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This is NASA InSight's first selfie on Mars. It displays the lander's solar panels and deck. On top of the deck are its science instruments, weather sensor booms and UHF antenna.

This is NASA InSight's first full selfie on Mars. It displays the lander's solar panels and deck. On top of the deck are its science instruments, weather sensor booms and UHF antenna. The selfie was taken on Dec. 6, 2018 (Sol 10).The selfie is made up of 11 images which were taken by its Instrument Deployment Camera, located on the elbow of its robotic arm. Those images are then stitched together into a mosaic.JPL manages InSight for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the InSight spacecraft, including its cruise stage and lander, and supports spacecraft operations for the mission.A number of European partners, including France's Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), are supporting the InSight mission. CNES and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) provided the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument, with significant contributions from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany, the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) in Switzerland, Imperial College and Oxford University in the United Kingdom, and JPL. DLR provided the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument, with significant contributions from the Space Research Center (CBK) of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland. Spain's Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) supplied the wind sensors.For more information about the mission, go to https://mars.nasa.gov/insight.

Visible in this observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is a section of Cerberus Fossae, which are comprised of a series of rifts present located in Elysium Planitia just north the Martian equator.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionVisible in this observation is a section of Cerberus Fossae (width approximately 250 meters), which are comprised of a series of rifts present located in Elysium Planitia just north the Martian equator. The fossae (Latin plural for a "ditch" or "depression") are in close proximity and related to the formation of Athabasca Valles, which lies to the west. These rifts are collapse features believed to form by volcanic and tectonic processes.In this composite image, we can see that the rift is not continuous, but discontinuous and offset. The offset could be the result of a preexisting subsurface discontinuity, such as a fault.The close-up view of HiRISE infrared color shows us a plethora of information about Cerberus Fossae and the great amount of detail that HiRISE captures. The clear view of boulders strewn in shadowed areas of the rift is a testament to the high signal-to-noise capability and high resolution of the HiRISE camera; aeolian dunes along with boulders deposited from erosion of the rift walls are also visible in detail.Using the pixel-length of the shadow within the rift, the incidence angle of the Sun at the time the image was taken, and some trigonometry, the approximate depth of the various sections of Cerberus Fossae can be estimated. Based on this simple method, an approximate depth is 260 meters. This estimate suggests that the rift is as wide as it is deep.Another remarkable aspect of this image is the stark contrasts it captures: light-toned dusty surfaces that surround the rift versus the dark blue basaltic sands and the shadows within the rift. The detail that HiRISE can provide is indeed phenomenal, and as demonstrated here, the infrared color provides additional information. Why, for instance, is the floor of Cerberus Fossae a deep blue, and why is there such a contrast with the orange-grayish Martian surface? It's not water! The volcanic and mafic sand contains unoxidized iron, which appears a deep blue, while the Martian surface is covered by oxidized iron-bearing dust which appears orange-grayish.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.

NASA's InSight spacecraft and its recently deployed Wind and Thermal Shield were imaged on Feb. 4, 2019, by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

NASA's InSight spacecraft and its recently deployed Wind and Thermal Shield were imaged on Mars on Feb. 4, 2019, by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. On Feb. 2, 2019, InSight's robotic arm placed the special shield over its seismometer on the Martian surface to protect the instrument from wind and extreme temperatures. The green object in this image is the InSight lander; the white dot just below it is the shield, which is especially bright and reflective. The shield is a little less than 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from the lander. The dark circles on either side of the lander are its solar panels. The total width of the lander with both panels open is 19 feet, 8 inches (6 meters). The image also shows the darkened ground where InSight's retrorockets blew away lighter-colored dust as the lander touched down on Nov. 26, 2018. Scientists are interested in imaging this location over time to watch how quickly the lighter-colored Martian dust covers that darkened surface. 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the Medusa Fossae Formation located east of the Tharsis volcanoes. The materials of the formation are easily eroded by the wind

Context image for PIA10022Medusa Fossae TexturesThe Medusa Fossae Formation is located east of the Tharsis volcanoes. The material(s) of the formation are easily eroded by the wind and many different wind sculpted textures are found in images of this region.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 5.8N, Longitude 214.1E. 36 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the region where flank flows from Olympus Mons meet the surrounding lava plains.

Context imageThis VIS image shows the region where flank flows from Olympus Mons (top of image) meet the surrounding lava plains.Orbit Number: 80678 Latitude: 12.5468 Longitude: 223.171 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-02-21 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.

Several terrain types converge in this scene observed by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter from Arsinoes Chaos, in the far eastern portions of Valles Marineris.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger version This view of Martian surface features shaped by effects of winds was captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Jan. 4, 2015. The spacecraft has been orbiting Mars since March 2006. On Feb. 7, 2015, it completed its 40,000th orbit around Mars. Several terrain types converge in this scene from the Arsinoes Chaos region of Mars, which is in the far eastern portion of Mars' Valles Marineris canyon system. The jumbled chaos terrain is likely related to massive water-carved outflow channels that started in this area and flowed north onto Mars' northern plains. The slightly curving bright terrain is composed of yardangs. Yardangs are portions of rock that have been sandblasted into long, skinny ridges by saltating (or bouncing) sand particles blowing in the wind. Transverse sand ridges lie between the yardangs (zoom in). These sand ridges are termed "transverse aeolian ridges" and are not moving in Mars' current climate. They are a mystery -- midway in height between dunes (formed from saltating sand) and ripples (formed by "splashed" sand grains). The location is at 7 degrees south latitude, 332 degrees east latitude. The image is an excerpt from HiRISE observation ESP_039563_1730. Other image products from this observation are available at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_039563_1730. 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a view of the martian south polar region, as it appeared on 8 September 2005.

