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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the south polar cap. The sun has just risen on the cap as winter has transitioned into spring. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of the south polar cap. The sun has just risen on the cap as winter has transitioned into spring. The cap was created over millions of years with deposition of ice and dust during different seasons. The south polar cap is called Australe Planum.Orbit Number: 89387 Latitude: -85.664 Longitude: 309.93 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-02-07 09:52Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the edge of a dark dune field on the floor of Proctor Crater in the Southern highlands of Mars. The dark dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected on the bottom of the crater. | This observation shows the edge of a dark dune field on the floor of Proctor Crater, a 150-kilometer diameter crater in the Southern highlands of Mars.The dark dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected on the bottom of the crater. Dark dune slip faces (the steeper sides of the dunes) are located on the east side of the dunes and are believed to have formed in response to fall and winter westerly winds caused by geostrophic forces (winds balanced by Coriolis and pressure gradient forces). Superimposed on their surface are smaller secondary dunes that are commonly seen on terrestrial dunes of this size.Many smaller and brighter bed forms, most likely small dunes or granule ripples, cover the substrate between the larger dark dunes as well as most of the floor of Proctor Crater. The dark dunes overlie the small bright bedforms indicating that they formed more recently. In several areas, however, the dark dunes appear to influence the orientation of the small bright dunes, possibly by wind flowing around the larger ones, suggesting that both dark and bright bedforms are coeval. The dunes in Proctor Crater may be active today, moving in response to Martian winds.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.Originally released August 8, 2007 | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a dike exhumed by erosion from beneath the cratered terrain near Auqakuh Vallis in northeastern Arabia Terra on Mars. | 13 October 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a dike exhumed by erosion from beneath the cratered terrain near Auqakuh Vallis in northeastern Arabia Terra. The dike is the narrow, discontinuous ridge that cuts diagonally from the northwest (upper left) toward the southeast (lower right) across the scene. Typically, a dike is formed underground when molten rock -- magma -- is injected through a crack or fault. The magma eventually cools and hardens. A dike can also sometimes form in a non-volcanic setting by injection of wet sediment (which later hardens to rock) into an overlying sedimentary layer. The ridge is formed later, when surrounding rocks are eroded away, leaving the more erosion-resistant rock behind as a ridge. For an example on Earth, the famous Shiprock in northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A., has several dikes associated with it.Location near: 31.4°N, 299.0°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Winter | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a cliff face, called Rupes Tenius. | Context imageThe cliff face in this VIS image is called Rupes Tenius (rupes = scarp). The polar cap is the higher region to the left and the plains are located on the right side of the image. A large elevation change occurs along the scarp, up to 1 km in places (0.6miles).Orbit Number: 79689 Latitude: 82.159 Longitude: 287.731 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-12-01 22:19Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a typical fretted terrain valley floor, located southwest of Moreux Crater on Mars. | 17 April 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a typical fretted terrain valley floor, located southwest of Moreux Crater near 40.3°N, 317.7°W. Prior to the MGS mission, images from the Viking and Mariner 9 orbiters led to speculation that the lineated floors of fretted terrain valleys indicated the results of flowing ice. MGS MOC images have shown that these lineations occur in closed, as well as open, fretted terrain valleys. The lineations might, therefore, have nothing to do with flowing ice. They might instead be an expression of eroded layered material. Studies of fretted terrain landforms are on-going within the Mars science community. This January 2004 image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. | |
This pair of images released on June 18, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows a comparison of daytime and nighttime of part of Ius Chasma on Mars. | Released 18 June 2004This pair of images shows part of Ius Chasma.Day/Night Infrared PairsThe image pairs presented focus on a single surface feature as seen in both the daytime and nighttime by the infrared THEMIS camera. The nighttime image (right) has been rotated 180 degrees to place north at the top. Infrared image interpretationDaytime:Infrared images taken during the daytime exhibit both the morphological and thermophysical properties of the surface of Mars. Morphologic details are visible due to the effect of sun-facing slopes receiving more energy than antisun-facing slopes. This creates a warm (bright) slope and cool (dark) slope appearance that mimics the light and shadows of a visible wavelength image. Thermophysical properties are seen in that dust heats up more quickly than rocks. Thus dusty areas are bright and rocky areas are dark. Nighttime:Infrared images taken during the nighttime exhibit only the thermophysical properties of the surface of Mars. The effect of sun-facing versus non-sun-facing energy dissipates quickly at night. Thermophysical effects dominate as different surfaces cool at different rates through the nighttime hours. Rocks cool slowly, and are therefore relatively bright at night (remember that rocks are dark during the day). Dust and other fine grained materials cool very quickly and are dark in nighttime infrared images.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -1, Longitude 276 East (84 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. | |
The arcuate fractures seen in this image are common along the highland/lowland boundary on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA08705Arcuate Fractures>The arcuate fractures seen in this image are common along the highland/lowland boundary.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -2.0N, Longitude 172.1E. 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 image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a candidate landing site in the Mawrth Vallis region for ESA's ExoMars rover, planned to launch in 2020. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThere is a candidate landing site in the Mawrth Vallis region for the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover, planned to launch in 2020. This is one of the HiRISE images acquired to evaluate this site.Mawrth Vallis has some of the most spectacular color variations seen anywhere on Mars. This color variability is due to a range of hydrated minerals -- water caused alteration of these ancient deposits -- which is why this site is of interest to study the past habitability of Mars. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This cylindrical projection was taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on April 28, 2004. On that sol, Opportunity sat on the rippled dunes a ways from the rim of 'Endurance Crater.' | This cylindrical projection was constructed from three images taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's navigation camera on the rover's 93rd sol on Mars. The camera acquired the images at approximately 12:27 Local Solar Time, or around 8:22 AM Pacific Daylight Time on April 28, 2004. On that sol, Opportunity sat about 75 meters (246 feet) away from the rim of "Endurance Crater." | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows several dark slope streaks on the inner rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea. | Context image This VIS image shows several dark slope streaks on the inner rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea. These features are thought to be formed by downslope movement of material the removes some of the surface dust, revealing the darker rock beneath. The channel to the north of the crater is Indus Vallis.Orbit Number: 68696 Latitude: 18.7889 Longitude: 40.4151 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-06-09 10:50Please 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows Charitum Montes, south of Argyre Planitia on Mars, in early June 2003. Bright features are surfaces covered by frost. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-387, 10 June 2003This is a Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle view of the Charitum Montes, south of Argyre Planitia, in early June 2003. The seasonal south polar frost cap, composed of carbon dioxide, has been retreating southward through this area since spring began a month ago. The bright features toward the bottom of this picture are surfaces covered by frost. The picture is located near 57°S, 43°W. North is at the top, south is at the bottom. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. The area shown is about 217 km (135 miles) wide. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows Sinus Meridiani, the site of the largest outcropping of light-toned, layered sedimentary rocks on Mars. Sedimentary rocks are covered by a regolith of windblown sand and granules. | 27 November 2004Sinus Meridiani is the site of the largest outcropping of light-toned, layered sedimentary rocks on Mars. Last January, the Mars Exploration Rover (MER-B), Opportunity, landed in a portion of central Sinus Meridiani and has since that time been exploring the local outcrops of light-toned, sedimentary rock. Where Opportunity landed, most of the sedimentary rocks are covered by a regolith of windblown sand and granules. At the rover site, rock outcrops are found mostly in crater walls. Further to the north, the outcrops are not covered with sediment. Vast plains of exposed sedimentary rock, covering an area several times larger than all the sedimentary rock exposures of northern Arizona, New Mexico, and eastern Utah, combined, are found in northern and eastern Sinus Meridiani. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows some of the northern Sinus Meridiani sedimentary rock outcrops. It also shows the locations of several meteor impact craters that have been degraded as the sedimentary rocks have been eroded away. The large, dark, circular area near the top of the picture may mark the location of a crater that is still mostly filled and buried beneath dark, windblown debris. The sedimentary rocks of northern Sinus Meridiani have been known to occur there for at least the past seven years. They were initially described in a paper in Science describing MOC results about sedimentary rocks on Mars, published in December 2000 (see "Sedimentary rocks of early Mars"). This image is located near 2.3°N, 2.0°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
