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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Terra Sirenum. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Terra Sirenum.The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the Martian surface using five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from using multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Orbit Number: 92415 Latitude: -38.6129 Longitude: 210.798 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-10-14 17:24Please 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 figure compares the most recent temperature profile derived from NASA's Pathfinder ASI accelerometer data during entry, with the Viking 1 entry profile. The nominal profile is given by the solid red line. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | This figure compares the most recent temperature profile derived from the Pathfinder ASI accelerometer data during entry, with the Viking 1 entry profile. The nominal profile is given by the solid red line and the thin red lines represent error estimates. Also shown is the temperature profile (Green) for which the saturated vapor pressure of CO2 is equal to the atmospheric pressure. At 80 km, the Pathfinder entry profile falls below the CO2 profile, and it is possible that CO2 ice clouds could form at this level. This profile also shows a temperature inversion at 10-12 km, which may mark the location of the water vapor ice clouds seen in the IMP camera sunrise images.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. | |
Significant wind erosion has sculpted these materials located south of Olympus Mons in this image taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Originally released on Oct. 11, 2013Context imageSignificant wind erosion has sculpted these materials located south of Olympus Mons.Orbit Number: 51824 Latitude: 8.18554 Longitude: 225.7 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-08-20 04:26Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a pit formed by collapse on the lower southeast flank of Olympus Mons on Mars. The terrain surrounding the pit, and the pit walls and floor, appear to be mantled by fine dust. | 19 April 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a pit formed by collapse on the lower southeast flank of Olympus Mons. The terrain surrounding the pit, and the pit walls and floor, appear to be mantled by fine dust. The image is located near 17.2°N, 138.7°W. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. | |
Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows multiple landslide features, which form lobed shaped deposits at the bottom of the canyon cliff face. | Context image Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located on the eastern side of Coprates Chasma, near Capri Chasma. The image shows multiple landslide features, which form lobed shaped deposits at the bottom of the canyon cliff face. Sand dunes are visible both on the landslide deposit and other parts of the canyon floor. 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: 16628 Latitude: -15.4094 Longitude: 304.726 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-09-13 10:38Please 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 NASA Mars Global Surveyor image shows a small portion of Evros Vallis, an ancient valley located south of the large impact basin, Schiaparelli. In this image, the walls and floor of the valley, as well as the adjacent upland, are all mantled by dust. | 13 May 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a small portion of Evros Vallis, an ancient valley located south of the large impact basin, Schiaparelli. In this image, the walls and floor of the valley, as well as the adjacent upland, are all mantled by dust. In addition to the dust mantle, large, windblown ripples occur in low-lying areas, particularly on the valley floor. The ripples, also, have been covered by dust.Location near: 12.7°S, 346.7°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Autumn | |
A small delta is located in this unnamed crater near Nili Fossae on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA11921Crater DeltaA small delta is located in this unnamed crater near Nili Fossae.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 18.2N, Longitude 77.5E. 21 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 right-eye mosaic was created from images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired May 8, 2004.The rover was on its way to the 'Columbia Hills,' which can be seen on the horizon. | This right eye of a stereo pair of views in a cylindrical-perspective projection was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 123 (May 8, 2004). Spirit is sitting at site 44. The rover is on the way to the "Columbia Hills," which can be seen on the horizon. To this point, Spirit has driven a total of 1,830 meters (1.14 miles). The hills are less than 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) away, and the rover might reach them by mid-June.See PIA05895 for 3-D view and PIA05896 for left eye view of this right eye cylindrical-perspective projection. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows windblown sand dunes in Chasma Boreale, a wide trough in the north polar region of Mars. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-495, 26 September 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows windblown sand dunes in Chasma Boreale, a wide trough in the north polar region of Mars. The dunes are shown here in their summertime configuration; that is, they are not covered with seasonal frost. The dunes are dark because the grains that make up these sandy landforms consist of dark minerals and/or fragments of dark-toned rock. The steepest slopes on these dunes, their slipfaces, point toward the top/upper left (northwest), indicating that winds blow the sand from the lower right (southeast). This picture is located near 84.7°N, 359.3°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. | |
The drill hole from Perseverance's first sample-collection attempt can be seen, along with the shadow of the rover, in this image taken by one of the rover's navigation cameras. | This image of the hole drilled by NASA's Perseverance rover during its first sample-collection attempt was imaged by one of the rover's navigation cameras. The photo was taken on August 6, 2021, in the "Crater Floor Fractured Rough" geologic unit in Mars' Jezero Crater. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020 | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Hydraotes Chaos. The chaos lies in a valley leading northeast out of Ganges Chasma at the east end of Valles Marineris. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of Hydraotes Chaos. Hydraotes Chaos measures about 300 kilometers (190 miles) wide by roughly 350 km (220 mi) north-south. The chaos lies in a valley leading northeast out of Ganges Chasma at the east end of Valles Marineris. Tiu Valles flows northward from Hydraotes Chaos to empty into Chryse Planitia. In planetary nomenclature, the descriptor term chaos means "distinctive area of broken terrain". The general morphology of chaos is steep-sided mesas in close proximity. With time and erosion the valleys widen and the mesas grow smaller. The initial breakup of the land can be due to tectonic forces, but on Mars it is thought that the release of melted, subsurface ice created the terrain. Large channels, like Tiu Valles, usually originate from regions of chaos.Orbit Number: 86003 Latitude: 2.07857 Longitude: 324.563 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-05-04 19:05Please 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. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rover's rear lander petal and, in the background, the Martian horizon. Spirit took the picture right after successfully landing on the surface of Mars in 2004. | This image taken by the hazard avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rover's rear lander petal and, in the background, the Martian horizon. Spirit took the picture right after successfully landing on the surface of Mars. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor acquired this image on June 10, 1998. Shown here is an eroded portion of the thick ejecta (material thrown out of an impact crater during its formation) from a very large impact basin, Huygens. | Despite the cloudy skies over much of the martian northern hemisphere in early June 1998, some pictures obtained by MOC have not been cloudy. However, to obtain cloud-free images, the MOC team sometimes has to select low-latitude regions where the image resolution will only be about 10-12 meters (33-39 feet) per pixel, rather than the 2- 4 meters (7-13 feet) per pixel available at higher latitudes.The above MOC image, #35704, was obtained on Mars Global Surveyor's 357th orbit. The picture was taken around 1:39 p.m. PDT on June 10, 1998, and its center is around 15.44°S, 309.48°W. This MOC image shows an eroded portion of the thick ejecta (material thrown out of an impact crater during its formation) from a very large impact basin, Huygens. The ejecta appears to have been eroded such that a previously buried crater has been exposed. Alternatively, the crater might have formed after Huygens, but then its eroded appearance would imply considerable erosion and removal of material.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. | |
The geological context for the landing site of NASA's Curiosity rover is visible in this image mosaic obtained by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | The geological context for the landing site of NASA's Curiosity rover is visible in this image mosaic obtained by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The area around the landing site has been divided into square areas of interest about .9-mile (1.5-kilometers) wide. The mission has divided the surface into those quadrangles, or quads, so that groups of team members can focus their analysis on a particular part of the surface. Mt. Sharp is to the bottom right, out of the picture.
