin of Tempe Terra near Chryse Planitia. Several channels are visible as well as tectonic features.
Context imageThis VIS image is located on the margin of Tempe Terra near Chryse Planitia. Several channels are visible as well as tectonic features. The linear feature below the channel is most likely a graben, where two bounding faults cause the interior material to be lower that the surroundings.Orbit Number: 62101 Latitude: 39.2825 Longitude: 306.171 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-12-14 04:09Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20012
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From its perch high on a ridge, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this image of a Martian dust devil twisting through the valley below.
From its perch high on a ridge, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this image of a Martian dust devil twisting through the valley below. The view looks back at the rover's tracks leading up the north-facing slope of "Knudsen Ridge," which forms part of the southern edge of "Marathon Valley."Opportunity took the image using its navigation camera (Navcam) on March 31, 2016, during the 4,332nd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars.Dust devils were a common sight for Opportunity's twin rover, Spirit, in its outpost at Gusev Crater. Dust devils have been an uncommon sight for Opportunity though. Just as on Earth, a dust devil is created by a rising, rotating column of hot air. When the column whirls fast enough, it picks up tiny grains of dust from the ground, making the vortex visible.During the uphill drive to reach the top of Knudsen Ridge, Opportunity's tilt reached 32 degrees, the steepest ever for any rover on Mars. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.For more information about Opportunity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rovers and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov.
https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01522
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The boulder-strewn field of red rocks reaches to the horizon nearly two miles from NASA's Viking 2 on Mars' Utopian Plain.
The boulder-strewn field of red rocks reaches to the horizon nearly two miles from Viking 2 on Mars' Utopian Plain. Scientists believe the colors of the Martian surface and sky in this photo represent their true colors. Fine particles of red dust have settled on spacecraft surfaces. The salmon color of the sky is caused by dust particles suspended in the atmosphere. Color calibration charts for the cameras are mounted at three locations on the spacecraft. Note the blue star field and red stripes of the flag. The circular structure at top is the high-gain antenna, pointed toward Earth. Viking 2 landed September 3,1976, some 4600 miles from its twin, Viking 1, which touched down on July 20.