Windstreaks located in Chryse Planitia as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageThese windstreaks are located in Chryse Planitia.Orbit Number: 44467 Latitude: 28.2059 Longitude: 316.709 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-12-23 16:41Please 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the edge of Mars' retreating polar cap as a bright, wind-streaked surface. Rdges, tiny buttes and pits are part of the polar cap's layered deposits. | April 1999 -- It is summer now in the northern hemisphere of Mars, and the north polar ice cap has retreated considerably since it was last viewed in detail by the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera in September 1998 (see 1998 Polar List). This new [sic], high-resolution view shows the edge of the retreating polar cap as a bright, wind-streaked surface seen at the lower left. The ridges and tiny buttes and pits in the upper and right portions of the picture are part of the polar cap's layered deposits--stacks of dust and ice built up over the millennia. The picture covers an area 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) wide and is illuminated from the upper right.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 feather-shaped iridescent cloud was captured just after sunset on Jan. 27, 2023. Studying the colors in iridescent clouds tells scientists something about particle size within the clouds and how they grow over time. | NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this feather-shaped iridescent cloud just after sunset on Jan. 27, 2023, the 3,724th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Studying the colors in iridescent clouds tells scientists something about particle size within the clouds and how they grow over time.These clouds were captured as part of a follow-on imaging campaign to study noctilucent, or "night-shining" clouds, which started in 2021. While most Martian clouds hover no more than 37 miles (60 kilometers) above the ground and are composed of water ice, these clouds appear to be higher in elevation, where it's very cold. That suggests these clouds are made of carbon dioxide, or dry ice.This scene made up of 28 individual images captured by the rover's Mast Camera, or Mastcam. The images have been processed to emphasize the highlights.Curiosity was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.For more about Curiosity, visit http://mars.nasa.gov/msl or https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html. | |
This region of Terra Meridiani, imaged by NASA's Mars Odyssey, shows an old, heavily degraded channel that appears to terminate abruptly at the rim of a 10 km diameter crater, suggesting that the impact crater was created after the channel was formed. | (Released 30 April 2002)The ScienceThis THEMIS visible image shows a region in Terra Meridiani near -12° S, 358° W (2° E). An old, heavily degraded channel can be seen from the lower (southern) portion of the image toward the top. This channel appears to terminate abruptly at the rim of a 10 km diameter crater. This apparent "superposition" of the crater on top of the channel suggests that the impact crater was created after the channel was formed. This crater has two 3-km sized blocks of material that have slumped off from the lower left segment of the original crater rim. These immense blocks must have moved as a single unit because the rock layers that can be seen in the original wall of the crater can still be seen in these detached blocks. The walls of several craters in this image show vague hints of possible gully formation at the bottom of pronounced rock layers, with the suggestion of alcoves above the individual gullies. Well-developed gullies that were imaged by the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) on Mars Global Surveyor have been suggested to form by seepage and runoff of a fluid. The MOC has observed these gullies in numerous craters and channels further south, but they are uncommon at latitudes this close to the equator. Several sections of the crater walls appear to have ridges and troughs formed by the dry avalanche of loose rock, and a similar process of dry avalanche may account for the gullies seen in this THEMIS image. Patches of lighter material, possibly small dunes ripples, can be seen in several places throughout this image.The StoryWhen the walls come tumbling down! Take a closer look at the bright linear ridges within a deep crater near the center of this image (bottom, left-hand side of the crater). Almost 2 miles long, these chunks of material slumped off the crater side in one fell swoop. Phoozhj! Down they came as one massive unit. You can tell, because the rock layers seen in the original wall of the crater are also still there in the detached material as well.Instability in the craters doesn't stop there. Other ridges and troughs in the large craters were probably formed by smaller avalanches of loose rock, but . . . what about those gullies? Were they caused by small, dry avalanches too, or could they possibly have been formed by some kind of liquid running down the walls?In the grand search for possible signs of water on the red planet, gullies found in craters around Mars have been a source of speculation and great interest. The walls of several craters in this image show vague hints of possible gully formation, and features like "alcoves" above the individual gullies suggest a possible "formation by fluid." And yet, gullies are usually found in the south of Mars, not along the equatorial region where these craters are located. So, . . . who knows? This area will take a lot of further study.A long, snaky channel also winds its way up from the bottom of this image, only to be obliterated in its path by the large crater pits that came later. Eroded and old, the channel is far less dramatic than the large impact craters, but leaves a record of more ancient processes on Mars.Dappled in light and dark terrain, the texture of this cratered region of Mars is actually quite complex, especially when you look at the close-up image. Beyond the predominant craters, a smattering of smaller, shallower craters dot the surface, and signs of bright dunes can be found as well. | |
NASA's Mars Pathfinder Lander measured surface pressure during its 83 days on Mars in 1997. | Here is a comparison of the most recent 24-hour met sessions. Note the general trend of increasing pressure with time into the mission. This indicates that the South polar cap is reducing, freeing CO2 into the atmosphere. Also note small pressure features around noon, which we think are "dust-devils."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).
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 Global Surveyor shows a chain of collapse pits fomed among dust-mantled lava flows in the eastern Tharsis region of Mars. | 7 July 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a 1.5 meters per pixel (~5 ft/pixel) view of a chain of collapse pits fomed among dust-mantled lava flows in the eastern Tharsis region of Mars.Location near: 16.0°N, 93.1°WImage width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season Northern Autumn | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a dark, rayed spot east of Jovis Tholus and in the midst of the Tharsis Volcanic field. | Context image for PIA10856Big BlastEast of Jovis Tholus and in the midst of the Tharsis Volcanic field this dark, rayed spot is seen. Most likely this mark represents the shock wave of an incoming meteoroid that burned up before impact. The shock wave blasted the fine material away, leaving the darker basaltic surface exposed.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 17.3N, Longitude 246.5E. 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 composite highlights a close-up of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's 'sweep' magnet the dark ring that collects magnetic airborne particles which scientists use to study the origins of dust in the atmosphere. | This image composite highlights the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's "sweep" magnet, which scientists use to study the origins of dust in the atmosphere. The panoramic image below indicates the location of the magnet on the side of the rover's calibration target, or "martian sundial." The images above, also taken by the panoramic camera, show a close-up of the magnet and the dark ring that collects magnetic airborne particles. The bright hole in the center of the magnet repels magnetic particles, forcing them to land only on the outer ring. Non-magnetic particles are expected to settle on all parts of the magnet, including the center. Because this center hole remains clean, scientists have concluded that nearly all of the dust particles in Mars' atmosphere are magnetic. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the edge of an eroded deposit of material in Ophir Chasma. | Context image for PIA10837THEMIS ART #92A giant pair of dentures is not taking a bite out of Ophir Chasma, just the edge of an eroded deposit of material.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -4.1N, Longitude 288.7E. 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. | |
The channels in this image are part of a multitude of channels that dissect the eastern flank of Tempe Terra on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageThe channels in this image are part of a multitude of channels that dissect the eastern flank of Tempe Terra.Orbit Number: 45204 Latitude: 40.4403 Longitude: 306.693 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-02-22 08:32Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image released on Nov 3, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows clouds and one of the many storm fronts common in the north polar region during spring and early summer on Mars' polar cap. | This image shows clouds and one of the many storm fronts common in the north polar region during spring and early summer. Note the linear nature of the clouds towards the top of the image, and the appearance of a large crater barely visible beneath the cloud cover.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 75, Longitude 194 East (166 West). 40 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows layered sedimentary rock Spallanzani Crater on Mars. | Although most of the best examples of layered sedimentary rock seen on Mars are found at equatorial and sub-tropical latitudes, a few locations seen at mid- and high-latitudes suggest that layered rocks are probably more common than we can actually see from orbit. One extremely good example of these "atypical" layered rock exposures is found in the 72 km-diameter (45 miles) crater, Spallanzani (58.4°S, 273.5°W). Located southeast of Hellas Planitia, the crater is named for the 18th Century Italian biologist, Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799). Picture A presents a composite of the best Viking orbiter image (VO2-504B55) of the region with 4 pictures obtained June 1999 through January 2001 by the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC). Each MOC narrow angle image is 3 km across. Taken in the MOC's "survey mode," all four images were acquired at roughly 12 meters (39 ft) per pixel. Picture B zooms-in on the portion of the composite image that includes the 4 MOC images (the 100%-size view is 20 m (66 ft) per pixel). Other craters in the region near Spallanzani show features--at Viking Orbiter scale--that are reminiscent of the layering seen in Spallanzani. Exactly what these layers are made of and how they came to be where we see them today are mysteries, but it is possible that they are similar to the materials seen in the many craters and chasms of the equatorial latitudes on Mars. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small portion of Daedalia Planum. The lava flows in this image originated at Arsia Mons. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a small portion of Daedalia Planum. The lava flows in this image originated at Arsia Mons. Individual flows have lengths up to almost 180km (~111 miles). The longest Hawaiian lava flow is only 51km (~31 miles). The area of Daedalia Planum is 2.9 million square km - more than 4 times the size of Texas.Orbit Number: 75431 Latitude: -18.9209 Longitude: 241.546 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-16 05:39Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the eastern end of Candor Chasma on Mars. | Context image for PIA11338Candor ChasmaThis image shows part of the eastern end of Candor Chasma.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -8.0N, Longitude 295.0E. 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. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the floor of Pollack Crater. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of the floor of Pollack Crater, including part of the fill material located on the floor.Orbit Number: 10947 Latitude: -8.06138 Longitude: 25.1671 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-06-02 16:54Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The steep sided depression in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is Shalbatana Vallis, a channel located in Xanthe Terra. | Context imageThe steep sided depression in this VIS image is Shalbatana Vallis, a channel located in Xanthe Terra.Orbit Number: 61140 Latitude: 6.44703 Longitude: 317.443 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-09-26 00:36Please 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 the northern margin of Olympus Mons, the largest Martian volcano. | Context imageOlympus Rupes is the name of the large escarpment surrounding Olympus Mons. The escarpment is a cliff where there is a large elevation change over a short distance. The elevation change from the lower volcanic plains to the volcano flank is up to 8km (5 miles), almost the height of Mount Everest. This VIS image is located along the northern margin of Olympus Mons, the largest Martian volcano.Orbit Number: 88003 Latitude: 23.0185 Longitude: 223.988 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-10-16 11:26Please 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. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows just one of the many lava flows that make up Daedalia Planum. Theses volcanic flows are from Arsia Mons, the southernmost of the three Tharsis Montes. | Context imageToday's image shows just one of the many lava flows that make up Daedalia Planum. Theses volcanic flows are from Arsia Mons, the southernmost of the three Tharsis Montes.Orbit Number: 41425 Latitude: -21.4404 Longitude: 238.469 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-04-17 04:57Please 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 the Tharsis face of Mars in mid-September 2006. | 5 September 2006This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 107° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 107° occurs in mid-September 2006. The picture shows the Tharsis 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 Summer/Southern Winter | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey of the dunes on the floor of Rabe Crater on Mars. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis VIS image of the dunes on the floor of Rabe Crater was collected simultaneously with yesterday's infrared image.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -43.9N, Longitude 35.0E. 22 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its microscopic imager to record this close-up view of texture on part of a rock informally named 'Tisdale 2' on the western rim of Endeavour crater. The broken rock fragments are called clasts. | Annotated versionClick on the image for larger viewNASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its microscopic imager to record this close-up view of texture on part of a rock informally named "Tisdale 2" on the western rim of Endeavour crater. The image was taken during the 2,694th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's work on Mars (Aug. 22, 2011).The view covers an area about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across. It shows a texture called brecciated, with broken rock fragments fused together and embedded in matrix of this rock. The fragments are called clasts. This image is of target "B," whose location on Tisdale 2 is indicated on image PIA14745. | |
Oblique View of Columbia Hills | Annotated VersionThis perspective view looking toward the northeast shows part of the Columbia Hills range inside Gusev Crater. At the center is the winter campaign site of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit.On its 805th Martian day, or sol, (April 8, 2006), Spirit was parked on a slope tilting 11 degrees to the north to maximize sunlight on the solar panels during the southern winter season. Science observations were formulated to take advantage of the long time during which the rover was parked. The plan focused on two tasks: tracking atmospheric and surface dynamics by periodically surveying the surface and atmosphere; and extensively examining surrounding terrains, rocks and soils using the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, coupled with long duration measurements using the alpha particle X-ray and Moessbauer spectrometers of rock and soil targets. For reference, the feature known as "Home Plate" is approximately 90 meters (295 feet) wide.An image from Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbital Camera, catalogued as E03_00012 and courtesy Malin Space Science Systems, was used as the base image for this figure. The perspective was generated using elevation data generated from analyses of the camera's stereo images by the U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz. | |
The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Corozal 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 Corozal Crater in Terra Cimmeria.Orbit Number: 59667 Latitude: -39.1635 Longitude: 160.407 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-05-27 16:41Please 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 taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows Samara Valles, one of the longest ancient valley systems on Mars; its surface is mantled with dust as evidenced by the system of dunes that line the valley floor. | Samara Valles is one of the longest ancient valley systems on Mars. This system traverses more than 1000 kilometers (621 miles) toward the northwest across the heavily cratered southern highlands eroding into the gentle slopes of Terra Meridiani. The valley terminates in the northern lowlands within the Chryse basin where both Viking Lander 1 and Pathfinder are located.The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recorded this image on March 4, 2010. The target for this HiRISE observation was a suggestion submitted through the camera team's HiWish public-suggestion program. For more information about how to submit target suggestions, see http://uahirise.org/hiwish/.The image shows a portion of the upper reach of Samara Valles. The valley is several hundred meters (or yards) wide at this location, and the surface is mantled with dust as evidenced by the system of dunes that line the valley floor. The surface is heavily cratered by ancient impacts whose ejecta blankets have long ago been eroded and subsequently buried by dust which mantles the entire region. This image covers a swath of ground about 1 kilometer (about two-thirds of a mile) wide. It is a portion of HiRISE observation ESP_016895_1525, which is centered at 27.04 degrees south latitude, 344.39 degrees east longitude. The season on Mars is southern-hemisphere autumn. Other image products from this observation are available at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_016895_1525.Color images from HiRISE combine information from detectors with three different color filters: red, infrared, and blue-green. Thus they include information from part of the spectrum human eyes cannot see and are not true color as the eye would see. The resulting false color helps to show differences among surface materials. 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, built the spacecraft. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recorded this view in February 2006 while approaching the northwestern edge of 'Home Plate,' a circular plateau-like area of bright, layered outcrop material. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit recorded this view while approaching the northwestern edge of "Home Plate," a circular plateau-like area of bright, layered outcrop material roughly 80 meters (260 feet) in diameter. The images combined into this mosaic were taken by Spirit's navigation camera during the rover's 746th, 748th and 750th Martian days, or sols (Feb. 7, 9 and 11, 2006).With Martian winter closing in, engineers and scientists working with NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit decided to play it safe for the time being rather than attempt to visit the far side of Home Plate in search of rock layers that might show evidence of a past watery environment. This feature has been one of the major milestones of the mission. Though it's conceivable that rock layers might be exposed on the opposite side, sunlight is diminishing on the rover's solar panels and team members chose not to travel in a counterclockwise direction that would take the rover to the west and south slopes of the plateau. Slopes in that direction are hidden from view and team members chose, following a long, thorough discussion, to have the rover travel clockwise and remain on north-facing slopes rather than risk sending the rover deeper into unknown terrain.In addition to studying numerous images from Spirit's cameras, team members studied three-dimensional models created with images from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Globel Surveyor orbiter. The models showed a valley on the southern side of Home Plate, the slopes of which might cause the rover's solar panels to lose power for unknown lengths of time. In addition, images from Spirit's cameras showed a nearby, talus-covered section of slope on the west side of Home Plate, rather than exposed rock layers scientists eventually hope to investigate.Home Plate has been on the rover's potential itinerary since the early days of the mission, when it stood out in images taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera shortly after the rover landed on Mars. Spirit arrived at Home Plate after traveling 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) across the plains of Gusev Crater, up the slopes of "West Spur" and "Husband Hill," and down again. Scientists are studying the origin of the layering in the outcrop using the Athena science instruments on the rover's arm. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a section of an unnamed channel. This channel starts in Claritas Fossae and empties down into Icaria Planum. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a section of an unnamed channel. This channel starts in Claritas Fossae and empties down into Icaria Planum. The linear features that parallel the sides of the image are fractures that can create linear depressions (fossae).Orbit Number: 75343 Latitude: -39.1537 Longitude: 257.791 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-08 23:49Please 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 map shows the route that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover drove inside Gale Crater from its landing in August 2013 through Jan. 26, 2004. The rover is approaching a gap between two low scarps, 'Dingo Gap.' | This map shows the route that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover drove inside Gale Crater from its landing in August 2013 through the 524th Martian day, or sol, of the mission (Jan. 26, 2014). The rover is approaching a gap between two low scarps, "Dingo Gap." Team members are assessing whether to use that gap, or a nearby path, to reach a possible route southwestward over smoother ground than expected over an alternative route. The assessments for choice of routes use images from the rover and also orbital images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.The map indicates waypoints "Darwin" and "Cooperstown," where researchers used instruments on Curiosity to examine local outcrops. Another potential waypoint candidate is "KMS-9" on the rover's way toward its long-term science destination on the lower slopes of Mount Sharp.The base map is from the orbiting HiRISE camera. North is toward the top. The dark ground south of the rover's route has dunes of dark, wind-blown material. The 1,000-meter scale bar at lower right is about six-tenths of a mile long.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of both Tractus Fossae and Tractus Catena, some of many north/south trending tectonic graben located south of Alba Mons. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of both Tractus Fossae and Tractus Catena, some of many north/south trending tectonic graben located south of Alba Mons. The deeper depression running vertically on the left side of the image is Tractus Catena. While the other grabens to the right side are Tractus Fossae. The term fossae is defined as a long, narrow depressions, whereas the term catena is defined as a chain of craters. The circular depressions within in the Tractus Catena graben lead to the descriptor name catena. However, in this case the craters are a result of roof collapse into an underlying open space such as a lava tube, rather than a set of impact craters.Orbit Number: 78231 Latitude: 26.5131 Longitude: 257.336 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-08-03 20:38Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image is a 3-D view behind NASA's Curiosity rover. The anaglyph was made from a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance Cameras on the rear of the rover. It has been cropped. | This image is a 3-D view behind NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The anaglyph was made from a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance Cameras on the rear of the rover. It has been cropped.