9 September 2005Early on 8 September 2005 (Universal Time), the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) resumed imaging of Mars after a nearly 2-week hiatus to recover the spacecraft from a glitch that put MGS into a protective "safe mode." The MOC was turned on during MGS orbit 29053, while the spacecraft was flying across day side of the planet. MOC then resumed taking pictures on the next orbit, 29054. Shown here is a portion of the first picture acquired following MOC turn-on. The image shows a view of the martian south polar region, as it appeared on 8 September 2005. The image was taken by MOC's red wide angle camera. In this case, the spacecraft began imaging Mars as it passed across the southern terminator, at the bottom of the image. MGS then flew southward, over the polar cap, then northward toward the equator. The equatorial region is further north than the area shown here. The image not only provided the MOC team a confirmation that MOC imaging has resumed, this particular image, in the map-projected form shown here, is being used by the team to assist in setting the exposures for MOC narrow angle camera images that will be acquired from the south polar region over the next several days.Location near: 90°S Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer

Spirit Captures Two Dust Devils On the Move

Figure 1 AnnotatedAt the Gusev site recently, skies have been very dusty, and on its 421st sol (March 10, 2005) NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit spied two dust devils in action. This is an image from the rover's navigation camera.Views of the Gusev landing region from orbit show many dark streaks across the landscape -- tracks where dust devils have removed surface dust to show relatively darker soil below -- but this is the first time Spirit has photographed an active dust devil. Scientists are considering several causes of these small phenomena. Dust devils often occur when the Sun heats the surface of Mars. Warmed soil and rocks heat the layer of atmosphere closest to the surface, and the warm air rises in a whirling motion, stirring dust up from the surface like a miniature tornado. Another possibility is that a flow structure might develop over craters as wind speeds increase. As winds pick up, turbulence eddies and rotating columns of air form. As these columns grow in diameter they become taller and gain rotational speed. Eventually they become self-sustaining and the wind blows them down range.One sol before this image was taken, power output from Spirit's solar panels went up by about 50 percent when the amount of dust on the panels decreased. Was this a coincidence, or did a helpful dust devil pass over Spirit and lift off some of the dust?By comparing the separate images from the rover's different cameras, team members estimate that the dust devils moved about 500 meters (1,640 feet) in the 155 seconds between the navigation camera and hazard-avoidance camera frames; that equates to about 3 meters per second (7 miles per hour). The dust devils appear to be about 1,100 meters (almost three-quarters of a mile) from the rover.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the floor of Schroeter Crater.

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 floor of Schroeter Crater. Schroeter Crater is located in Terra Sabaea and is 291 km (180 miles) in diameter.Orbit Number: 70005 Latitude: -3.13768 Longitude: 55.7121 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-09-25 07:08Please 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-504, 5 October 2003This August 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a valley near Nilus Chaos, around 25.2°N, 80.3°W. The scene has a uniform albedo, indicating that all of the landforms are probably mantled by fine, bright dust. Dark streaks on the valley walls indicate places where recent dust avalanches have occurred. The ripple-like dune features on the valley floor were formed by wind, but today they are inactive and covered with dust. A few craters, created by impacting debris, have formed on the dunes, again attesting to their inactivity in the modern martian environment. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide; it is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a ring of boulders on the floor of a southern mid-latitude basin on Mars. The sharp, inner ring of boulders and knobs is the location of the rim of a filled and buried impact crater.

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-345, 29 April 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a ring of boulders on the floor of a southern mid-latitude basin. The sharp, inner ring of boulders and knobs is the location of the rim of a filled and buried impact crater. The outer, diffuse ring of boulders is the material ejected from the impact crater when it formed. The crater and its ejecta are only thinly buried beneath the surface. This feature is located near 55.5°S, 333.3°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.

NASA's rover Opportunity takes a look at Matijevic Hill, an area within the 'Cape York' segment of Endeavour's rim where clay minerals have been detected from orbit.

As NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity neared the ninth anniversary of its landing on Mars, the rover was working in the 'Matijevic Hill' area seen in this view from Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam). Opportunity landed Jan. 24, 2004, PST (Jan. 25 UTC). The landing site was about 12 miles (19 kilometers), straight-line distance, or about 22 miles (35.5 kilometers) driving-route distance, from this location on the western rim of Endeavour Crater.Matijevic Hill is an area within the "Cape York" segment of Endeavour's rim where clay minerals have been detected from orbit. This view is centered northwestward, toward the crest of Cape York. It extends more than 210 degrees from left to right. The field of view encompasses most of the terrain traversed by Opportunity during a "walkabout" in October and November 2012 to scout which features to spend time examining more intensely. Two of the features investigated at Matijevic Hill are "Copper Cliff," the dark outcrop in the left center of the image, and "Whitewater Lake," the bright outcrop on the far right. Opportunity's Pancam took the component images for this mosaic during the period from the mission's 3,137th Martian day, or sol, (Nov. 19, 2012) through Sol 3150 (Dec. 3, 2012).The image combines exposures taken through Pancam filters centered on wavelengths of 753 nanometers (near-infrared), 535 nanometers (green) and 432 nanometers (violet). The view is presented in approximate true color. This "natural color" is the rover team's best estimate of what the scene would look like if humans were there and able to see it with their own eyes.JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

This map of a portion of the small crater currently encircling NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows where crystalline hematite resides. Red and orange patches indicate high levels of iron-bearing mineral, while blue and green denote low levels.

This map of a portion of the small crater currently encircling the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows where crystalline hematite resides. Red and orange patches indicate high levels of the iron-bearing mineral, while blue and green denote low levels. The northeastern rock outcropping lining the rim of the crater does not appear to contain much hematite. Also lacking hematite are the rover's airbag bounce marks. This image consists of data from Opportunity's miniature thermal emission spectrometer superimposed on an image taken by the rover's panoramic camera.

This 360-degree view taken in August, 2006, shows Opportunity's last stop on surface of Meridiani Planum. At center of the mosaic is 'Beagle Crater,' an impact crater. Opportunity's tracks are visible approaching the crater.

Click on the image forOf Craters and Erosion: Opportunity Examines "Beagle" (False Color)(QTVR)This 360-degree view shows Opportunity's last stop on the now-familiar surface of Meridiani Planum before reaching different terrains associated with the very large "Victoria Crater." In the center of the mosaic is "Beagle Crater," an impact crater about 35 meters (115 feet) wide. On the far left and wrapping around to the far right, Opportunity's tracks are visible approaching the crater.Though it looks relatively fresh in orbital images, from a closer vantage point Beagle Crater appears moderately eroded. The crater walls are slumped and the middle of the crater bowl is filled with rippled sand. However, a slightly raised crater rim remains, and in a few places (for instance, on the inside left wall), cliffs of outcrop appear to be preserved in the crater. Ejected rocks from Beagle Crater surround the rover, many with the distinctive, fine-grained layering commonly seen in the rocks of Meridiani Planum. Many of these rocks have surfaces smoothed by wind erosion. Wind erosion also formed the sand drifts nestled among the rocks.Because impact craters have well-understood shapes when they form, the altered appearance of eroded craters gives scientists clues to the processes that modified them. By observing how filled an impact crater has become and how worn its edges are, scientists can estimate how long its surface has been exposed to erosion. The many-sided outline of a crater such as Beagle and the blocky appearance of its ejecta may also tell scientists about the strength of the underlying bedrock. Based on observations such as these, scientists know that Beagle Crater is fresher than "Eagle" and "Fram" craters near Opportunity's landing site and more similar in form to "Viking" and "Voyager" craters in the plains to the north of Beagle.Opportunity made other observations at Beagle Crater, such as spectroscopic measurements taken with the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, to help scientists assess the composition of the rocks and determine whether Beagle Crater was excavated into the surface rocks of Meridiani Planum or into the ejecta blanket of Victoria Crater.Beagle Crater takes its unofficial name from a great ship of exploration, the HMS Beagle, whose most famous passenger was British naturalist Charles Darwin. During the Beagle expedition around the world, Darwin conducted many of the observations that led to his theory of natural selection. Scientists have unofficially named many rocks and features in the area of Beagle Crater after the Galapagos Islands and the varieties of finches Darwin observed there. The name Beagle Crater also commemorates the European Space Agency's ill-fated Beagle 2 lander, the loss if which is a reminder of how difficult space exploration can be.Opportunity took the mosaic of images that make up this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings with the panoramic camera on the rover's 901st through 904th sols, or Martian days (Aug. 6 through Aug. 9, 2006), of exploration. This is a false-color image using exposures taken through the panoramic camera's 753-nanometer, 535-namometer, and 432-nanometer filters. The false color emphasizes differences in rock and soil materials.

This image taken on Aug. 11, 2004 by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a bizarre, lumpy rock dubbed 'Wopmay' on the inner slopes of 'Endurance Crater' on Mars.

This image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a bizarre, lumpy rock dubbed "Wopmay" on the inner slopes of "Endurance Crater." Scientists say the rock's unusual texture is unlike any others observed so far at Meridiani Planum. Wopmay measures approximately 1 meter (3.3 feet) across. The image was taken by the rover's panoramic camera on sol 195 (Aug. 11, 2004). Opportunity will likely travel to this or a similar rock in coming sols for a closer look at the alien surface.

The colored dots in this image mosaic NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity denote thermal data in features that make up the impact crater known as 'Endurance' on Mars.

The colored dots in this image mosaic denote thermal data in features that make up the impact crater known as "Endurance." The data was taken by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer instrument on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The information has been overlaid onto a view of the crater from the rover's navigation camera. Blue denotes cooler temperatures of about 220 degrees Kelvin (-63.67 degrees Fahrenheit or -53.15 degrees Celsius), and red denotes warmer temperatures of about 280 degrees Kelvin (44.33 degrees Fahrenheit or 6.85 degrees Celsius).

