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This image shows part of the dune field located on the floor of Russell Crater on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Context image for PIA09157Russell CraterThis image shows part of the dune field located on the floor of Russell Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -54.6N, Longitude 13.0E. 34 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 spacecraft shows arcuate fractures and broken up surface called Avernus Colles [colles means small hills or knobs]. This unique surface has developed on the southeast margin of Elysium Plainitia.

Context image for PIA09439Avernus CollesThe arcuate fractures and broken up surface shown in this image is called Avernus Colles [colles means small hills or knobs]. This unique surface has developed on the southeast margin of Elysium Plainitia.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -2.1N, Longitude 173.3E. 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.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is part of Tithonium Chasma, part of the western side of Valles Marineris.

Context imageToday's VIS image is part of Tithonium Chasma, part of the western side of Valles Marineris.Orbit Number: 36058 Latitude: -4.37506 Longitude: 272.555 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-01-30 06:55Please 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows more than a dozen examples a dune in eastern Kaiser Crater on Mars. Deep scars have formed on the slip face slopes by avalanches of sand.

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-410, 3 July 2003Mars Global Surveyor's (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has obtained thousands of images of martian sand dunes since it began observing the planet from orbit in 1997. Many of the dunes appear to be inactive in the modern environment, but appear to be quite young, otherwise (they do not have any small meteor impact craters on them, they often have sharp edges and brinks--all attributes of modern, active dunes). In some dune fields, as in Herschel Basin in Terra Cimmeria, the dunes are grooved (e.g., see Mars Picture of the Day for April 19, 2003), indicating that they have been cemented and then eroded by wind. In the Noachis Terra region of Mars, many dune fields also appear to have been cemented. The evidence in this case comes from the deep scars formed on the slip face slopes by avalanches of sand. This MOC image shows more than a dozen examples a dune in eastern Kaiser Crater near 47.1°S, 340.0°W. If the dunes were not cemented--that is, if the sand was loose--then the avalanches would not leave steep-sided chutes on the slip face slopes. The implication that many martian dunes are cemented and inactive in the modern martian environment, but were active sometime in the not-too-distant past, suggests that the climate of Mars may have changed in recent times. This picture was obtained in June 2003; it is illuminated from the upper left. North is toward the upper right; the area shown here is about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows ppart 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 that created a large crater south of this image. 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: 85623 Latitude: 19.0345 Longitude: 124.821 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-04-03 12:15Please 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 a valley, possibly formed by collapse, in the Ceraunius Fossae region of northern Tharsis on Mars.

22 April 2005 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a valley, possibly formed by collapse, in the Ceraunius Fossae region of northern Tharsis.Location near: 22.3°N, 109.3°WImage width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Summer

Shadows Draw Attention to Features of Mars Landscape (Sand Ripples)

Taking advantage of lengthening shadows during the onset of winter and at different times of day, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired this series of images accentuating subtle features in the terrain. Images acquired at low sun angles allow scientists to better understand differences in surface roughness among soils and rocks. Variations in how brightly sunlight reflects off surfaces under different lighting conditions help scientists estimate the microscopic physical characteristics of the mineral grains in different rocks and soils. Spirit acquired these sets of images at different local true solar times (LTST) on martian days, known as sols, 930 (Aug. 15, 2006), 931 (Aug. 16, 2006), and 935 (Aug. 20, 2006) using the 601-nanometer filter of the panoramic camera. Spirit acquired the single-frame images of sand ripples with the panoramic camera turned to an azimuth of 290 degrees (west-northwest).

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the southwestern cliffside of Melas Chasma.

Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the southwestern cliffside of Melas Chasma. Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits.Orbit Number: 90921 Latitude: -11.3343 Longitude: 284.714 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-06-13 17:44Please 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.

Layering in Spallanzani Crater

Click on image for larger versionMaterial that has collected within Spallanzani Crater since the impact is now eroding. The erosion has produced a pronounced stair-step pattern, exemplified in this southeast portion of the complete image. Broad flat areas, or plateaus, drop off abruptly down a steep slope to the next relatively flat area, and so on. This pattern suggests discreet boundaries between layers, or stair-steps, of different composition, or time of deposition, or both. The surface texture of the flat areas is similar in most places, characterized by a uniform tone, ripples that may be small dunes (~6 m across), thin furrows, and faint polygons (~20 m across), although dark spots (~8 m across) are concentrated more in some areas and less in others. Near the edge of the plateau area the polygonal fracturing pattern becomes more pronounced. Right at the edge, polygonal plates of surface material are tilted, with the higher end towards the plateau and the lower end being dropped down the slope. These plates are highlighted along plateau edges because they catch the sun better than a flat surface does. The slopes appear to be made up of debris falling from the plateau edge which in some areas includes plates or blocks that have slid part way down from the edge without breaking up. This suggests that plateau surfaces are stronger than the underlying material making up the bulk of the thickness of a single "layer," like a hard crust on a thicker yet softer material. It may be that while this crust protects the underlying material on plateau surfaces, the underlying material is being removed from the side slope where it is not protected (by unknown processes, possibly wind erosion). This process may result in the observed landscape as the underlying material erodes backwards into the plateau and the resistant surface is undercut, breaks into plates along polygonal fractures, and is dropped down, eventually also eroding. The material itself may be loosely held-together sediment covered by a more cemented surface layer, or it may be ice-rich material protected from sublimation from above by a more dust-rich layer. Image PSP_001345_1215 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 9, 2006. The complete image is centered at -58.0 degrees latitude, 86.5 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 248.3 km (155.2 miles). At this distance the image scale is 99.3 cm/pixel (with 4 x 4 binning) so objects ~298 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 100 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:47 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 89 degrees, thus the sun was about 1 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 132.7 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.

This image is from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey. THEMIS ART IMAGE #64 Give me a kiss, this depression looks like lips and what appears to be a bug in the upper left.

Context image for PIA08515THEMIS ART #64Back by popular demand: THEMIS ART IMAGE #64 Give me a kiss, this depression looks like lips. And could it be a bug in the upper left?Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -8.4N, Longitude 253.5E. 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 image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows dark slope streaks common in the Lycus Sulci, the hightly fractured materials north of Olympus Mons.

Context image for PIA10861Lycus SulciDark slope streaks are common in the Lycus Sulci, the hightly fractured materials north of Olympus Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 29.0N, Longitude 225.7E. 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 electron microscope image shows extremely tiny tubular structures that are possible microscopic fossils of bacteria-like organisms that may have lived on Mars more than 3.6 billion years ago.

This electron microscope image shows extremely tiny tubular structures that are possible microscopic fossils of bacteria-like organisms that may have lived on Mars more than 3.6 billion years ago. A two-year investigation by a NASA research team found organic molecules, mineral features characteristic of biological activity and possible microscopic fossils such as these inside of an ancient Martian rock that fell to Earth as a meteorite. The largest possible fossils are less than 1/100th the diameter of a human hair in size while most are ten times smaller. The fossil-like structures were found in carbonate minerals formed along pre-existing fractures in the meteorite in a fashion similar to the way fossils occur in limestone on Earth, although on a microscopic scale.A NASA research team of scientists at the Johnson Space Center and at Stanford University has found evidence that strongly suggests primitive life may have existed on Mars more than 3.6 billion years ago. The NASA-funded team found the first organic molecules thought to be of Martian origin; several mineral features characteristic of biological activity; and possible microscopic fossils of primitive, bacteria-like organisms inside of an ancient Martian rock that fell to Earth as a meteorite. This array of indirect evidence of past life will be reported in the Aug. 16 issue of the journal Science, presenting the investigation to the scientific community at large to reach a future consensus that will either confirm or deny the team's conclusion.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of a dune field located in the southeastern portion of Nili Patera on Mars.

Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis VIS image shows part of the dune field located in the southeastern portion of Nili Patera.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 8.6N, Longitude 67.3E. 23 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 dark, windblown sand and an eroded slope of massively-bedded, light-toned, sedimentary rock. These landforms are located in east/central Candor Chasma on Mars.