Part of the rim of Gale Crater, which is a feature the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, stretches from the top middle to the top right of the image. One of the rover's wheels can be seen at bottom right. The bright spot is saturation from the sun.
The original images were captured by the rover's front Hazard-Avoidance cameras at full resolution shortly after the rover landed. It has been linearized to remove the distorted appearance that results from its fisheye lens. A single "eye" view from the rear of the rover is available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA15987. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the northern rim of an unnamed crater in Hesperia Planum. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the northern rim of an unnamed crater in Hesperia Planum.Orbit Number: 74356 Latitude: -13.2326 Longitude: 113.422 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-09-18 17:29Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows the western wall of a small pit that is located along the floor of a larger trough in Coprates Catena. Dark layers line the bottom; light-toned layers are near the top. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows the western wall of a small pit that is located along the floor of a larger trough in Coprates Catena. Dark layers are exposed along the bottom of the pit wall while light-toned layers are near the top of the pit and the adjacent trough floor.Based upon where the layers are exposed, we can tell that the dark layers formed first followed by the light layers. The light layers could have been deposited when water filled part of the trough while the dark layers could be older lava flows.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 26.1 centimeters (10.3 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 78 centimeters (30.7 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.This is a stereo pair with PSP_009631_1650.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the floor of Kaiser Crater. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. This false color image shows part of the floor of Kaiser Crater. Kaiser Crater is 207 km (129 miles) in diameter and is located in Noachis Terra west of Hellas Planitia. This sand dune field is one of several regions of sand dunes located in the southern part of the crater floor.With enough wind and sand, sand dunes are formed. Dune morphology typically has a shallow slope on the side the wind is blowing from and a steep face on the other side. The lighter part of the dunes in this image are the steep slopes. Wind blows sand particles up the shallow slope and then the particles 'fall' off the crest of the dune down the steep side. With time, the constant wind will move the crest of the dune forward. Depending on the amount of available sand, dunes can grow to large heights and sizes. The dunes in this image are moving west - towards the left side of the image. Dark blue in this false color combination are typically basaltic sand.Orbit Number: 83387 Latitude: -46.8031 Longitude: 19.7369 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-10-01 08:54Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
In the northern section of this from image NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, we see flat terrain that is probably an ancient lava field. These dust avalanches are common in dust-covered regions on Mars. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image shows a great deal of geologic diversity in a rather small area.In the northern section of the image, we see flat terrain that is probably an ancient lava field. This field runs up against a mesa, with slopes that show several dark streaks, possibly freshly disturbed material that is darker than the surrounding area and hasn't had time to fade. These dust avalanches are common in dust-covered regions on Mars.Further south, we see a line of pits and also fretted terrain, before we come across a network of channels and depressions that dominate the southern portion of the observation.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. | |
The depressions in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Coracis Fossae, part of the highlands south of Solis Planum. | Context imageThe depressions in this VIS image are part of Coracis Fossae, part of the highlands south of Solis Planum.Orbit Number: 42634 Latitude: -39.051 Longitude: 278.428 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-07-25 18:00Please 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 view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunit is dominated by a rock informally named 'Ridout' on the northeastern rim of Odyssey. The rock is roughly the same size as the rover, 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) long. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity looked across a small crater on the rim of a much larger crater to capture this raw image from its panoramic camera during the rover's 2,685th Martian day, or sol, of work on Mars (Aug. 13, 2011). Opportunity had arrived at the western rim of 13-mile-diameter (21-kilometer-diameter) Endeavour crater four days earlier. A portion of the northeastern rim of Endeavour forms the distant horizon in this view. A crater about 66 feet (20 meters) in diameter is on the Endeavour rim near Opportunity's arrival point. From a position south of Odyssey, this view is dominated by a rock informally named "Ridout" on the northeastern rim of Odyssey. The rock is roughly the same size as the rover, which is 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) long. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows linear features, tectonic graben called Icaria Fossae and they are located in Terra Sirenum. | Context imageThe linear features in this VIS image are tectonic graben called Icaria Fossae and are located in Terra Sirenum. Graben are formed by extension of the crust and faulting. When large amounts of pressure or tension are applied to rocks on timescales that are fast enough that the rock cannot respond by deforming, the rock breaks along faults. In the case of a graben, two parallel faults are formed by extension of the crust and the rock in between the faults drops downward into the space created by the extension. The Icaria Fossae graben are 2115km (1314 miles) long.Orbit Number: 93200 Latitude: -41.7764 Longitude: 243.379 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-12-18 08:42Please 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. | |
A color image of the Apollinaris Patera Region of Mars; north toward top, taken by NASA's Viking spacecraft. | A color image of the Apollinaris Patera Region of Mars; north toward top. The scene shows the 80-km-wide central caldera of Apollinaris, a plume of young flows extending south down the flank of the volcano, a cliff and chaotic terrain west of the volcano, and the surrounding younger deposits of the Medusae Fossae Formation (north and east). A patera (Latin for shallow dish or saucer) is a volcano of broad areal extent with little vertical relief.This image is a composite of Viking medium-resolution images in black and white and low-resolution images in color. The image extends from latitude 12 degrees S. to 6 degrees S. and from longitude 182 degrees to 189 degrees; Mercator projection.Apollinaris Patera is an isolated volcano (about 400 km across) lying on the Martian highlands just north of Gusev impact crater and the termination of Ma'adim Vallis. After the main edifice was built, eruption continued on the volcano's southern flank to form a broad ridge overlapping the original shield. Breakdown of ice-rich materials formed chaos on its western edge. Finally the friable materials (possible ash?) of the Medusae Fossae Fm were deposited. | |
Kasei Valles Flow | Image PSP_001482_2065 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 19, 2006. The complete image is centered at 26.0 degrees latitude, 297.3 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 284.7 km (178.0 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 28.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 113.9 cm/pixel (with 4 x 4 binning). 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 3:26 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 137.9 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