This graphic illustrates the wind pattern in a dust devil, and presents the characteristic pressure and wind speed signatures expected if a dust devil were to pass directly over the NASA's Pathfinder lander.

This graphic illustrates the wind pattern in a dust devil, and presents the characteristic pressure and wind speed signatures expected if a dust devil were to pass directly over the lander. A dust devil is driven by warm air rising from the surface which is heated by the sun. If one passes over the lander, strong winds are expected first from one direction and then from the opposite direction. Surface pressure should also fall to a minimum at the center of the dust devil. 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.

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 the dune field on the floor of Matara Crater in Noachis Terra.

Context image The 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 dune field on the floor of Matara Crater in Noachis Terra.Orbit Number: 59846 Latitude: -49.361 Longitude: 34.6114 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-06-11 10:29Please 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.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the northwest rim of Schiaparelli Crater.

Context imageAll this week, the THEMIS Image of the Day is following on the real Mars the path taken by fictional astronaut Mark Watney, stranded on the Red Planet in the book and movie, The Martian.Today's image shows part of the northwest rim of Schiaparelli Crater. Schiaparelli is a large, ancient impact scar, some 480 kilometers (280 miles) wide. It has been much modified by billions of years of erosion and deposition by wind and probably water.For astronaut Mark Watney, the descent from the rim onto the crater floor looks smooth and gradual. But it almost wrecks his rover vehicle when he drives into soft sediments. His goal? An automated rescue rocket, intended for the next Mars expedition, which stands about 250 kilometers (150 miles) away on the southern part of Schiaparelli's floor.Orbit Number: 10910 Latitude: -0.882761 Longitude: 13.4529 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-05-30 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.

Spirit's View on Sol 142 (Left Eye)

This is the left-eye view of a stereo pair showing a 360-degree view of the terrain surrounding NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on the 142nd martian day of the rover's mission inside Gusev Crater, on May 27, 2004. It was assembled from images taken by Spirit's navigation camera. The rover's position is Site A55. The view is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometrical seam correction.See PIA06026 for 3-D view and PIA06028 for right eye view of this left eye cylindrical-perspective projection.

This image, part of an images as art series from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on March 1, 2004 shows squiggly lines of sand dunes on Mars.

Released 1 March 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. A crowded suburb next to some open land, perhaps, with rooftops (almost) neatly aligned.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.

As the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite of instruments on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover heats a sample, gases are released (or 'evolved') from the sample and can be identified using SAM's quadrupole mass spectrometer.

As the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite of instruments on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover heats a sample, gases are released (or "evolved") from the sample and can be identified using SAM's quadrupole mass spectrometer. This graphic shows the principal gases evolved from the fourth portion of powder delivered to SAM from the sample material collected when Curiosity first drilled into the "John Klein" target rock in the "Yellowknife Bay" area of Mars' Gale Crater.The mass spectrometer signal is scaled separately for each gas so that the same graph can illustrate the patterns for various gases showing what temperatures caused the gas to be released. These evolved gases and the temperatures at which they evolved suggest the presence of hydrated minerals, carbonates, perchlorates, sulfates and sulfides, and clays in the rock-powder sample.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and the mission's Curiosity rover for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/.

This cylindrical-projection mosaic was assembled from images taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on April 24, 2004 at a region dubbed 'site 35.' Spirit is sitting 100 feet away from the northeast rim of 'Missoula' crater.

This cylindrical-projection mosaic was assembled from images taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on sol 110 (April 24, 2004) at a region dubbed "site 35." Spirit is sitting approximately 33 meters (100 feet) away from the northeast rim of "Missoula" crater.

Combining multiple images, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover reveals fine details of the downwind face of 'Namib Dune.' Sand on this face of the dark dune has cascaded down a slope of about 26 to 28 degrees.

Figure 1Click on the image for larger versionThis view combines multiple images from the telephoto-lens camera of the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to reveal fine details of the downwind face of "Namib Dune." The site is part of the dark-sand "Bagnold Dunes" field along the northwestern flank of Mount Sharp. Images taken from orbit have shown that dunes in the Bagnold field move as much as about 3 feet (1 meter) per Earth year.Sand on this face of Namib Dune has cascaded down a slope of about 26 to 28 degrees. The top of the face is about 13 to 17 feet (4 to 5 meters) above the rocky ground at its base. The downwind side of a sand dune displays textures quite different from those seen on other surfaces of the dune. Compare this scene, for example, to a windward surface of nearby "High Dune" (see PIA20168). As on Earth, the downwind side of these Martian dunes has a steep slope called a slip face, where accumulating sand flows in mini-avalanches down the face.The component images of this mosaic view were taken on Dec. 21, 2015, during the 1,200th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars. The mission's examination of dunes in the Bagnold field, along the rover's route up the lower slope of Mount Sharp, is the first close look at active sand dunes anywhere other than Earth.The scene is presented with a color adjustment that approximates white balancing, to resemble how the sand would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. Figure 1 includes a superimposed scale bar of 100 centimeters (39.4 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 Curiosity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/.