17 June 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark, windblown sand and an eroded slope of massively-bedded, light-toned, sedimentary rock. These landforms are located in east/central Candor Chasma.Location near: 6.8°S, 71.7°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Spring

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Robotic Arm comes into contact with a rock informally named 'Alice' near the 'Snow White' trench on Mars. The scoop is seen at the end of the Robotic Arm.

NASA_x0092_s Phoenix Mars Lander_x0092_s Robotic Arm comes into contact with a rock informally named _x0093_Alice_x0094_ near the _x0093_Snow White_x0094_ trench.This image was acquired by Phoenix's NASA's Surface Stereo Imager on July 13 during the 48th Martian day, or sol, since Phoenix landed.For scale, the width of the scoop at the end of the arm is about 8.5 centimeters (3.3 inches).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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a small meteor impact crater that has been modified by wind erosion. Crater and ejecta to appear as if standing upon a raised platform, a feature that Mars geologists call a pedestal crater.

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-444, 6 August 2003This April 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a small meteor impact crater that has been modified by wind erosion. Two things happened after the crater formed. First, the upper few meters of surface material into which the meteor impacted was later eroded away by wind. The crater ejecta formed a protective armor that kept the material under the ejecta from been blown away. This caused the crater and ejecta to appear as if standing upon a raised platform--a feature that Mars geologists call a pedestal crater. Next, the pedestal crater was buried beneath several meters of new sediment, and then this material was eroded away by wind to form the array of sharp ridges that run across the pedestal crater's surface. These small ridges are known as yardangs. This picture is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left; it is located in west Daedalia Planum near 14.6°S, 131.9°W.

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located right at the edge of the canyon with the surrounding plains - the flat area at the bottom of the image.

Context image Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. This VIS image is located right at the edge of the canyon with the surrounding plains - the flat area at the bottom of the image. Some small landslide deposits are visible originating at the cliff side.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: 26762 Latitude: -13.4233 Longitude: 287.973 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2007-12-26 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.

Three pairs of before and after images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter illustrate movement of ripples on dark sand dunes in the Nili Patera region of Mars.

Three pairs of before and after images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter illustrate movement of ripples on dark sand dunes in the Nili Patera region of Mars. The three images on the left are excerpts from a June 30, 2007, observation (late autumn at the site). The three on the right are of the same ground observed 15 weeks later, on Oct. 13, 2007 (winter at the site). Ripple crests discernible in the central portion of each image are diagrammed in the lower right portion of each image, with blue lines highlighting the largest changes. White scale bars in the bottom right of each of the six images are 20 meters (66 feet) long. North is toward the top.A locator map at PIA12857 shows the context for the areas shown in these images. The inset box there labeled 3a-a' indicates the location of the top pair here. The boxes 3b-b' and 3c-c' indicate the locations of the middle and bottom pairs here, respectively. The site is field of dark sand dunes at 9 degrees north latitude, 67 degrees east longitude.This comparison is part of a study of whether wind-shaped bedforms on Mars -- dunes and ripples -- are actively migrating in present-day atmospheric conditions. It is from a presentation by S. Silvestro, L.K. Fenton and D.A. Vaz at the 41st Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference, March 2010, reporting that the bedforms at this Nili Patera site are actively migrating. The changes suggest that these dunes are not heavily cemented or crusted.Other products from the June 30, 2007, HiRISE observation of this dune field are available at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_004339_1890. Other products from Oct. 13, 2007, observation are available at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_005684_1890. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the 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, Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the spacecraft development and integration contractor for the project and built the spacecraft.

In this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, these two craters perched at the edge of an outflow channel, appear to have lost a portion of their crater rims during a flood event.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionIn this observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, these two craters perched at the edge of an outflow channel, appear to have lost a portion of their crater rims during a flood event.Alternatively, it is also possible that the craters impacted the edge of the outflow channel after the flood occurred and we are seeing the difference in the strength of the material impacted. The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 53.4 centimeters (21 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 160 centimeters (63 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the ridged surface in the lower half of this image is that of a large lava flow in Daedalia Planum, southwest of the Arsia Mons volcano. This image was taken June 5, 1999.

The ridged surface in the lower half of this image is that of a large lava flow in Daedalia Planum, southwest of the Arsia Mons volcano. The flow was stopped here by a buried crater rim (topographic high in the upper half of the image). MOC image taken June 5, 1999.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the northern wall of Melas Chasma. Landslide debris has fallen from the wall and spread out on the floor of the chasma. Dunes have formed along the base of the wall and partway up the slope.

Context image for PIA11342Dunes and DebrisThis VIS image shows part of the northern wall of Melas Chasma. Landslide debris has fallen from the wall and spread out on the floor of the chasma. Dunes have formed along the base of the wall and partway up the slope.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -10.4N, Longitude 290.1E. 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.

This color view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity of a mineral vein called 'Homestake' and is found to be rich in calcium and sulfur. 'Homestake' is near the edge of the 'Cape York' segment of the western rim of Endeavour Crater.

This color view of a mineral vein called "Homestake" comes from the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The vein is about the width of a thumb and about 18 inches (45 centimeters) long. Opportunity examined it in November 2011 and found it to be rich in calcium and sulfur, possibly the calcium-sulfate mineral gypsum."Homestake" is near the edge of the "Cape York" segment of the western rim of Endeavour Crater.Exposures combined into this view were taken through Pancam filters admitting light with wavelengths centered at 601 nanometers (red), 535 nanometers (green) and 482 nanometers (blue). 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. The exposures were taken during the 2,769th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's career on Mars (Nov. 7, 2011).

Several gullies located on the rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Sirenum are seen in this image taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLASeveral gullies are located on the rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Sirenum.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -52.0N, Longitude 216.3E. 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Ares Vallis. Located in Margaritifer Terra, Ares Vallis is part of a large system of channels that arise from Vallis Marineris and empty into Chryse Planitia.

Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of Ares Vallis. Located in Margaritifer Terra, Ares Vallis is part of a large system of channels that arise from Vallis Marineris and empty into Chryse Planitia.Orbit Number: 85304 Latitude: 16.5128 Longitude: 327.987 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-03-08 05:51Please 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.

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 part of Acidalia Planitia.

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 Acidalia Planitia.Orbit Number: 5455 Latitude: 45.8255 Longitude: 6.03611 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-03-08 15:46Please 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows rounded, rocky ridges separated by lowlands filled with sand or dust in a complex, ridged terrain in North Terra Cimmeria on Mars.

Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera continues to reveal a surface of variety. Never before has Mars been scrutinized in such detail, with images sampling narrow strips of terrain that are as varied as the surface of our own Earth. This picture provides an example of just how strange Mars looks at this new resolution. This surface -- located in northern Terra Cimmeria about 210 km (130 mi) southwest of Gusev Crater -- shows rounded, rocky ridges separated by lowlands filled with sand or dust. The fill -- whether sand or dust -- is probably hardened to form a surface strong enough to have bright windblown ripples and small impact craters on it. This picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide by 3.9 km (2.4 mi) and is illuminated from the upper left.By the way, do you see a duck in this picture? Look carefully. If you give up, click here!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.

Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located along the northern side of the chasma.

Context image Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. This VIS image is located along the northern side of the chasma. The linear features are on the surface of a large landslide. This region of Melas Chasma is covered by several very large landslide deposits.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: 36020 Latitude: -9.09641 Longitude: 288.172 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-01-27 03:51Please 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 of Olympia Undae captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft was collected during north polar summer. The dunes are now completely frost free and are dark in color due to being made of basaltic sand.

Context image This VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected during north polar summer. The dunes are now completely frost free and are dark in color due to being made of basaltic sand. The surface between the dunes, where visible, is a bright tone. In some regions of dense dunes, the bright material may be a deposit on the dunes rather than the underlying surface. The presence of gypsum has been suggested for Olympia Undae, gypsum is a lighter tone than basalt in this filter of the THEMIS VIS camera.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. 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. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 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: 21125 Latitude: 81.5387 Longitude: 181.591 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-09-18 18:07Please 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 acquired this image of Mar's seasonal south polar carbon dioxide frost cap at the bottom and a portion of the Valles Marineris stretching across the upper quarter of the picture.