This picture from NASA's Mars Pathfinder was taken in the martian morning, after the spacecraft landed on Mars July 4, 1997. The Sojourner rover is perched on one of three solar panels. | This picture from Mars Pathfinder was taken at 9:30 AM in the martian morning (2:30 PM Pacific Daylight Time), after the spacecraft landed earlier today (July 4, 1997). The Sojourner rover is perched on one of three solar panels. The rover is 65 cm (26 inches) long by 18 cm (7 inches) tall; each of its wheels is about 13 cm (5 inches) high. The white material to the left of the front of the rover is part of the airbag system used to cushion the landing.Many rocks of different of different sizes can be seen, set in a background of reddish soil. The landing site is in the mouth of an ancient channel carved by water. The rocks may be primarily flood debris. The horizon is seen towards the top of the picture. The light brown hue of the sky results from suspended dust.Pathfinder, a low-cost Discovery mission, is the first of a new fleet of spacecraft that are planned to explore Mars over the next ten years. Mars Global Surveyor, already en route, arrives at Mars on September 11 to begin a two year orbital reconnaissance of the planet's composition, topography, and climate. Additional orbiters and landers will follow every 26 months.Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This false-color image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the oranger/bluer nature of the polar layers in the north polar region of Mars. Ice/frost will appear as bright blue in color; dust mantled ice will appear in tones of red/orange. | The theme for the weeks of 1/17 and 1/24 is the north polar region of Mars as seen in false color THEMIS images. Ice/frost will typically appear as bright blue in color; dust mantled ice will appear in tones of red/orange. This image again illustrates the oranger/bluer nature of the polar layers.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 80.6, Longitude 70.2 East (289.8 West). 40 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 where the southeastern flank of Ascraeus Mons meets the surrounding volcanic plains. | Context imageThis VIS image is located where the southeastern flank of Ascraeus Mons meets the surrounding volcanic plains. Ascraeus Mons is the northernmost of the three large Tharsis volcanoes.Orbit Number: 77732 Latitude: 8.72838 Longitude: 257.08 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-06-23 18:20Please 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 2011 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the North Polar water-ice clouds on Mars; the crater at the bottom of the image is causing a deflection in the linear form. | Released 30 June 2004The atmosphere of Mars is a dynamic system. Water-ice clouds, fog, and hazes can make imaging the surface from space difficult. Dust storms can grow from local disturbances to global sizes, through which imaging is impossible. Seasonal temperature changes are the usual drivers in cloud and dust storm development and growth. Eons of atmospheric dust storm activity has left its mark on the surface of Mars. Dust carried aloft by the wind has settled out on every available surface; sand dunes have been created and moved by centuries of wind; and the effect of continual sand-blasting has modified many regions of Mars, creating yardangs and other unusual surface forms. This image of the North Polar water-ice clouds shows how surface topography can affect the linear form. Notice that the crater at the bottom of the image is causing a deflection in the linear form.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 68.4, Longitude 100.7 East (259.3 West). 38 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 NASA Mars Global Surveyor image shows an array of gullies in the north-northwest wall of a crater in Terra Cimmeria. | 27 April 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an array of gullies in the north-northwest wall of a crater in Terra Cimmeria. These features may have been formed through the interaction of several processes including, but not limited to, mass wasting and/or seepage and runoff of groundwater.Location near: 33.5°S, 207.2°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been making tracks on Mars for seven months now, well beyond its original 90-day mission, when it reached 'Columbia Hills.' 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been making tracks on Mars for seven months now, well beyond its original 90-day mission. The rover traveled more than 3 kilometers (2 miles) to reach the "Columbia Hills" pictured here. In this 3-D, 360-degree view of the rolling martian terrain, its wheel tracks can be seen approaching from the northwest (right side of image). Spirit's navigation camera took the images that make up this mosaic on sols 210 and 213 (Aug. 5 and Aug. 8, 2004). The rover is now conducting scientific studies of the local geology on the "Clovis" outcrop of the "West Spur" region of the "Columbia Hills." The view is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometrical seam correction. Scientists plan for Spirit to take a color panoramic image from this location. The left-eye image for this anaglyph can be seen separately as PIA06765. Likewise, the right-eye image can be seen as PIA06766. | |
This anaglyph view of 'Flat Top,' due south of the lander, was produced by NASA's Mars Pathfinder's Imager camera. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail. | This anaglyph view of "Flat Top," southwest of the lander, was produced by combining two right eye frames taken from different viewing angles by Sojourner Rover. One of the right eye frames was distorted using Photoshop to approximate the projection of the left eye view (without this, the stereo pair is painful to view). The left view is assigned to the red color plane and the right view to the green and blue color planes (cyan), to produce a stereo anaglyph mosaic. This mosaic can be viewed in 3-D on your computer monitor or in color print form by wearing red-blue 3-D glasses.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).Click below to see the left and right views individually.LeftRight
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. | |
Lyot Crater is located in the Northern lowlands of Mars. The crater's floor marks the lowest elevation in the Northern Hemisphere as seen in this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionLyot Crater (220-kilometers in diameter) is located in the Northern lowlands of Mars. The crater's floor marks the lowest elevation in the Northern Hemisphere as seen in this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).On the crater's floor, we see a network of channels. connecting a series of irregular shaped pits. These resemble terrestrial beaded streams, which are common in the Arctic regions of Earth and develop from uneven permafrost thawing.If terrestrial beaded streams are a good analog, these landforms suggest liquid water flow in the past. If not then these pits may result from the process of sublimation and would indicate pockets of easily accessible near-surface ground ice, which might have potentially preserved evidence of past habitability.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 12.2 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 93 centimeters (36.6 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.This is a stereo pair with ESP_052694_2310.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. | |
The isolated mesas in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Arsinoes Chaos. There is a material that differs from the rest of the chaos visible at the bottom of the image. | Context imageThe isolated mesas in this VIS image are part of Arsinoes Chaos. There is a material that differs from the rest of the chaos visible at the bottom of the image.Orbit Number: 45491 Latitude: -6.66423 Longitude: 332.155 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-03-16 21:46Please 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. | |
The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter obtained this spectrum for comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring during the comet's close approach to Mars. | The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter obtained this spectrum for comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring during the comet's close approach to Mars.The left panel shows a CRISM image of comet Siding Spring taken on October 19, 2014, around the time of closest approach of the comet to Mars. The scale is 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) per pixel and only a small inner coma is visible. The right panel shows a weighted average spectrum of the entire comet as seen in all the CRISM images. The spectrum appears to show a dusty comet with no strong emission lines. There is a red slope to the average reflectivity -- meaning the comet is more reflective at longer (redder) wavelengths. Subtle colors in the image in the left panel are most likely related to changes in particle size and/or composition.The image at left was previously released as PIA15291.CRISM is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, provided and operates CRISM. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the orbiter and supports its operations. For more information about NASA Mars missions, visit http://mars.nasa.gov. | |
This map of Mars indicates locations of new craters that have excavated ice (blue) and those that have not (red). Albedo information comes from NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, and the map comes from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. | This map of Mars indicates locations of new craters that have excavated ice (blue) and those that have not (red). The underlying map is based on the brightness, or albedo, of the Martian surface. Most fresh craters are discovered in the brighter, dusty regions of Mars where dark blast patterns from the impacts can be seen. The albedo information comes from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. Surface topographical information for the map comes from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. | |
This is the first 360-degree panorama taken by Mastcam-Z, a zoomable pair of cameras aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. The panorama was stitched together from 142 individual images taken on February 21, 2021. | Figure 1Figure 2Click on images for larger versions
Photojournal Note: Also available is a high resolution TIF file, PIA24264_hires.tif (36952 x 11570 pixels, 640 MB). 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.