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft obtained this ultraviolet image of hydrogen surrounding comet Siding Spring on Oct. 17, 2014, two days before the comet's closest approach to Mars.

NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft obtained this ultraviolet image of hydrogen surrounding comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring on Oct. 17, 2014, two days before the comet's closest approach to Mars. The Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument imaged the comet at a distance of 5.3 million miles (8.5 million kilometers).The image shows sunlight that has been scattered by atomic hydrogen, shown as blue in this false-color representation. Comets are surrounded by a huge cloud of atomic hydrogen because water (H2O) vaporizes from the icy nucleus, and solar ultraviolet light breaks it apart into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen atoms scatter solar ultraviolet light, and it was this light that was imaged by the IUVS. Two observations were combined to create this image, after removing the foreground signal that results from sunlight being scattered from hydrogen surrounding Mars.The bulk of the scattered sunlight shows a cloud that was about a half degree across on the "sky" background, comparable in size to the Earth's moon as seen from Earth. Hydrogen was detected to as far as 93,000 miles (150,000 kilometers) away from the comet's nucleus. The distance is comparable to the distance of the comet from Mars at its closest approach. Gas from the comet is likely to have hit Mars, and would have done so at a speed of 125,000 miles per hour (56 kilometers per second). This gas may have disturbed the Mars atmosphereMAVEN is NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the MAVEN project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, and built some of the science instruments for the mission. MAVEN's principal investigator is based at the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder. The university provided science instruments and leads science operations, as well as education and public outreach, for the mission. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built and operates the spacecraft. The University of California at Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory provided instruments for the mission. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, provides navigation support and Deep Space Network support, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, provides navigation and Deep Space Network support, as well as the Electra telecommunications relay hardware and operations.For more information about MAVEN, visit http://www.nasa.gov/maven and http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/. For more information about NASA's Mars Exploration Program, see http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov.

This image acquired on April 27, 2020 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows fans of dust blown out from under the seasonal layer of carbon dioxide ice that forms a polar cap over the winter.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionEvery Martian spring, fans of dust are blown out from under the seasonal layer of carbon dioxide ice that forms a polar cap over the winter.Gas blowing out from under the ice carries with it a load of dust that is deposited on the surface in a direction determined by the wind at the time of the eruption. Like windsocks, these fans in a polar area we've dubbed Macclesfield, record the direction that the wind was blowing. A citizen science task at Planet Four enlists the public to outline the fans. Their measurements go into a data base that will ultimately help us to understand weather on Mars.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 49.1 centimeters [19.3 inches] per pixel [with 2 x 2 binning]; objects on the order of 147 centimeters [57.9 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in 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.

This image, taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, shows a small portion of the lava flows associated with Arsia Mons.

Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis VIS image shows a small portion of the lava flows associated with Arsia Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -23.3N, Longitude 237.4E. 40 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.

This image acquired on November 22, 2022 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows dunes that are almost perfectly circular, which is unusual.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionSand dunes of many shapes and sizes are common on Mars. In this example, the dunes are almost perfectly circular, which is unusual.They are still slightly asymmetrical, with steep slip faces on the south ends. This indicates that sand generally moves to the south, but the winds may be variable.This is part of a series of images to monitor how frost disappears in the late winter; this observation appears to be free of frost. A previous image shows when the surface was covered by frost.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 30.3 centimeters [11.9 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 91 centimeters [35.8 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in 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.

Abraded Target on Rock

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this microscopic image of a target called "Bubbles" on a rock called "Champagne" after using its rock abrasion tool to grind a hole through the rock's outer surface. The circular area where the rock's interior is exposed is about 5 centimeters (2 inches) across. This rock is different from rocks out on the plains of Gusev Crater but is similar to other rocks in this area of the "Columbia Hills" in that it rich in phosphorus. Plagioclase, a mineral commonly found in igneous rocks, is also present in these rocks, according to analysis with Spirit's miniature thermal emission spectrometer. By using the rover's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to collect data for multiple martian days, or sols, scientists are also beginning to get measurements of trace elements in the rocks. Spirit took the images that are combined into this mosaic on sol 358 (Jan. 3, 2005).

This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the Elysium/Mare Cimmerium face of Mars in mid-July, 2006.

25 July 2006This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 79° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 79° occurred in mid-July 2006. The picture shows the Elysium/Mare Cimmerium face of Mars. Over the course of the month, additional faces of Mars as it appears at this time of year are being posted for MOC Picture of the Day. Ls, solar longitude, is a measure of the time of year on Mars. Mars travels 360° around the Sun in 1 Mars year. The year begins at Ls 0°, the start of northern spring and southern autumn.Season: Northern Spring/Southern Autumn

The top half of this NASA Mars Odyssey image shows interior layered deposits that have long been recognized in Valles Marineris. Upon close examination, the layers appear to be eroding differently, indicating different levels of competency.