The MOC wide angle cameras, although of very low resolution, have the advantage of areal and color coverage. Unfortunately, they suffer from extremely distorted viewing geometry during the present aerobraking orbit, stemming from the need to rotate the spacecraft to acquire images while the spacecraft altitude and latitude varies. However, by combining knowledge of the spacecraft motion and pointing with understanding of the distortions within the camera lenses, it is possible to reconstruct the data as if viewed from a specific point in the orbit. Such a reconstruction is shown in the image above, a view of Mars as it would appear to a person with a wide angle lens at a altitude of about 2700 km (1690 mi) above 30 degrees South latitude, 70 degrees West longitude. It is reproduced here at close to its original, 7.4 km (4.6 mi) resolution. About 100 degrees of latitude and longitude are visible, with the seasonal south polar carbon dioxide frost cap at the bottom and a portion of the Valles Marineris stretching across the upper quarter of the picture. Color fringing along the right side of the image, and the slightly non-circular outline of the edge of the planet, result from unmodelled spacecraft attitude relationships and lens distortion as these differ between the two cameras (red and blue; green is synthesized by combining red with blue). This image was taken three weeks after a large regional dust storm had developed, and the hazy appearance, especially towards the edges of the planet, results from atmospheric dust.Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) 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 from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Acheron Fossae. Acheron Fossae is the highly fractured, faulted and deformed terrain located 1,050 kilometers (650 miles) north of the large shield volcano Olympus Mons.

Context imageThis VIS shows part of Acheron Fossae. Acheron Fossae is the highly fractured, faulted and deformed terrain located 1,050 kilometers (650 miles) north of the large shield volcano Olympus Mons. Lava flows from Olympus Mons at the base of Acheron Fossae show that the fossae predate the flows. The scarps visible in this image are approximately one kilometer (3,300 feet) high.Orbit Number: 88190 Latitude: 37.8893 Longitude: 226.816 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-10-31 21:03Please 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows

15 March 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an impact crater in northern Elysium Planitia near 31.3°N, 236.8°W. Layered rock is exposed in the upper crater walls. Light-toned ripples or small dunes can be seen in the crater, on its ejecta blanket, and on the surrounding plains. This February 2004 picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.

Multiple dune fields surround the north polar cap. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows an unnamed region of dunes located between Olympia Undae and Abalos Undae.

Context imageMultiple dune fields surround the north polar cap. This unnamed region of dunes is located between Olympia Undae (the largest dune field) and Abalos Undae. This image was acquired during northern summer, when all the frost has sublimated revealing the dune sand.Orbit Number: 63794 Latitude: 79.7079 Longitude: 245.861 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-05-01 15:02Please 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 spacecraft shows a map of a far-northern site on Mars indicating the change in nighttime ground-surface temperature between summer and fall.

Color coding in this map of a far-northern site on Mars indicates the change in nighttime ground-surface temperature between summer and fall. This site, like most of high-latitude Mars, has water ice mixed with soil near the surface. The ice is probably in a rock-hard frozen layer beneath a few centimeters or inches of looser, dry soil. The amount of temperature change at the surface likely corresponds to how close to the surface the icy material lies.The dense, icy layer retains heat better than the looser soil above it, so where the icy layer is closer to the surface, the surface temperature changes more slowly than where the icy layer is buried deeper. On the map, areas of the surface that cooled more slowly between summer and autumn (interpreted as having the ice closer to the surface) are coded blue and green. Areas that cooled more quickly (interpreted as having more distance to the ice) are coded red and yellow.The depth to the top of the icy layer estimated from these observations, as little as 5 centimeters (2 inches), matches modeling of where it would be if Mars has an active cycle of water being exchanged by diffusion between atmospheric water vapor and subsurface water ice.This map and its interpretation are in a May 3, 2007, report in the journal Nature by Joshua Bandfield of Arizona State University, Tempe. The Thermal Emission Imaging System camera on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter collected the data presented in the map. The site is centered near 67.5 degrees north latitude, 132 degrees east longitude, in the Martian arctic plains called Vastitas Borealis. It was formerly a candidate landing site for NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander mission. This site is within the portion of the planet where, in 2002, the Gamma Ray Spectrometer suite of instruments on Mars Odyssey found evidence for water ice lying just below the surface. The information from the Gamma Ray Spectrometer is averaged over patches of ground hundreds of kilometers or miles wide. The information from the Thermal Emission Imaging System allows more than 100-fold higher resolution in mapping variations in the depth to ice.The Thermal Emission Imaging System observed the site in infrared wavelengths during night time, providing surface-temperature information, once on March 13, 2005, during summer in Mars' northern hemisphere, and again on April 8, 2005, during autumn there. The colors on this map signify relative differences in how much the surface temperature changed between those two observations. Blue indicates the locations with the least change. Red indicates areas with most change. Modeling provides estimates that the range of temperature changes shown in this map corresponds to a range in depth-to-ice of 5 centimeters (2 inches) to more than 18 centimeters (more than 7 inches). The sensitivity of this method for estimating the depth is not good for depths greater than about 20 centimeters (8 inches). The temperature-change data are overlaid on a mosaic of black-and-white, daytime images taken in visible-light wavelengths by the same camera, providing information about shapes in the landscape. The 10-kilometer scale bar is 6.2 miles long.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System was developed by Arizona State University in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, 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 thermal infrared image was acquired by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft on October 30, 2001, as the spacecraft orbited Mars on its ninth revolution around the planet.

This thermal infrared image was acquired by Mars Odyssey's thermal emission imaging system on October 30, 2001, as the spacecraft orbited Mars on its ninth revolution around the planet. The image was taken as part of the calibration and testing process of the camera system.This image shows the temperature of Mars in one of the 10 thermal infrared filters. The spacecraft was approximately 22,000 kilometers (about 13,600 miles) above the planet looking down toward the south pole of Mars when this image was acquired.It is late spring in the martian southern hemisphere. The extremely cold, circular feature shown in blue is the martian south polar carbon dioxide ice cap at a temperature of about -120 °C (-184 ° F). The cap is more than 900 kilometers (540 miles) in diameter at this time and will continue to shrink as summer progresses. Clouds of cooler air blowing off the cap can be seen in orange extending across the image to the left of the cap. The cold region in the lower right portion of the image shows the nighttime temperatures of Mars, demonstrating the "night-vision" capability of the camera system to observe Mars even when the surface is in darkness. The warmest regions occur near local noontime. The ring of mountains surrounding the 900-kilometer (540-mile) diameter impact basin Argyre can be seen in the early afternoon in the upper portion of the image. The thin blue crescent along the upper limb of the planet is the martian atmosphere.This image covers a length of over 6,500 kilometers (3,900 miles) spanning the planet from limb to limb, with a resolution of approximately 5.5 kilometers per pixel (3.4 miles per pixel), or picture elements, at the point directly beneath the spacecraft. The Odyssey's infrared camera is planned to have a resolution of 100 meters per pixel (about 300 feet per pixel) from its mapping orbit.JPL manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The thermal emission imaging system was developed at Arizona State University, Tempe with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing, Santa Barbara, Calif. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, Colo., is the prime contractor for the 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 Exploration Rover Spirit took this panoramic camera image mosaic of the 'Columbia Hills' May 7, 2004. Spirit spent the next 37 sols or more approaching the base of the highest peak seen in this image.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this panoramic camera image mosaic of the "Columbia Hills" at 4:15 p.m. local solar time on sol 122 (May 7, 2004). Spirit will spend the next 37 sols or more approaching the base of the highest peak seen in this image. Rover controllers and scientists are sending Spirit to this faraway location because the hills there are likely an older unit of rock and may provide insight into the past environment at Gusev Crater.

Layers in Olympus Mons Basal Scarp

Image PSP_001432_2015 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 21.6 degrees latitude, 222.3 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 273.1 km (170.7 miles). At this distance the image scale is 27.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~82 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 3:28 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 136.0 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor acquired this image on April 6, 1998. Shown here is the 'Face on Mars' feature in the Cydonia region.