This is the first 360-degree panorama taken by Mastcam-Z, a zoomable pair of cameras aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. The panorama was stitched together on Earth from 142 individual images taken on Sol 3, the third Martian day of the mission (Feb. 21, 2021).Annotated versions of this panorama include a scale bar and close-ups of rock features seen in the distance (Figure 1). A detail shot from the top of the panorama shows the rim of Jezero Crater, Perseverance's landing site (Figure 2).Arizona State University in Tempe leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego.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.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and manages operations of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover for NASA.For more information about the mission, go to: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020 | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows channels, part of Nili Fossae. | Context imageThe channels in this VIS image are part of Nili Fossae. Nili Fossae is a collection of curved faults and down-dropped blocks of crust between the faults (called graben). The graben lie northeast of the large volcano Syrtis Major and northwest of the ancient impact basin Isidis Planitia. The graben make concentric curves that follow the outline of Isidis Planitia; the faults likely formed as the crust sagged under the weight of lava flows filling the Isidis basin.Orbit Number: 79485 Latitude: 25.7316 Longitude: 78.4041 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-11-15 02:51Please 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 from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Ius Chasma. Ius Chasma is at the western end of Valles Marineris. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of Ius Chasma. Ius Chasma is at the western end of Valles Marineris. Valles Marineris is over 4000 kilometers long, wider than the United States. Ius Chasma is almost 850 kilometers long (528 miles), 120 kilometers wide and over 8 kilometers deep. In comparison, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is about 175 kilometers long, 30 kilometers wide, and only 2 kilometers deep. The canyons of Valles Marineris were formed by extensive fracturing and pulling apart of the crust during the uplift of the vast Tharsis plateau. Landslides have enlarged the canyon walls and created deposits on the canyon floor. Weathering of the surface and influx of dust and sand have modified the canyon floor, both creating and modifying layered materials. There are many features that indicate flowing and standing water played a part in the chasma formation. The rugged floor of Ius Chasma in this image is the result of many large landslides.Orbit Number: 92987 Latitude: -6.37421 Longitude: 273.45 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-11-30 19:36Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the eastern portion of Hebes Chasma. | Context image This image shows the eastern portion of Hebes Chasma. The ridge that is casting a shadow at the bottom of the image is likely a large tectonic fault. All of the materials on the floor of the chasma are from the cliff faces. The deposition and erosion of the materials in this image are very different from the those of the large central mesa. Hebes Chasma is an enclosed basin not connected to Valles Marineris.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: 27124 Latitude: -1.43316 Longitude: 285.942 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-01-25 15:05Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
A self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity rover taken on Sol 2082 (June 15, 2018). A Martian dust storm has reduced sunlight and visibility at the rover's location in Gale Crater. | A self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity rover taken on Sol 2082 (June 15, 2018). A Martian dust storm has reduced sunlight and visibility at the rover's location in Gale Crater.The rover is located at the "Duluth" drill site just north of the Vera Rubin Ridge. A 1.6-cm diameter drill hole is located on the large boulder to the left of the rover. Once sampling activities were complete, the rover discarded the remaining drilled material, forming a small pile that appears as an orange streak on the sandy ground just in front of the rover. The background of this self-portrait looks across the floor of Gale Crater, now filled with haze from the ongoing dust storm. Self-portraits are created using images taken by Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft captured this image of dunes on the floor of an unnamed crater in Tyrrhena Terra. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThe dunes in this VIS image are located on the floor of an unnamed crater in Tyrrhena Terra.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -14.0N, Longitude 97.7E. 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a crater located on a plain west of the Tartarus Montes (east of Elysium Mons volcano). The crater shows deposits of sand and dust on the floor and in low areas around the rim. | During the first week of May 1999, the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) spent sometime peering into martian impact craters.This crater is located on a plain west of the Tartarus Montes (east of Elysium Mons volcano). The crater is about 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) across. Illumination is from the left.If you have ever visited the famous Meteor Crater in northern Arizona, U.S.A., then you are aware of its immense size on a human scale. The Arizona crater, however, is only 1 kilometer across (0.62 miles), whereas this crater is nearly three times that size.This crater was formed by the impact and explosion of a meteorite at some time in the martian past. After the crater formed, it was modified by wind and erosion. The crater shows deposits of sand and dust on the floor and in low areas around the rim, also boulders and other debris that has slid down the inside walls of the crater; and some crater walls show exposures of bedrock.Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Kasei Valles, just at the region where the northward flow of the channel turns eastward towards it's eventual end in Chryse Planitia. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a portion of Kasei Valles, just at the region where the northward flow of the channel turns eastward towards it's eventual end in Chryse Planitia. Kasei Valles is one of the largest outflow channel systems on Mars, in places up to 482 km (300 miles) wide and 1580 km (982 miles) long. For comparison, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is is only 29 km (18 miles) at its widest and only 446 km (277 miles) long.Orbit Number: 79952 Latitude: 20.11 Longitude: 286.449 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-12-23 13:42Please 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 Curiosity Mars rover and its tracks are visible in this view combining information from three observations by the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. You need 3-D glasses to view this image. | NASA's Curiosity Mars rover and tracks from its driving are visible in this view combining information from three observations by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The image appears three-dimensional when viewed through red-blue glasses with the red lens on the left.An image taken by HiRISE on April 11, 2014, when Curiosity was near the butte in the lower-left quadrant of the image, has been combined with three-dimensional information about the terrain from a pair of earlier HiRISE images. The vertical dimension is exaggerated compared to horizontal dimensions. The butte in the lower left quadrant is informally called "Mount Remarkable." The rover, appearing bright blue in the enhanced color of this image, is at the two-o'clock position in relation to the Butte. Curiosity entered the area included in this image on March 12, 2014, along the tracks visible near the upper left corner. The distance between parallel wheel tracks is about 9 feet (2.7 meters). The area included in the image is about 1,200 feet (about 365 meters) wide. The April 11 HiRISE image without the added topographical information is online at PIA18081. A rover's-eye view including Mount Remarkable, taken by Curiosity on the same day, is online at PIA18083.The location taking up most of the left half of this image is called "the Kimberley." About a year before Curiosity arrived here, the rover's science team chose this location for investigating because it contains a set of outcrops of different types of rock layers exposed close together. The site is along the route of the mission's journey from the Yellowknife Bay area, where Curiosity found evidence of an ancient lakebed environment favorable for microbial life, to long-term destinations on the lower slopes of Mount Sharp. HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Science Laboratory projects for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. For more information about Curiosity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Aronatum Chaos. Aromatum Chaos is a depression about 90 km (56 mi) long by 30 km (20 mi) wide. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of Aronatum Chaos. Aromatum Chaos is a depression about 90 km (56 mi) long by 30 km (20 mi) wide. At it's deepest Aronatum Chaos is 3,500 meters (11,500 ft) below the Xanthe Terra. On average, however, Aromatum is about 1,500 m (4,900 ft) deep. Mars scientists interpret chaos regions as places where groundwater has broken out and undermined the surface, loosening the rocky material and washing it away. Aronatum Chaos is at the head of Ravi Vallis, a 200 kilometers (125 miles) long channel located in Xanthe Terra.Orbit Number: 78828 Latitude: -1.00608 Longitude: 316.825 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-09-22 00:20Please 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. | |
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope images near Ares Vallis, Mars, taken on June 27, 1997 (left) and July 9, 1997 (right), document the dissipation of a large dust storm during the 12 days separating the two observations. | NASA's Hubble Space Telescope images of Mars, taken on June 27, 1997 (left) and July 9, 1997 (right), document the dissipation of a large dust storm during the 12 days separating the two observations.The images were taken to monitor the weather conditions near Ares Vallis, the site where NASA's Pathfinder spacecraft landed on July 4. Maps of the equatorial region were constructed from the images and are shown at the bottom of the figure; a green cross marks the Pathfinder landing site. (All images are oriented with North to the top).These two sets of observations show a number of dramatic changes in the planet's atmosphere. At about the 7 o'clock position on the June 27 image, the eastern end of the Valles Marineris canyon system is just coming into daylight and can be seen to be filled with yellowish dust. The dust appears to be confined to the canyons, which can be as much as 8 km deep and hundreds of km wide. Estimates of the quantity of dust involved in this storm indicate that 96% of the incoming sunlight is being blocked from reaching the surface by the dust clouds. Note that on the July 9 image, the dust storm appears to be subsiding; it is estimated that the dust quantity in most of the visible canyon system has dropped to only 10% to 20% of that seen on June 27.However, on July 9 a streamer of dust is visible in the North polar region, extending about 1200 km southward from the dark sand dunes surrounding the polar ice cap; diffuse dust is visible over much of Acidalia, the dark region to the north of the Pathfinder landing site. The extent of clouds visible across the planet has also changed considerably between the two dates. Just to the west (left) of the July 9 dust streamer, a very bright area of water-ice clouds is seen; this area was considerably cloudier on June 27.These images dramatically show that atmospheric conditions can change rapidly on Mars. Observations such as these will continue to be made over the next several months, allowing the detailed surface observations made by Pathfinder to be placed into the broader context of the global images available from HST.This image and other images and data received from the Hubble Space Telescope are posted on the World Wide Web on the Space Telescope Science Institute home page at URL http://oposite.stsci.edu/. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 5 April 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows evidence of two collapsed lava tubes on the southeast flank of the giant martian volcano, Olympus Mons. One runs diagonally across the entire image, the other is shorter and does not extend across the whole image. The shorter one is a series of pits and troughs, rather than a continuous channel. Lava flowed in tubes under the surface; later, the roof of each tube collapsed to form a series of pits and troughs which, in the larger example, eventually coalesced to its present, channel-like form. The image is located near 16.8°N, 132.2°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. | |