The top half of this THEMIS visible image shows interior layered deposits that have long been recognized in Valles Marineris. Upon close examination, the layers appear to be eroding differently, indicating different levels of competency. This, in turn, may be interpreted to indicate different materials, and/or depositional processes. At the bottom of the image, materials eroded from the walls of the canyon form dunes and other aeolian bedforms.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.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -6.5, Longitude 287.3 East (72.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.

This image, taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, shows small individual dunes on the floor of Moreux Crater.

Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLA This VIS image shows small individual dunes on the floor of Moreux CraterImage information: VIS instrument. Latitude 41.4N, Longitude 45.0E. 22 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.

Stunning image taken by the CIVA imaging instrument on Rosetta's Philae lander just 4 minutes before closest approach at a distance of some 1000 km from Mars on Feb. 25, 2007.

Stunning image taken by the CIVA imaging instrument on Rosetta's Philae lander just 4 minutes before closest approach at a distance of some 1000 km from Mars.A portion of the spacecraft and one of its solar arrays are visible in nice detail. Beneath, the Mawrth Vallis region is visible on the planet's disk. Mawrth Vallis is particularly relevant as it is one of the areas on the Martian surface where the OMEGA instrument on board ESA's Mars Express detected the presence of hydrated clay minerals -- a sign that water may have flown abundantly on that region in the very early history of Mars.Id 217487 For publicly released image use, see ESA's Copyright Notice Images.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows dust devil tracks located in Noachis Terra.

Context image for PIA09438Dust Devil TracksThese dust devil tracks are located in Noachis Terra.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -54.0N, Longitude 22.1E. 17 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.

This microscopic image was created after NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit completed a second grind with its rock abrasion tool at the target 'New York' on the rock named 'Mazatzal.'

This panoramic camera image from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity features the 6.44 millimeter (0.25 inch) deep hole ground into the rock dubbed "Bounce" by the rover's rock abrasion tool. The tool took 2 hours and 15 minutes to grind the hole on sol 66 of the rover's journey. A combination of limited solar power and the rock's jagged texture led the rock abrasion tool team to set very aggressive grinding parameters to ensure that the end result was a full circle, suitable for a thorough read from the rover's spectrometers.Bounce's markedly different appearance (when compared to the rocks that were previously examined in the Eagle Crater outcrop) made it a natural target for rover research. In order to achieve an ideal position from which to grind into the rock, Opportunity moved in very close with its right wheel next to Bounce. In this image, the panoramic camera on the rover's mast is looking down, catching the tip of the solar panel which partially blocks the full circle ground by the rock abrasion tool.The outer ring consists of the cuttings from the rock, pushed out by the brushes on the grinding instrument. The dark impression at the top of the outer circle was caused by the instrument's contact mechanism which serves to stabilize it while grinding.

Dunes and the distal end of a landslide deposit are evident in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey of eastern Ius Chasma.

Context imageDunes and the distal end of a landslide deposit are evident in this VIS image of eastern Ius Chasma.Orbit Number: 41748 Latitude: -8.89985 Longitude: 282.152 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-05-13 19:10Please 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Claritas Fossae, a graben filled highland, located between the lava plains of Daedalia Planum and Solis Planum.

Context imageLocated between the lava plains of Daedalia Planum and Solis Planum, Claritas Fossae is a graben filled highland. Graben are formed by tectonic activity. In this region of Mars extensive and long lived volcanic and tectonic activity created the largest volcanoes and the longest canyon system on Mars. Volcanic and tectonic forces coexist and tectonic faults are often utilized by subsurface magma to reach the surface. Claritas Fossae was formed prior to the large lava flows of the Tharsis region.Orbit Number: 74950 Latitude: -17.7366 Longitude: 252.095 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-11-06 15:40Please 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.

This mosaic from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows about 20 different gullies coming down the south-facing wall of a trough in the Sirenum Fossae/Gorgonum Chaos region of the martian southern hemisphere.

This mosaic of two Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images shows about 20 different gullies coming down the south-facing wall of a trough in the Sirenum Fossae/Gorgonum Chaos region of the martian southern hemisphere. Each channel and its associated fan--or apron--of debris appears to have started just below the same hard, resistant layer of bedrock located approximately 100 meters (about 325 feet) below the top of the trough wall. The layer beneath this hard, resistant bedrock is interpreted to be permeable, which allows ground water to percolate through it and--at the location of this trough--seep out onto the martian surface. The channels and aprons only occur on the south-facing slope of this valley created by faults on each side of the trough. The depression is approximately 1.4 km (0.9 mi) across.The mosaic was constructed from two pictures taken on September 16, 1999, and May 1, 2000. The black line is a gap between the two images that was not covered by MOC. The scene covers an area approximately 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) wide by 4.9 km (3.0 mi) high. Sunlight illuminates the area from the upper left. The image is located near 38.5°S, 171.3°W. MOC high resolution images are taken black-and-white (grayscale); the color seen here has been synthesized from the colors of Mars observed by the MOC wide angle cameras and by the Viking Orbiters in the late 1970s.

This is one of the first images beamed back to Earth shortly after NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit landed on the red planet in 2004.

This is one of the first images beamed back to Earth shortly after the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit landed on the red planet.