Shortly after midnight Sunday morning (5 April 1998 12:39 AM PST), the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) on the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft successfully acquired a high resolution image of the "Face on Mars" feature in the Cydonia region. The image was transmitted to Earth on Sunday, and retrieved from the mission computer data base Monday morning (6 April 1998). The image was processed at the Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) facility 9:15 AM and the raw image immediately transferred to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for release to the Internet. The images shown here were subsequently processed at MSSS.The picture was acquired 375 seconds after the spacecraft's 220th close approach to Mars. At that time, the "Face," located at approximately 40.8° N, 9.6° W, was 275 miles (444 km) from the spacecraft. The "morning" sun was 25° above the horizon. The picture has a resolution of 14.1 feet (4.3 meters) per pixel, making it ten times higher resolution than the best previous image of the feature, which was taken by the Viking Mission in the mid-1970's. The full image covers an area 2.7 miles (4.4 km) wide and 25.7 miles (41.5 km) long.In this comparison, the best Viking image has been enlarged to 3.3 times its original resolution, and the MOC image has been decreased by a similar 3.3 times, creating images of roughly the same size. In addition, the MOC images have been geometrically transformed to a more overhead projection (different from the mercator map projection of PIA01440 & 1441) for ease of comparison with the Viking image. The left image is a portion of Viking Orbiter 1 frame 070A13, the middle image is a portion of MOC frame shown normally, and the right image is the same MOC frame but with the brightness inverted to simulate the approximate lighting conditions of the Viking image.Processing Image processing has been applied to the images in order to improve the visibility of features. This processing included the following steps:The image was processed to remove the sensitivity differences between adjacent picture elements (calibrated). This removes the vertical streaking.The contrast and brightness of the image was adjusted, and "filters" were applied to enhance detail at several scales.The image was then geometrically warped to meet the computed position information for a mercator-type map. This corrected for the left-right flip, and the non-vertical viewing angle (about 45° from vertical), but also introduced some vertical "elongation" of the image for the same reason Greenland looks larger than Africa on a mercator map of the Earth. A section of the image, containing the "Face" and a couple of nearly impact craters and hills, was "cut" out of the full image and reproduced separately.See PIA01440, PIA01441, and PIA01442 for additional processing steps. Also see PIA01236 for the raw image.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 360-degree panorama was acquired NASA's Curiosity Mars rover while the rover was in an area called 'Murray Buttes' on lower Mount Sharp, one of the most scenic landscapes yet visited by any Mars rover.

This 360-degree panorama was acquired by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover while the rover was in an area called "Murray Buttes" on lower Mount Sharp, one of the most scenic landscapes yet visited by any Mars rover.The view stitches together many individual images taken by Mastcam's left-eye camera on Sept. 4, 2016, during the 1,451st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. North is at both ends and south is in the center. The rover's location when it recorded this scene was the site it reached in its Sol 1448 drive. (See map at http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=8015.) The dark, flat-topped mesa near the center of the scene rises to about 39 feet (about 12 meters) above the surrounding plain. From the rover's position, the top of this mesa is about 131 feet (about 40 meters) away, and the beginning of the debris apron at the base of the mesa is about 98 feet (about 30 meters) away. In the left half of the image, the dark butte that appears largest sits eastward from the rover and about 33 feet (about 10 meters) high. From the rover's position, the top of this butte is about 85 feet (about 26 meters) away, and the beginning of the debris apron at its base is about 33 feet (about 10 meters) away. An upper portion of Mount Sharp appears on the horizon to the right of it.The relatively flat foreground is part of a geological layer called the Murray formation, which includes lakebed mud deposits. The buttes and mesas rising above this surface are eroded remnants of ancient sandstone that originated when winds deposited sand after lower Mount Sharp had formed. They are capped by material that is relatively resistant to erosion, just as is the case with many similarly shaped buttes and mesas on Earth. The area's informal naming honors Bruce Murray (1931-2013), a Caltech planetary scientist and director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.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. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates Mastcam. JPL, a division of Caltech, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, 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. For more information about Curiosity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. Photojournal Note: Also available is the full resolution TIFF file PIA20840_full.tif. This file may be too large to view from a browser; it can be downloaded onto your desktop by right-clicking on the previous link and viewed with image viewing software.

The deep chasm that formed on the polar cap edge is identified as an area of strong down-slope winds and has a clear connection to Mars' largest dune field, Olympia Undae as observed by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionFormative down-slope winds descending on Mars' North Polar ice cap likely play an important role in transporting sediment from the base of the ice cap into the dune fields that sit beyond the ice cap.The deep chasm that formed on the polar cap edge is identified as an area of strong down-slope winds and has a clear connection to Mars' largest dune field, Olympia Undae. Repeat HiRISE images from this chasm that specifically targets the dunes, provides the basis to evaluate the sand fluxes which are associated with the dune and ripple movement in this area.This is a stereo pair with ESP_036176_2640.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.

This image is a three dimensional (3D) view of a digital elevation map of a sample collected by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Four round pits, 5 microns in depth, were micromachined into the silicon substrate.

This color image is a three dimensional (3D) view of a digital elevation map of a sample collected by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Atomic Force Microscope (AFM).The image shows four round pits, only 5 microns in depth, that were micromachined into the silicon substrate, which is the background plane shown in red. This image has been processed to reflect the levelness of the substrate.A Martian particle —only one micrometer, or one millionth of a meter, across —is held in the upper left pit.The rounded particle —shown at the highest magnification ever seen from another world —is a particle of the dust that cloaks Mars. Such dust particles color the Martian sky pink, feed storms that regularly envelop the planet and produce Mars' distinctive red soil.The particle was part of a sample informally called "Sorceress" delivered to the AFM on the 38th Martian day, or sol, of the mission (July 2, 2008). The AFM is part of Phoenix's microscopic station called MECA, or the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer.The AFM was developed by a Swiss-led consortium, with Imperial College London producing the silicon substrate that holds sampled particles.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.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows layering in the south polar cap.

Context imageToday's VIS image shows layering in the south polar cap.Orbit Number: 56263 Latitude: -82.7003 Longitude: 274.05 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-08-20 10:21Please 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 location is slightly east of Monday's image. In this image the polar scarp (called Tenuis Rupes) bisects the image.

Context imageToday's image location is slightly east of Monday's image. In this image the polar scarp (called Tenuis Rupes) bisects the image. The polar cap is on the left side of the image with the lower elevation to the right. In this part of the scarp the layering of the polar ice is readily identifiable.Orbit Number: 63024 Latitude: 81.9988 Longitude: 288.982 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-02-28 04:50Please 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 graphic shows the radiation dose equivalent as measured by NASA's Mars Odyssey and by instruments aboard the International Space Station, for the 11-month period from April 2002 through February 2003.

This graphic shows the radiation dose equivalent as measured by Odyssey's Martian radiation environment experiment at Mars and by instruments aboard the International Space Station, for the 11-month period from April 2002 through February 2003. The accumulated total in Mars orbit is about two and a half times larger than that aboard the Space Station. Averaged over this time period, about 10 percent of the dose equivalent at Mars is due to solar particles, although a 30 percent contribution from solar particles was seen in July 2002, when the sun was particularly active.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The radiation experiment was provided by the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Tex. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, Colo., is the prime contractor for the 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.

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 dunes on the floor of Dulovo Crater.

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 dunes on the floor of Dulovo Crater.Orbit Number: 45973 Latitude: 3.34333 Longitude: 84.5332 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-04-25 15:51Please 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 a gully deposit in an unnamed crater in Terra Sirenum on Mars.