Sand dunes form large fields, called ergs, around the north polar cap of Mars. This image taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a region of dunes at the cap margin. | Context imageSand dunes form large fields, called ergs, around the north polar cap of Mars. This image shows are region of dunes at the cap margin.Orbit Number: 37561 Latitude: 83.6274 Longitude: 120.898 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-06-03 02:28Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
West of Valles Marineris lies a checkerboard named Noctis Labyrinthus, which formed when the Martian crust stretched and fractured. This image is from NASA's Mars Odyssey, one of an 'All Star' set. | West of Valles Marineris lies a checkerboard named Noctis Labyrinthus, which formed when the Martian crust stretched and fractured. As faults opened, they released subsurface ice and water, causing the ground to collapse. This westward view combines images taken during the period from April 2003 to September 2005 by the Thermal Emission Imaging System instrument on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. It is part of a special set of images marking the occasion of Odyssey becoming the longest-working Mars spacecraft in history. The pictured location on Mars is 13.3 degrees south latitude, 263.4 degrees east longitude.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 Global Surveyor shows an impact crater that is approximately 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) in diameter. Layered rock units are visible on the inside of the raised crater rim. | 16 September 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an impact crater that is approximately 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) in diameter. It is located to the northeast of Olympus Mons, in the Tharsis Region. Layered rock units are visible on the inside of the raised crater rim.Location near: 70.7°N, 271.0°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Spring | |
This April 6, 2014, image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was taken as a follow-up to discovery of a possible 2012 impact scar in images from the orbiter's Mars Color Imager. It reveals two craters within the darkened area (center of rectangle). | Figure 1Click on the image for larger versionThis April 6, 2014, image from the Context Camera (CTX) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was taken as a follow-up to discovery of a possible March 2012 impact scar in images from the orbiter's Mars Color Imager (MARCI). It reveals two craters within the darkened area (at center of the inscribed rectangle). CTX has imaged most of Mars at least once, with resolution that reveals features smaller than a tennis court. The camera had imaged this same area in January 2012, before the scar-causing event detected in MARCI images. Comparison of that CTX "before" image with this "after" one confirmed that the two craters were not yet present in early 2012 (see https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18383).Many of the approximately 400 fresh impact craters on Mars that have been confirmed with before-and-after images were first seen as dark scars detected in CTX images and then confirmed to have craters within the scars when follow-up observations were made with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera. This impact is the only one, so far, big enough for the scar to be first detected in MARCI images (see https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18381), with follow-up confirmation of a crater by CTX. The largest of several craters at this impact site is 159 feet (48.5 meters) wide, making it the biggest fresh impact crater ever clearly confirmed with before-and-after images, on Mars or anywhere else. This image covers an area about 6 miles (10 kilometers) wide. The fresh craters are at 3.34 degrees north latitude, 219.38 degrees east longitude.Figure 1 is version of the same image without the inscribed rectangle.CTX is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The camera was built by and is operated by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows gullies and dust devil streaks on the slopes of a large dune in Russell Crater. Gullies on martian dunes typically occur only in the Noachis Terra region. | 5 November 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows gullies and dust devil streaks on the slopes of a large dune in Russell Crater. Gullies on martian dunes typically occur only in the Noachis Terra region, and almost exclusively form on southward-facing slopes. They might be the result of downslope movement of sand mixed with a fluid such as carbon dioxide gas or water that had been trapped as ice in the dune.Location near: 54.6°S, 347.2°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Spring | |
This self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at the 'Mojave' site, where its drill collected the mission's second taste of Mount Sharp. | Annotated FigureClick on the image for larger annotated versionThis self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at the "Mojave" site, where its drill collected the mission's second taste of Mount Sharp. The scene combines dozens of images taken during January 2015 by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera at the end of the rover's robotic arm. The pale "Pahrump Hills" outcrop surrounds the rover, and the upper portion of Mount Sharp is visible on the horizon. Darker ground at upper right and lower left holds ripples of wind-blown sand and dust.The annotated version above labels several of the sites Curiosity has investigated during three passes up the Pahrump Hills outcrop examining the outcrop at increasing levels of detail. The rover used its sample-collecting drill at "Confidence Hills" as well as at Mojave, and in late February was assessing "Telegraph Peak" as a third drilling site.The view does not include the rover's robotic arm. Wrist motions and turret rotations on the arm allowed MAHLI to acquire the mosaic's component images. The arm was positioned out of the shot in the images, or portions of images, that were used in this mosaic. This process was used previously in acquiring and assembling Curiosity self-portraits taken at sample-collection sites "Rocknest" (PIA16468), "John Klein" (PIA16937) and "Windjana" (PIA18390).Curiosity used its drill to collect a sample of rock powder from target "Mojave 2" at this site on Jan. 31, 2015. The full-depth, sample-collection hole and the shallower preparation test hole beside it are visible in front of the rover in this self-portrait, and in more detail at PIA19115. The Mojave site is in the "Pink Cliffs" portion of the Pahrump Hills outcrop. The outcrop is an exposure of the Murray formation, which forms the basal geological layer of Mount Sharp. Views of Pahrump Hills from other angles are at PIA19039 and the inset at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=6968.The frames showing the rover in this mosaic were taken during the 868th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars (Jan. 14, 2015). Additional frames around the edges to extend the amount of terrain included in the scene were taken on Sol 882 (Jan. 29, 2015). The frames showing the drill holes were taken on Sol 884 (Jan. 31, 2015). For scale, the rover's wheels are 20 inches (50 centimeters) in diameter and about 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide. The drilled holes in the rock are 0.63 inch (1.6 centimeters) in diameter.MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/.Photojournal Note: Also available is the full resolution TIFF file PIA19142_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. | |
These windstreaks occur on top of lava flows from Arsia Mons on Mars as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA08072WindstreaksThese windstreaks occur on top of lava flows from Arsia Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -5.9N, Longitude 222.3E. 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 Global Surveyor shows gullies on the wall of a martian south mid-latitude impact crater. The channels in each gully head beneath an eroding overhang of layered rock. | 24 July 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows gullies on the wall of a martian south mid-latitude impact crater. The channels in each gully head beneath an eroding overhang of layered rock, providing support for the hypothesis that some -- if not all -- martian gullies result from release of groundwater to the surface.Location near: 33.0°S, 213.4°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Autumn | |
The ice-exposing impact crater at the center of this image is an example of what scientists look for when mapping places where future astronauts should land on Mars. | The ice-exposing impact crater at the center of this image is an example of what scientists look for when mapping places where future astronauts should land on Mars. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this view using its High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on July 17, 2016. The color in this image has been enhanced for effect; water ice would not actually look this blue on Mars. The crater is estimated to be about 59 feet wide (18 meters wide).Surrounding the impact is a rough kind of surface known as "polygon terrain," which on Earth is known to form when subsurface ice expands and contracts repeatedly over time. Seeing this terrain surrounding an ice-exposing crater suggests much more ice could be found there.This impact is one of many included in a NASA-funded mapping project called Subsurface Water Ice Mapping, or SWIM. Mars has both water ice and carbon dioxide ice (dry ice); water ice would be a critical resource for the first astronauts to step foot on Mars, who can use it for drinking, rocket fuel, and other purposes. The more water ice these astronauts land next to, the less they need to bring with them.Because the Martian atmosphere is so thin – less than 1% the pressure experienced at sea level on Earth – liquid water is unstable on the Red Planet and will vaporize unless it's frozen. But water ice on the planet's surface is only stable at high latitudes that are far too cold for astronauts and robots to survive. So SWIM attempts to locate water ice preserved within the subsurface in the mid-latitudes, where landing would be feasible. Such regions are far enough toward the poles for water ice to be plentiful, but close enough to the equator to avoid the coldest temperatures seen on Mars.SWIM is led by the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined to create a false color image. This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the caldera at the summit of Olympus Mons. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of the caldera at the summit of Olympus Mons. Some of the color variation may be due to clouds.Orbit Number: 2576 Latitude: 18.1866 Longitude: 227.161 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-07-14 16:17Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows cross-cutting fault scarps among graben features in northern Tempe Terra. Graben form in regions where the crust of Mars has been extended. Such features are common in the regions surrounding the vast 'Tharsis Bulge.' | 16 May 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows cross-cutting fault scarps among graben features in northern Tempe Terra. Graben form in regions where the crust of the planet has been extended; such features are common in the regions surrounding the vast "Tharsis Bulge" on Mars.Location near: 43.7°N, 90.2°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Summer | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a large landslide located in Ophir Chasma. | Context image for PIA10154Large LandslideThe large landslide at the bottom of this INFRARED image is located in Ophir Chasma. Although the resolution is less than a VISIBLE image, the large size of the feature is more completely covered by the wider frame size of the THEMIS infrared camera.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -6.8N, Longitude 308.2E. 98 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. | |