This southern autumn image captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter offers a view of frosty dunes. The sunlight is shining on the dunes from the upper right.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis Southern autumn image captures a view of frosty dunes. The sunlight is shining on the dunes from the upper right.The low sun angle creates large shadows from these dunes, making for a dramatic picture. Frost is visible in the shadows of the dunes that appear as lighter or bluer swirls in each shadow. Along the illuminated section of the dunes, in the center-right of the image, five dark thin dust devil tracks are snaking their way along, parallel to the dune ridge. (North is to the left in this image, the image height covers 1.2 kilometers of the Martian surface.)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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Ariadnes Colles. The term colles means hills or knobs.

Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of Ariadnes Colles. The term colles means hills or knobs. The hills appear brighter than the surrounding lowlands, likely due to relatively less dust cover. Ariadnes Colles is located in Terra Cimmeria.Orbit Number: 81254 Latitude: -34.5365 Longitude: 172.495 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-04-08 18:19Please 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.

This image acquired on January 3, 2021 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows evidence of a complex cycle of cratering and erosion.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image shows evidence of a complex cycle of cratering and erosion. The center of the image covers an old impact crater, roughly 6 to 7 kilometers in diameter. This can actually be easier to see in lower-resolution images that cover more area, like those from MRO's Context Camera. The crater was later filled by sediments.Erosion then occurred across the region. The crater rim was left high-standing even though material outside the rim was eroded down to the level of the crater floor. The sediments filling the crater also eroded from the rim inwards, leaving a circular pancake of sedimentary rock. Similar "rim-inwards" erosion has been hypothesized for the (much larger) Gale Crater where the Curiosity rover is operating. The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 27.4 centimeters [10.8 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 82 centimeters [32.3 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Hephaestus Fossae, located in Utopia Planitia.

Context imageThis VIS image is located in Utopia Planitia and shows part of Hephaestus Fossae. Hephaestus Fossae is a complex channel system. It has been proposed that the channel formed by the release of melted subsurface ice during an impact event. Additionally, the nearby Elysium volcanic center created subsurface heating that may have played a part in creating both Hephaestus Fossae and Hebrus Valles to the north.Orbit Number: 85286 Latitude: 17.535 Longitude: 127.087 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-03-06 18:17Please 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a crater and its dune field located in southern Noachis Terra.

Context image for PIA10311Noachis DunesThis crater and its dune field are located in southern Noachis Terra.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -56.2N, Longitude 4.7E. 17 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of a dust-covered plain northwest of Jovis Tholus on Mars which is host to several overlapping, ancient lava flows and a channel containing streamlined features indicative of fluid flow.

22 May 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of a dust-covered plain northwest of Jovis Tholus which is host to several overlapping, ancient lava flows and a channel containing streamlined features indicative of fluid flow.Location near: 22.5°N, 122.3°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Spring

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor's provided this hemispheric view of the northern Tharsis region on June 1, 1998. Seen here are the giant volcano, Olympus Mons, and the volcanoe, Ascraeus Mons. Alba Patera, is lurking under the haze and clouds.

Mars Global Surveyor's camera, MOC, provided this hemispheric view of the northern Tharsis region on June 1, 1998. This picture shows the giant volcano, Olympus Mons, and one of the Tharsis Montes volcanoes, Ascraeus Mons. Another volcano, Alba Patera, is lurking under the haze and clouds at the top of the image. Olympus Mons is about 550 kilometers (340 miles) wide.MGS is now in a "morning" orbit (when it arrived at Mars in September 1997, it was inserted into a "late afternoon" orbit). The orbit will continue to change, about one hour a month, until aerobraking into a circular orbit is complete about seven months from now. When this picture was taken, the local time on the ground beneath the spacecraft was about 9:30 a.m. The terminator-- the line that divides night and day-- was located west of Olympus Mons (left part of the image). It is winter in the northern hemisphere of Mars, and the high latitudes (i.e., north of Olympus Mons in this picture) exhibit clouds and haze. These clouds most likely contain water ice.MOC images 33901 (the red wide angle image) and 33902 (the blue wide angle image) were obtained on Mars Global Surveyor's 339th orbit about the planet. The pictures were taken around 7:37 p.m. PDT on June 1, 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.

This image of Victoria Crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at more of a sideways angle than earlier orbital images of this crater.

This image of Victoria Crater in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at more of a sideways angle than earlier orbital images of this crater. The camera pointing was 22 degrees east of straight down, yielding a view comparable to looking at the landscape out an airplane window. East is at the top. The most interesting exposures of geological strata are in the steep walls of the crater, difficult to see from straight overhead. Especially prominent in this oblique view is a bright band near the top of the crater wall. Colors have been enhanced to make subtle differences more visible.Earlier HiRISE images of Victoria Crater supported the exploration of this crater by NASA's Opportunity roverand contributed to joint scientific studies. Opportunity explored the rim and interior of this 800-meter-wide (half-mile-wide) crater from September 2006 through August 2008. The rover's on-site investigations indicated that the bright band near the top of the crater wall was formed by diagenesis (chemical and physical changes in sediments after deposition). The bright band separates bedrock from the material displaced by the impact that dug the crater.This view is a cutout from a HiRISE exposure taken on July 18, 2009. Some of Opportunity's tracks are still visible to the north of the crater (left side of this cutout). Full-frame images from this HiRISE observation, catalogued as ESP_013954_1780, are at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_013954_1780. The full-frame image is centered at 2.1 degrees south latitude, 354.5 degrees east longitude. It was taken at 2:31 p.m. local Mars time. The scence is illuminated from the west with the sun 49 degrees above the horizon.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 & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows dark sand dunes located on the floor of Lyot Crater on Mars.