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New Mars Camera's First Image of Mars from Mapping Orbit (Full Frame)

The high resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured its first image of Mars in the mapping orbit, demonstrating the full resolution capability, on Sept. 29, 2006. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) acquired this first image at 8:16 AM (Pacific Time). With the spacecraft at an altitude of 280 kilometers (174 miles), the image scale is 25 centimeters per pixel (10 inches per pixel). If a person were located on this part of Mars, he or she would just barely be visible in this image. The image covers a small portion of the floor of Ius Chasma, one branch of the giant Valles Marineris system of canyons. The image illustrates a variety of processes that have shaped the Martian surface. There are bedrock exposures of layered materials, which could be sedimentary rocks deposited in water or from the air. Some of the bedrock has been faulted and folded, perhaps the result of large-scale forces in the crust or from a giant landslide. The image resolves rocks as small as small as 90 centimeters (3 feet) in diameter. It includes many dunes or ridges of windblown sand. This image (TRA_000823_1720) was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on Sept. 29, 2006. Shown here is the full image, centered at minus 7.8 degrees latitude, 279.5 degrees east longitude. The image is oriented such that north is to the top. The range to the target site was 297 kilometers (185.6 miles). At this distance the image scale is 25 centimeters (10 inches) per pixel (with one-by-one binning) so objects about 75 centimeters (30 inches) across are resolved. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:30 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 59.7 degrees, thus the sun was about 30.3 degrees above the horizon. The season on Mars is northern winter, southern summer.[Photojournal note: Due to the large sizes of the high-resolution TIFF and JPEG files, some systems may experience extremely slow downlink time while viewing or downloading these images; some systems may be incapable of handling the download entirely.]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 HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, Boulder, Colo., and is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recorded this forward view of its arm and surroundings; bright soil in the left half of the image is loose, fluffy material churned by the rover's left-front wheel as Spirit.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recorded this forward view of its arm and surroundings during the rover's 2,052nd Martian day, or sol (Oct. 11, 2009).Bright soil in the left half of the image is loose, fluffy material churned by the rover's left-front wheel as Spirit, driving backwards, approached its current position in April 2009 and the wheel broke through a darker, crusty surface. Spirit used its front hazard-avoidance camera to take this image. The turret of tools at the end of the rover's robotic arm is positioned with the Moessbauer spectrometer up and the rock abrasion tool extending toward the right. Spirit's right-front wheel, visible in this image, has not worked since 2006. It is the least-embedded of the rover's six wheels at the current location, called "Troy."Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, have been working on Mars for more than 58 months in what were originally planned as three-month missions on Mars.

These images are views of NASA's Mars Pathfinder Lander's forward ramp before (top image) and after (bottom image) deployment. Some data from the before image was lost due to rover-lander communication problems. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997.

These images are views of the Mars Pathfinder Lander's forward ramp before (top image) and after (bottom image) deployment. Some data from the before image was lost due to rover-lander communication problems. 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.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its rock abrasion tool on a rock informally named 'Gagarin,' leaving a circular mark. At the end of the rover's arm, the tool turret is positioned with the rock abrasion tool pointing upward.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its rock abrasion tool on a rock informally named "Gagarin" during the 401st and 402nd Martian days, or sols, of the rover's work on Mars (March 10 and 11, 2005). This image, taken by Opportunity's navigation camera on Sol 405 (March 14, 2005), shows the circular mark left on the rock. The circle is about 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter.At the end of the rover's arm, the tool turret is positioned with the rock abrasion tool pointing upward in this image.The abrasion target on the rock Gagarin was informally named "Yuri." A view taken by Opportunity's microscopic imager after the target was brushed by the rock abrasion tool is at PIA07480.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

The Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander took this false color image on Oct. 21, 2008. The bluish-white areas seen in these trenches are part of an ice layer beneath the soil.

The Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander took this false color image on Oct. 21, 2008, during the 145th Martian day, or sol, since landing. The white areas seen in these trenches are part of an ice layer beneath the soil.The trench on the upper left, called "Upper Cupboard," is about 60 centimeters (24 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) deep. The trench in the middle, called "Ice Man," is about 30 centimeters (12 inches) long and 3 centimeters (1 inch) deep. The trench on the right, called "La Mancha," is about 31 centimeters (12 inches) and 5 centimeters (2 inches) deep.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.

This image, combining orbital imagery with 3-D modeling, shows flows that appear in spring and summer on a slope inside Mars' Newton crater. The source observation was made May 30, 2011, by the HiRISE camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

An image combining orbital imagery with 3-D modeling shows flows that appear in spring and summer on a slope inside Mars' Newton crater. Sequences of observations recording the seasonal changes at this site and a few others with similar flows might be evidence of salty liquid water active on Mars today. Evidence for that possible interpretation is presented in a report by McEwen et al. in the Aug. 5, 2011, edition of Science.This image has been reprojected to show a view of a slope as it would be seen from a helicopter inside the crater, with a synthetic Mars-like sky. The source observation was made May 30, 2011, by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Color has been enhanced. The season was summer at the location, 41.6 degrees south latitude, 202.3 degrees east longitude. The flow features are narrow (one-half to five yards or meters wide), relatively dark markings on steep (25 to 40 degree) slopes at several southern hemisphere locations. Repeat imaging by HiRISE shows the features appear and incrementally grow during warm seasons and fade in cold seasons.HiRISE is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument 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 for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft.

The lava flows in this image are part of Daedalia Planum as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Context imageThe lava flows in today's VIS image are part of Daedalia Planum.Orbit Number: 47117 Latitude: -22.2798 Longitude: 237.834 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-07-28 17:59Please 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.

One of the most active agent of erosion on Mars today is the wind. This region, near Nicholson crater, has been sculpted by untold years of blowing grit and wind, as shown in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey.

Context imageOne of the most active agent of erosion on Mars today is the wind. This region, near Nicholson crater, has been sculpted by untold years of blowing grit and wind.Orbit Number: 38943 Latitude: -1.01163 Longitude: 204.146 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-09-24 20:00Please 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Gorgonum Chaos. Chaos terrain is typified by regions of blocky, often steep sided, mesas interspersed with deep valleys.

Context imageThe bottom portion of this VIS image shows part of Gorgonum Chaos. Chaos terrain is typified by regions of blocky, often steep sided, mesas interspersed with deep valleys. With time and erosion the valleys widen and the mesas become smaller. Chaotic regions form when groundwater escapes to the surface, undermining it and causing the ground to collapse. Gorgonum Chaos is located in Terra Sirenum.Orbit Number: 93127 Latitude: -36.2057 Longitude: 190.355 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-12-12 08:25Please 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 dune field on a crater floor in Terra Cimmeria. Dunes at high latitudes - near the polar caps - are affected by seasonal frost and ice.

Context imageToday's VIS image shows a dune field on a crater floor in Terra Cimmeria. Dunes at high latitudes - near the polar caps - are affected by seasonal frost and ice. The interactions with frost/ice reduces the amount of movement of sand grains within the dunes. This changes the morphology of near polar dunes when compared to dunes at lower latitudes where ice/frost do not occur as frequently. This crater's latitude is 68 degrees south of the equator.Orbit Number: 75440 Latitude: -68.5479 Longitude: 163.063 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-16 23:56Please 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.

This laser altimeter profile across Amazonis Planitia is from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor.

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 from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the surface of the south polar cap.

Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the surface of the south polar cap. Collected at the end of southern summer, most of the ice is frost free and different textures are readily apparent. The dark bands are troughs in the ice.Orbit Number: 84562 Latitude: -85.1856 Longitude: 285.336 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-01-06 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a ridge located in Acheron Fossae, a large, arcuate set of faulted ridges north of Lycus Sulci and Olympus Mons.

Context image for PIA10891FaultingThe ridge in the upper portion of this image is located in Acheron Fossae, a large, arcuate set of faulted ridges north of Lycus Sulci and Olympus Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 35.7N, Longitude 229.8E. 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a trough formed of coalesced collapse pits in the Tractus Catena region of northern Tharsis, Mars.

3 December 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a trough formed of coalesced collapse pits in the Tractus Catena region of northern Tharsis, Mars.Location near: 30.6°N, 99.3°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Winter

This image from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the lander's Robotic Arm scoop positioned over the Wet Chemistry Lab delivery funnel on Sol 29, the 29th Martian day after landing, or June 24, 2008.

This image taken by the Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the lander's Robotic Arm scoop positioned over the Wet Chemistry Lab delivery funnel on Sol 29, the 29th Martian day after landing, or June 24, 2008. The soil will be delivered to the instrument on Sol 30.This image has been enhanced to brighten the scene.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.