Lava channels and tectonic fractures are both found in the Tharsis region as shown in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageLava channels and tectonic fractures are both found in this VIS image of the Tharsis region.Orbit Number: 40114 Latitude: 16.2131 Longitude: 234.981 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-12-30 08:02Please 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, acquired on July 9, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows a 45-meter-diameter crater that formed sometime between October 2010 and May 2012 in so-called 'brain' terrain on Mars. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis enhanced-color image shows a 45-meter-diameter crater that formed sometime between October 2010 and May 2012 in so-called "brain"_x009d_ terrain on Mars. HiRISE has been monitoring this crater to look for changes in the bright icy material exposed in the crater wall and some of the ejecta blocks. This material is interpreted as water ice because its extent changes with time, consistent with slow sublimation caused by solar heating. (Sublimation is the process when a solid converts directly into a gaseous state.) By comparing this image with another one (ESP_046707_2220) taken in July 2016, we see that some of the ejecta blocks have vanished since then. It appears that fresh ice has been exposed on the east wall of the crater since 2016, perhaps due to slumping of dirty material. When we apply different color enhancements to these two images, we see that the color of the scene did not actually change much. The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 29.7 centimeters [11.7 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning] to 59.5 centimeters [23.4 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 26 March 2004Dark streaks made by dozens of spring and summer dust devils created a form of martian graffiti on the sand dunes of Russell Crater near 54.5°S, 347.4°W. Gullies have developed on some of the dune slopes, as well. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
Pedestal Crater in the Medusa Fossae Formation | Click on image for larger versionThis HiRISE image (PSP_003253_1880) shows a pedestal crater located in a geologic unit on Mars called the Medusa Fossae Formation.Pedestal craters are produced by differential erosion around impact craters. If the ejecta (material thrown out of the crater) is more resistant to erosion, then the crater and surrounding ejecta will be preserved while the surface is eroded nearby. This causes the ejecta blanket surrounding the crater to form a "pedestal," standing out in relief rather than gradually merging into its surroundings. There appear to be at least two resistant layers in the material around this pedestal crater, as there are two "steps" in the topography of the pedestal. The cutout, from the long ridge near the top center of the image, shows these steps as well as possible smaller-scale layering. Despite the detail resolved by HiRISE, it is not clear why the step-forming layers are more resistant. Much of the scene is coated with a mantle of dust which obscures details. Dark slope streaks, likely produced by small avalanches in the dust, are common here. Dust deposition and erosion are also likely the reason for the scalloped texture of mantling material in the crater. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 4 April 2007Local Mars time: 3:35 PMDegrees latitude (centered): 7.7°Degrees longitude (East): 196.2°Range to target site: 276.8 km (173.0 miles)Original image scale range: 55.4 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~166 cm across are resolvedMap-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is upMap-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAREmission angle: 1.1°Phase angle: 58.8°Solar incidence angle: 58°, with the Sun about 32° above the horizonSolar longitude: 214.3°, Northern AutumnNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity arrived at this location close to a small crater dubbed 'Alvin' on Feb. 18 & 19, 2005. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | Figure 1Figure 2NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera on the rover's 381st and 382nd martian days, or sols, (Feb. 18 and 19, 2005) to take the images combined into this 360-degree panorama. Opportunity had driven 64 meters (209 feet) on sol 381 to arrive at this location close to a small crater dubbed "Alvin." The location is catalogued as Opportunity's Site 43. This view is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometric seam correction.Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the very edge of the south polar residual cap of Mars. The bright areas, which appear somewhat like pieces of sliced Swiss cheese, are composed mainly of frozen carbon dioxide. | 15 May 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the very edge of the south polar residual cap of Mars. The bright areas, which appear somewhat like pieces of sliced Swiss cheese, are composed mainly of frozen carbon dioxide. The scarps around the edges of the carbon dioxide mesas have been retreating at a rate of roughly 3 meters (~3 yards) per martian year; in this case, exposing a darker surface that lies below.Location near: 85.4°S, 88.6°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer | |
Layering is evident in this deposit on the floor of Ganges Chasma. This image is from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey. | Context imageLayering is evident in this deposit on the floor of Ganges Chasma.Orbit Number: 41747 Latitude: -7.30579 Longitude: 311.22 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-05-13 17:11Please 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 camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the sand dune field on 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 sand dune field on the floor of Rabe Crater.Orbit Number: 51157 Latitude: -43.6787 Longitude: 34.3985 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-06-26 05:33Please 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 where a landslide slid down the northern wall of Tithonium Chasma. Tithonium Chasma is part of Valles Marineris. | Context image for PIA10046Larger LandslideThis landslide slid down the northern wall of Tithonium Chasma. Tithonium Chasma is part of Valles Marineris.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -4.2N, Longitude 270.7E. 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 graphic shows Venus, Earth and its Moon, and Mars. | This graphic shows Venus, Earth and its Moon, and Mars. | |
This image was captured while NASA's Perseverance rover drove on Mars for the first time on March 4, 2021. One of Perseverance's Hazcams captured this image as the rover completed a short traverse and turn from its landing site in Jezero Crater. | This image was captured while NASA's Perseverance rover drove on Mars for the first time on March 4, 2021. One of Perseverance's Hazard Avoidance Cameras (Hazcams) captured this image as the rover completed a short traverse and turn from its landing site 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.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ | |
This odd-looking image captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows Juventae Chasma, located north of the main Valles Marineris canyon system. The floor of the canyon is covered by a sea of sand, but the hills rise above the sand. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis is an odd-looking image. It shows gullies during the winter while entirely in the shadow of the crater wall. Illumination comes only from the winter skylight.We acquire such images because gullies on Mars actively form in the winter when there is carbon dioxide frost on the ground, so we image them in the winter, even though not well illuminated, to look for signs of activity. The dark streaks might be signs of current activity, removing the frost, but further analysis is needed.NB: North is down in the cutout, and the terrain slopes towards the bottom of the image.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 62.3 centimeters (24.5 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 187 centimeters (73.6 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 Opportunity had driven 72.3 meters southward (237 feet) that sol. Engineers drove the rover backward as a strategy to counteract an increase in the amount of current drawn by the drive motor of the right-front wheel. This is a polar projection. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on the 1,912th Martian day, or sol, of its surface mission (June 10, 2009). Opportunity had driven 72.3 meters southward (237 feet) that sol. Engineers drove the rover backward as a strategy to counteract an increase in the amount of current drawn by the drive motor of the right-front wheel.North is at the top of the image; south at the bottom. Opportunity's position on Sol 1912 was about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) south-southwest of Victoria Crater. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches).This view is presented as a polar projection with geometric seam correction. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small, unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea containing material on the floor which has developed an unusual texture. This crater is on the northern rim of Flammarion Crater. | Context image for PIA10825TextureThis small, unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea contains material on the floor which has developed an unusual texture. This crater is on the northern rim of Flammarion Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 26.5N, Longitude 49.6E. 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. | |
Spirit's Tracks around 'Home Plate' | Annotated Version
Spirit's Recent Travels
"Home Plate" is viewed from orbit. North is at the top and the path followed by the rover Spirit is shown. This image was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on November 22, 2006.
Spirit parked at "Low Ridge" with an 11-degree northerly tilt to maximize sunlight on the solar panels during the southern winter season.
The original image is catalogued as PSP_001513_1655_red.
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. |
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