Context image for PIA10821Lyot Crater DunesThese dark sand dunes are located on the floor of Lyot Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 49.9N, Longitude 28.5E. 19 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.

This panorama, made up of 122 individual images stitched together, was taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on November 18, 2020, the 2,946th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

Figure 1This panorama, made up of 122 individual images stitched together, was taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on November 18, 2020, the 2,946th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.The rover's Mast Camera, or Mastcam, provided the panorama. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam. A division of Caltech, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built the Curiosity rover and manages the Curiosity rover for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.The panorama has been white-balanced so that the colors of the rock materials resemble how they would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth.For more information about Curiosity, visit http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl or https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Olympica Fossae, a complex channel located on the volcanic plains between Alba Mons and Olympus Mons.

Context imageOlympica Fossae is a complex channel located on the volcanic plains between Alba Mons and Olympus Mons. It contains both linear sections that appear to be tectonic in origin and sinuous sections that were more likely created by liquid flow. Given the location it appears that lava, rather than water, was the fluid. Olympica Fossae 420km long (261 miles).Orbit Number: 88776 Latitude: 22.9121 Longitude: 243.053 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-12-19 03:01Please 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.

Dissected Mantled Terrain

Click on image for larger versionA northern mid-latitude scene consisting of craters, intercrater plains, and mantled material is seen in this HiRISE image (PSP_002917_2175). The mantled material seen here covers much of the middle latitudes in both hemispheres of Mars; it has been visibly removed in some locations. It's called "mantled" because it looks as if it's just draped over, or mantling, the topography underneath.The mantled material is what causes the craters to have a muted, softened appearance. It's thought to be ice-rich material deposited in a climate different from that of today. The mantled unit is dissected here, meaning that is not pristine and has likely undergone modification since it was originally laid down. The intercrater plains have a pitted texture (see subimage; full resolution, approx. 200 m [218 yards]) thought to be caused by water ice sublimating and leaving depressions behind.Unlike that of Earth, the obliquity (tilt of the planet's rotation axis) of Mars changes wildly. Earth has the Moon to keep its axis stable, but Mars' satellites, Phobos and Deimos, are not massive enough to do the same.Today Mars' obliquity (25.19°) is similar to that of Earth's (23.45°), but this has not always been the case. As the obliquity changes, the portions of Mars that receive the most sunlight shift. During periods of high obliquity, polar regions receive the most sunlight. This causes polar ices, including water ice and carbon dioxide ice, to sublimate (evaporate) into the atmosphere. They would then potentially be re-deposited in the mid-latitudes, similar to where this image is located. It is believed that this process is responsible for the mid-latitude mantled unit.Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 3 March 2007Local Mars time: 3:34 PMDegrees latitude (centered): 37.0°Degrees longitude (East): 5.3°Range to target site: 295.6 km (184.7 miles) Original image scale range: 29.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~89 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is upMap-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAREmission angle: 0.3°Phase angle: 67.3°Solar incidence angle: 67°, with the Sun about 23° above the horizonSolar longitude: 198.5°, Northern AutumnNASA'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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows lava flows on the eastern flank of Olympus Mons on Mars.

Context image for PIA10020Olympus MonsThis VIS image shows lava flows on the eastern flank of Olympus Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 18.2N, Longitude 228.6E. 36 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows layered outcrops in craters and chasms in Gale Crater on Mars seen as stair-stepped series of cliffs and benches composed of similar materials with similar thicknesses.

While many of the layered outcrops in craters and chasms on Mars are seen as stair-stepped series of cliffs and benches composed of similar materials with similar thicknesses, other layer outcrops are expressed on relatively smooth, rounded slopes as alternating light and dark bands. The best example of this variety of layered sedimentary material is found in southern Holden Crater. Holden is located at 26.5°S, 33.9°W, and has a diameter of 141 km (88 mi). The context picture above, shows that a valley, Uzboi Vallis, enters the crater on its southwestern side. Not too far from where Uzboi Vallis meets Holden Crater, rounded slopes and buttes consisting of alternating light and dark bands are seen. The origin of these layers is not known, but like those found in other craters on Mars, they might have resulted from deposition of sediment in a lake that would have occupied Holden Crater. Alternatively, these are materials deposited by falling out of the air, the same way that volcanic ash is deposited on Earth. The Viking mosaic (above) images are illuminated by sunlight from the upper right. The MOC image (top left) is illuminated from the upper left. North is up.

The channels in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft were most likely created by lava flows from Alba Mons, located in the northern Tharsis region.

Context imageThe channels in this VIS image were most likely created by lava flows from Alba Mons.Orbit Number: 45406 Latitude: 45.8157 Longitude: 242.393 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-03-09 23:32Please 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.