The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. 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 the floor of Rabe Crater.

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 part of the floor of Rabe Crater, including part of the extensive dune field found there.Orbit Number: 52231 Latitude: -43.6665 Longitude: 34.2627 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-09-22 14:29Please 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.

These images show a rock target called Dourbes and a map of chemical elements detected within it by PIXL, one of the instruments aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover.

These images show a rock target called "Dourbes" in Mars' Jezero Crater and a map of chemical elements detected within the target by PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry), one of the instruments on the end of the robotic arm aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover.The two images at top show the target in black-and-white and colorized views. PIXL's map of elements is at the bottom, showing magnesium (blue), silicon (red), and calcium (green) – three of the major minerals present in the rock. The map shows olivine and pyroxene forming a cumulate texture characteristic of an igneous rock (solidified from magma or lava). The presence of sulfate salts and potential carbonates reveal that these igneous rocks were altered by water, indicating past watery environments in Jezero Crater. 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.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance:https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020nasa.gov/perseverance

This mosaic of Syrtis Major is composed of about 100 red- and violet- filter NASA Viking Orbiter images, digitally mosaiced in an orthographic projection at a scale of 1 km/pixel.

This mosaic is composed of about 100 red- and violet- filter Viking Orbiter images, digitally mosaiced in an orthographic projection at a scale of 1 km/pixel. The images were acquired in 1980 during early northern summer on Mars (Ls = 75 degrees). The center of this image is near latitude 0 degree, longitude 310 degree, and the limits of this mosaic are approximately latitude -60 to 60 degrees and longitude 260 to 350 degrees. The color variations have been enhanced by a factor of two, and the large-scale brightness variations (mostly due to sun-angle variations) have been normalized by large-scale filtering. The large circular area with a bright yellow color (in this rendition) located in the upper left area of the image is known as Arabia. The boundary between the ancient, heavily-cratered southern highlands and the younger northern plains occurs far to the north (latitude 40 degrees) on this side of the planet, just north of Arabia. The dark blue area to the right of Arabia, called Syrtis Major Planum, is a low-relief volcanic shield of probable basaltic composition. The bright yellow area to the right of Syrtis Major Isidis Planitia, an ancient impact basin. Bright white areas to the south, including the Hellas impact basin at lower right, are covered by carbon dioxide frost.

NASA's Viking Orbiter 2 image shows a large dust storm over the Thaumasia region on Mars. This large disturbance soon grew into the first global dust storm observed by the Viking Orbiters.

This Viking Orbiter 2 image shows a large dust storm over the Thaumasia region on Mars. This large disturbance soon grew into the first global dust storm observed by the Viking Orbiters. This image was taken at 9:00 local time near perihelion when heating of Mars is at a maximum. The image is at 1400 km across and north is at 1:00. (Viking Orbiter 176B02).

This view from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows an example of discoloration closely linked to fractures in the Stimson formation sandstone on lower Mount Sharp. The pattern is evident along two perpendicular fractures.

Figure 1Click on the image for larger version Pale zones called "halos" border bedrock fractures visible in this 2015 image from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. The rover team determined that the halos are rich in silica, a clue to the duration of wet environmental conditions long ago. The location is on the lower slope of Mars' Mount Sharp. This view from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows an example of discoloration closely linked to fractures in the Stimson formation sandstone on lower Mount Sharp. The pattern is evident along two perpendicular fractures.Curiosity's Navigation Camera (Navcam) acquired the component images of this mosaic on Aug. 23, 2015, during the 1.083rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The location is along the rover's path between "Marias Pass" and "Bridger Basin." In this region, the rover has found fracture zones to be associated with rock compositions enriched in silica, relative to surrounding bedrock.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Curiosity project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL built the rover and Navcam. 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum face of Mars in mid-July 2005.

12 July 2005This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 249° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 249° occurs in mid-July 2005. The picture shows the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum 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 Autumn/Southern Spring

The Twin Peaks are modest-size hills to the southwest of the Mars Pathfinder landing site. They were discovered on the first panoramas taken by NASA's IMP camera on the 4th of July, 1997. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997.

The Twin Peaks are modest-size hills to the southwest of the Mars Pathfinder landing site. They were discovered on the first panoramas taken by the IMP camera on the 4th of July, 1997, and subsequently identified in Viking Orbiter images taken over 20 years ago. The peaks are approximately 30-35 meters (-100 feet) tall. North Twin is approximately 860 meters (2800 feet) from the lander, and South Twin is about a kilometer away (3300 feet). The scene includes bouldery ridges and swales or "hummocks" of flood debris that range from a few tens of meters away from the lander to the distance of the South Twin Peak. The large rock at the right edge of the scene is nicknamed "Hippo." This rock is about a meter (3 feet) across and 25 meters (80 feet) distant.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 a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The 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.

This image acquired on March 12, 2021 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows a portion of an enigmatic formation called banded terrain, which is only observed in the northwest of the Hellas basin.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image shows a portion of an enigmatic formation called banded terrain, which is only observed in the northwest of the Hellas basin. This basin was formed by a giant impact around 4 billion years ago. It is the deepest impact basin on the planet, and banded terrain is in the deepest part of the basin (at elevations around 7 kilometers).This terrain is characterized by smooth bands of material separated by ridges or troughs, with circular and lobe shapes that are typically several kilometers long and a few hundred meters wide. A closeup shows banded terrain deforming around a mesa (bottom) and the transition of smooth banded terrain into surrounding rough terrain (top). Other banded terrain appears to have undergone deformation, like by a glacier, though it is not quite like terrestrial landforms. There are several ideas for what it could be, including a thin, flowing, ice-rich layer or sediment that was deformed beneath a former ice sheet.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 51.1 centimeters [20.1 inches] per pixel [with 2 x 2 binning]; objects on the order of 153 centimeters [60.2 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 of Moreux Crater shows part of the central peak and sand dunes on the crater floor surrounding the peak. The crater rim is at the bottom right of this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Context image This image of Moreux Crater shows part of the central peak and sand dunes on the crater floor surrounding the peak. The crater rim is at the bottom right of this image. The lower elevations of the central peak are visible at the top left corner of the image. The part of the peak with a pitted surface texture has been interpreted to be created by glacial flows. Moreux Crater is located in northern Arabia Terra and has a diameter of 138 kilometers.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: 37338 Latitude: 41.2159 Longitude: 44.7491 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-05-15 18:02Please 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.

The ejecta blanket created around impact craters is often much more resistant to erosion than surrounding surface materials. As seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey, the ejecta material creates isolated highs as surrounding surface is eroded near Meridiani Planum.

Context imageThe ejecta blanket created around impact craters is often much more resistant to erosion than the surrounding surface materials. In this case of a crater near Meridiani Planum the ejecta material is creating isolated highs as the surrounding surface is eroded.Orbit Number: 38600 Latitude: 6.85103 Longitude: 351.869 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-08-27 16:09Please 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.

Layers of rock exposed in the lower portion of a tall mound near the center of Gale Crater on Mars exhibit variations in layer thickness and range between dark and light tones in this image taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Layers of rock exposed in the lower portion of a tall mound near the center of Gale Crater on Mars exhibit variations in layer thickness and range between dark and light tones. The crater's mound of layered material is over 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) high, making it more than twice as thick as the stack of rocks exposed in the Grand Canyon on Earth. Gale Crater is approximately 152 kilometers (94 miles) in diameter.This view of layering in the mound's lower formation covers an area about 950 meters (3,100 feet) wide. It was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on April 23, 2009. Observations of the lower formation by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, on the same orbiter, have indicated the presence of sulfate salts and clay minerals in these rock layers. The changes in composition from the lower (older) to the upper (younger) layers in the Gale Crater mound may record stages in water loss and the drying out of Mars.This image is one product from HiRISE observation ESP_012841_1750, centered at 4.9 degrees south latitude, 137.2 degrees east longitude. Other image products from this observation are available at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_012841_1750. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the 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, Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft.

This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows Siton Undae, a large dune field located in the northern plains near Escorial Crater on Mars. This image shows part of the center of the dune field.

Context imageSiton Undae is a large dune field located in the northern plains near Escorial Crater. Siton Undae is west of the crater and is one of three dune fields near the crater. The nearby north polar cap is dissected by Chasma Boreale, which exposes an ice free surface. This image shows part of the center of the dune field. In this image the crescent nature of the individual dunes can be see in the lower left portion of the image. As the dunes coalesce the crescent form is lost.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: 54375 Latitude: 75.8161 Longitude: 298.124 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-03-18 01:58Please 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 spacecraft of the northern plains of Mars shows a surface texture of hundreds of small mounds and numerous small impact craters.

This image of the northern plains of Mars shows a surface texture of hundreds of small mounds and numerous small impact craters. The THEMIS imaging team is taking advantage of the late afternoon sun illumination to image places like this where the surface may contain small scale features that are "washed-out" by higher illumination angles. As the sun dips towards the horizon (to the left side of the image), shadows are cast. The length of the shadows can be used to estimate the height of the feature casting them - or the depth of the crater that contains the shadow. In this image the craters - even very small ones - are now partially filled by shadow making it very easy to identify them. The small bumps are not casting shadows yet, but are easily seen. These small bumps were not easily identified when the sun angle was higher (earlier in the afternoon). As this image shows, late afternoon sun illumination is wonderful for making small scale morphologic features visible.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.

Individual dunes are found on the floor of this unnamed crater on Mars located to the north of Rabe Crater in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Context image for PIA03580Crater DunesIndividual dunes are found on the floor of this unnamed crater located to the north of Rabe Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 41.1S, Longitude 34,4E. 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small section of Indus Vallis. Indus Vallis is located in northern Terra Sabaea.

Context imageThis VIS image shows a small section of Indus Vallis. Indus Vallis is located in northern Terra Sabaea.Orbit Number: 77727 Latitude: 18.7218 Longitude: 40.0134 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-06-23 08:30Please 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 Terra Cimmeria. The bright, irregular features are hills.

Context imageThis image is located in Terra Cimmeria. The bright, irregular features are hills. This part of Terra Cimmeria is made up mostly by flat lying plains, with no other hills in the nearby vicinity.Orbit Number: 74529 Latitude: -37.2521 Longitude: 164.216 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-10-02 23:20Please 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 Reconnaissance Orbiter shows two new craters on Mars with the same distinctive pattern of relatively blue ejecta surrounded by a dark blast zone and arcing patterns. This pattern indicates an oblique impact angle with a bolide.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThe 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.This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows two new craters, both with the same distinctive pattern of relatively blue (less red) ejecta surrounded by a dark blast zone (where dust has been removed or disturbed), and with arcing patterns extending northwest and northeast. This pattern indicates an oblique impact angle with the bolide coming from the north.MRO has discovered over 700 new impact sites on Mars. Often, a bolide breaks apart in the atmosphere and makes a tight cluster of new craters.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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum face of Mars in mid-April 2006.

11 April 2006This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 39° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 39° occurs in mid-April 2006. The picture shows the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum 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

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows gullies formed in the wall of a south middle-latitude crater wall on Mars. The banked, curved nature of the channels in each gully are among the key indicators that a fluid may have been required to form them.

10 August 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image, acquired in March 2004, shows gullies formed in the wall of a south middle-latitude crater wall near 39.7°S, 208.6°W. The banked, curved nature of the channels in each gully are among the key indicators that a fluid, such as liquid water, may have been required to form them. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.

This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is THEMIS ART IMAGE #70 In our continuing quest to find the martian alphabet - we have the 'L'.

Context image for PIA08542THEMIS ART #70Back by popular demand: THEMIS ART IMAGE #70 In our continuing quest to find the martian alphabet - we have the "L."Image information: IR instrument. Latitude 41.8N, Longitude 33.7E. 106 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 false color composite image from NASA's Mars Pathfinder (MPF) of the Rock Garden shows the rock 'Shark' at upper right.

This false color composite image from the Pathfinder lander shows the rock "Shark" at upper right (Shark is about 0.69 m wide, 0.40 m high, and 6.4 m from the lander). The rock looks like a conglomerate in Sojourner rover images, but only the large elements of its surface textures can be seen here. This demonstrates the usefulness of having a robot rover geologist able to examine rocks up close.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 a 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.

The two landslides in this image are located in Aeolis Mensae on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Context image for PIA01871LandslideThe two landslides in this image are located in Aeolis Mensae.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -5.5N, Longitude 146.0E. 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.

Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility prepare the heat shield that will be attached to the backshell, surrounding Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1).

May 15, 2003Prelaunch at Kennedy Space CenterWorkers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility prepare the heat shield that will be attached to the backshell, surrounding Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1). 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 can't yet go. MER-1 is scheduled to launch June 25 as MER-B aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Most surface ice on Mars is temporary. The polar layered deposits are thick stacks of permanent water ice at each pole, and the South Polar residual cap may be a permanent (although dynamic) layer of carbon dioxide ice as seen by NASA's Mars Reconnaissanc

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionMost surface ice on Mars is temporary. The polar layered deposits are thick stacks of permanent water ice at each pole, and the South Polar residual cap may be a permanent (although dynamic) layer of carbon dioxide ice. However, at lower latitudes, seasonal frost (mostly carbon dioxide, but some water ice) comes and goes each year.Some outliers of water ice are found near the North Polar layered deposits. In many cases these have accumulated significant thickness, as in Louth Crater. In this case, a thin layer of bright frost was visible in a HiRISE image in early summer, covering part of the wall of a crater. However, the thickness was small-there is little visible effect on the topography of the crater. HiRISE monitored this location through the rest of the season and found that the frost remained all summer, so this is a perennial ice patch, although the edges shrank slightly over the summer.Carbon dioxide is not stable under summer conditions, so this is likely a patch of water ice. It may be that it is in the early stages of accumulation, or that the equilibrium amount of ice in a small crater relatively far from the pole is thin.A still-unexplained feature of this crater is the diffuse dark smudges visible on the crater floor. These resemble "defrosting spots" which are visible on carbon dioxide ice in the early spring, but they occur on frost-free areas and survive throughout the summer.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.

This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Rhabon Vallis, a channel south of Uranius Mons.

Context imageThis VIS image shows a portion of Rhabon Vallis, a channel south of Uranius Mons.Orbit Number: 36519 Latitude: 21.2614 Longitude: 268.299 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-03-09 07:43Please 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small region in Terra Sirenum. The bright material forming 'tails' behind the craters were created by surface winds funneled over and around the crater.

This VIS image shows a small region in Terra Sirenum. The bright material forming "tails" behind the craters were created by surface winds funneled over and around the crater. 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. The "tail" shows the direction of the wind, in this case blowing from the upper right to the lower left.Orbit Number: 73131 Latitude: -15.549 Longitude: 188.595 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-06-09 19:41Please 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 is part of THEMIS art month, taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey featuring a portion of Mars' landscape looking somewhat like a pterodactyl.

Welcome to the second annual THEMIS ART MONTH. From Jan. 31 through March 4 we will be showcasing images for their aesthetic value, rather than their science content. Portions of these images resemble things in our everyday lives, from animals to letters of the alphabet. We hope you enjoy our fanciful look at Mars!Beware the pterodactyl!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.

The South Pole is receiving sun every day now as spring progresses. The surface texture visible in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey was created by the effect of solar warming on the ice.

Context imageThe South Pole is receiving sun every day now as spring progresses. The surface texture visible in this image was created by the effect of solar warming on the ice.Orbit Number: 39933 Latitude: -86.9064 Longitude: 353.173 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-12-15 08:58Please 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 released on August 11, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows a decorrelation stretch over Melas Chasm. Pink/magenta colors usually represent basaltic dunes, cyan indicates the presence of water ice clouds, while green can represent dust.

Released August 11, 2004This image shows two representations of the same infra-red image over Melas Chasma. On the left is a grayscale image showing surface temperature, and on the right is a false-color composite made from 3 individual THEMIS bands. The false-color image is colorized using a technique called decorrelation stretch (DCS), which emphasizes the spectral differences between the bands to highlight compositional variations.There is a distinct purple/blue layer present in the northern wall of the Chasma. Although this layer likely has a composition different than the surrounding areas, it is difficult to interpret its specific composition due to the high variability of sunlit and shaded surfaces in this area, which cause a wide range of temperatures to be present within each pixel of the image. It is possible that this layer has a unique composition due to differences in the volcanic or sedimentary environment at the time that the rock formed, or it could be a layer of magma injected between two previously existing rock layers. Another possibility is that the wall is mostly covered by dust and debris, and this portion contains the only exposed bedrock. The light blue colors present in many other areas of the Chasma are due to water ice clouds.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -8.9, Longitude 282 East (78 West). 100 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.

Many dark slope streaks mark the rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Context imageMany dark slope streaks mark the rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea. There is a large group of streaks that are darker than the others streaks on the crater rim. It is likely that the formation of the darker set are more recent that the lighter set, as dust settling from the atmosphere brightens the surface over time.Orbit Number: 52155 Latitude: 6.84297 Longitude: 43.8072 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-09-16 10:06Please 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 spacecraft shows a crater on Mars and its ejecta covered by a layer of loose material. The wind has been winnowing away the loose material to reveal the old crater and its ejecta blanket.

Context image for PIA10034Back In ViewAt some point in the past the majority of this crater and its ejecta were covered by a layer of loose material. The wind has been winnowing away the loose material to reveal the old crater and its ejecta blanket. This process is called exhumation.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 11.5N, Longitude 219.4E. 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.

This image acquired on December 27, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows Utopia Planitia which may have been extensively resurfaced by mud flows.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image samples the smooth plains within one of the areas being considered for setting down China's lander and rover, expected to launch in 2020. While smooth on large scales, HiRISE reveals small-scale roughness elements, including craters, boulders, and other features. Such hazards may be avoided by using "terminal hazard avoidance," a technology China has demonstrated on the Moon.Utopia Planitia may have been extensively resurfaced by mud flows, so it is an interesting place to investigate potential past subsurface habitability.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 28.9 centimeters [11.4 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning] to 57.7 centimeters (22.7 inches) per pixel [with 2 x 2 binning].) 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 Jan. 26, 2012, shows the back shell of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander spacecraft after its second Martian arctic winter.

This image, taken Jan. 26, 2012, shows the back shell of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander spacecraft after its second Martian arctic winter. In August 2008, Phoenix completed its three-month mission studying Martian ice, soil and atmosphere. The lander worked for two additional months before reduced sunlight caused energy to become insufficient to keep the lander functioning. The solar-powered robot was not designed to survive through the dark and cold conditions of a Martian arctic winter. The back shell formed part of the encapulating aeroshell that protected the lander during its descent through Mars upper atmosphere. The back shell is at the center of this image, which is one product from HiRISE observation ESP_025786_2485. Other products from the same observation can be found at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_025786_2485. HiRISE is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson. The instrument 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. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft.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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a large dust storm engulfing southern Isidis Planitia on Mars.

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-414, 7 July 2003This is the dusty time of year for Mars. The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) team has been anticipating for months that late June through July 2003 will be a time of large dust storms and considerable haze. As June turned to July, several large dust storms began popping up. Two examples are shown here in this mosaic of MOC daily global images from June 29, 2003. Near the center of this picture is a large dust storm engulfing southern Isidis Planitia. Toward the upper right (northeast) of the Isidis storm is another event in northern Elysium Planitia.This view of a portion of Mars is illuminated by sunlight from the left. This is a simple cylindrical map projection, north is up. The large dark feature just left of center is Syrtis Major; the bright oval toward the bottom left is the giant Hellas impact basin, which is more than 2,000 km (more than 1200 miles) across. The white area at the bottom of the picture is the south polar seasonal frost cap, made up mostly of carbon dioxide. The wispy features at the top of the image are clouds over the martian northern plains.

This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows regions of geologic diversity within an unnamed crater, formed in the Southern highlands of Mars.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis unnamed, approximately 30-kilometer diameter crater, formed in the Southern highlands of Mars. This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows regions of geologic diversity within, making this an interesting spot for scientists to study how different Martian processes interact with each other.Gullies, or channels formed by fluids such as water or lava, cut into the rim and sides of this crater. The presence of gullies can reveal clues about the ancient history of Mars, such as the amount of flowing fluid needed to form them and roughly how long ago that happened. This crater may also host features actively changing on the surface of Mars known as "recurring slope lineae" (RSL). Manifesting as dark streaks on steep slopes such as the walls of craters, scientists posit briny flows of small volumes of water as a possible RSL formation method. Studying the behavior of RSL further may provide evidence for the presence of water on Mars today.Moving toward the crater floor, one can observe patterns indicative of dunes. Dunes arise from the breakdown of exposed rocks by wind and subsequent manipulation of the eroded sand particles into wave-like structures. The presence of dust devil tracks provides additional evidence for significant wind activity at this location. These dunes are very dusty and so likely haven't been active (moved) in some time.HiRISE also captured a small, relatively fresh crater on the floor near the dunes. One of the most ubiquitous processes in the solar system, impact cratering can drastically change the surface of a planetary body. As such, craters provide sources of comparison between planets, moons, and other bodies across the solar system. Impacts still occur today, helping scientists find relative ages of different areas of a planet and discover materials buried under the surface.All of these processes have altered the surface of Mars in the past and continue to do so today. Since gully formation, wind erosion, and impact cratering could have interacted with each other for many years, planetary scientists find it difficult to work backwards and make definitive statements about ancient Martian history. However, HiRISE imagery has aided in closing these gaps in our scientific knowledge.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 25.5 centimeters (10 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 76 centimeters (29.9 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.

Most of the oldest terrains on Mars have eroded into branching valleys, as seen here in by NASA's Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter, much like many land regions of Earth are eroded by rain and snowmelt runoff.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionMost of the oldest terrains on Mars have eroded into branching valleys, as seen here in by NASA's Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter, much like many land regions of Earth are eroded by rain and snowmelt runoff. This is the primary evidence for major climate change on Mars billions of years ago.How the climate of Mars could have supported a warmer and wetter environment has been the subject of scientific debates for 40 years. A full-resolution enhanced color closeup reveals details in the bedrock and dunes on the valley floor (upper left). The bedrock of ancient Mars has been hardened and cemented by groundwater.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 51.5 centimeters (22.4 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 155 centimeters (61 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.

Mars digital-image mosaic merged with color of the MC-15 quadrangle, Elysium region of Mars. This image is from NASA's Viking Orbiter 1.

Mars digital-image mosaic merged with color of the MC-15 quadrangle, Elysium region of Mars. The Elysium quadrangle includes relatively smooth lowland plains immediately north of the more cratered highlands. The plains are interrupted on the northwest by two large shield volcanoes, Elysium Mons and Albor Tholus. The plains are also marked by an elongate crater, Orcus Patera, at the east boundary and a band of knobby terrain that extends northeastward through the eastern part. Latitude range 0 to 30 degrees, longitude range -180 to -135 degrees.

The lava flows in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located east of Olympus Mons.

Context imageThe lava flows in today's image are located east of Olympus Mons.Orbit Number: 54134 Latitude: 21.153 Longitude: 233.622 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-02-26 06:26Please 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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows cracks formed in the material that nearly fills an impact crater on the martian northern plains.

2 September 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows polygonal cracks formed in the material that nearly fills an impact crater on the martian northern plains. The light-toned patches in the cracks are the remains of ice, left over from the preceding winter. On Earth, polygons such as these are most common in the polar regions, and form in the presence of ground ice. Whether the same is true for Mars remains to be determined, but, certainly, this is a good possibility.Location near: 65.7°N, 277.5°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Spring

This 3-D anaglyph, from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, shows an extreme close-up of round, blueberry-shaped grains on the crater floor near the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum called Stone Mountain. 3D glasses are necessary.

This 3-D image from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity rover shows an extreme close-up of round, blueberry-shaped grains on the crater floor near the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum called Stone Mountain. Scientists are studying these curious formations for clues about the soil's history. The observed area is 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across.