Curiosity landed in the quad called Yellowknife (number 51), a city in northwestern Canada as well as group of rocks from the same region. The rocks were formed 2.7 billion years ago from both volcanoes and sediments laid down by water, and were deposited over 4-billion-year-old rocks, the oldest known on Earth.
The red line shows the region known as the landing ellipse.
HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. | |
The bright white dot in this image taken by the panoramic camera onboard NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is the Sun, used to help point the rover's high-gain antenna toward Earth. The inset shows the Sun magnified five times. | Click for larger view The bright white dot in this image taken by the panoramic camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is the Sun, used to help point the rover's high-gain antenna toward Earth. The inset shows the Sun magnified five times. | |
A screenshot from the software used by engineers to roll NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity off its lander and onto martian soil. | This image shows a screenshot from the software used by engineers to roll the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity off its lander and onto martian soil. Engineers received confirmation that Opportunity's six wheels had touched ground at 3:01 a.m. PST, January 31, 2004, on the seventh martian day, or sol, of the mission. The software simulates the rover's movements, helping to plot a safe course. The virtual 3-D world around the rover is built from images taken by Opportunity's stereo navigation cameras. Regions for which the rover has not yet acquired 3-D data are represented in beige. The rover is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in front of the lander, facing north. | |
This image shows NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's heat shield and bounce mark on the Mars surface. | This shows a color image from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera. It shows the Phoenix heat shield and bounce mark on the Mars surface.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of dissected terrain southeast of Parana Valles on Mars. | Portion of dissected terrain southeast of Parana Valles (MOC 7705). This heavily gullied landscape (25.9°S, 8.3°W) shows the highest "drainage density" yet seen in MOC images. This image is somewhat lower in resolution (downtrack scale = 21.4 m/pixel, crosstrack = 14.3 m/pixel) but in other parameters comparable to Figures 1 and 2 (incidence angle = 27.5°, emission angle = 14.5°).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 acquired on February 23, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows a small landslide in Iani Chaos. Landslides are common on Mars where there are steep slopes, including this area where there are numerous mounds and hills. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image shows a small landslide in Iani Chaos. Landslides are common on Mars where there are steep slopes, including this area where there are numerous mounds and hills. What is unusual about this landslide is that it carved a path downslope as it moved, similar to a snow plow pushing away snow as it moves forward. This image is part of a stereo pair so that scientists will examine the landslide in 3D to understand its formation mechanism.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 27.3 centimeters [10.7 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 82 centimeters [32.3 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.This is a stereo pair with ESP_058894_1800.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 Phoenix Mars Lander shows the martian surface beneath it. The light feature below the leg is informally called 'Holy Cow.' | This is an image of the Martian surface beneath NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. The image was taken by Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) on the eighth Martian day of the mission, or Sol 8 (June 2, 2008). The light feature in the middle of the image below the leg is informally called "Holy Cow." The dust, shown in the dark foreground, has been blown off of "Holy Cow" by Phoenix's thruster engines.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
The dunes and sand deposits in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located on the floor of Darwin Crater on Mars. | Context image for PIA03039Dunes in Darwin CraterThe dunes and sand deposits in this image are located on the floor of Darwin Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 57.4S, Longitude 340.2E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a large, light-toned, layered mound in Ganges Chasma, part of the vast Valles Marineris trough system on Mars featuring eroded layered rock outcrops. | 24 May 2004Mariner 9 images acquired in 1972 first revealed a large, light-toned, layered mound in Ganges Chasma, part of the vast Valles Marineris trough system. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a higher-resolution view of these rocks than was achieved by Mariner 9 or Viking, and higher than can be obtained by Mars Odyssey or Mars Express. The image, with a resolution of about 3.7 meters (12 feet) per pixel, shows eroded layered rock outcrops in Ganges Chasma. These rocks record a history of events that occurred either in Ganges Chasma, or in the rocks brought to the surface by the opening of Ganges Chasma. Either way, the story they might tell could be as fascinating and unprecedented as the story told by sedimentary rocks investigated this year in Meridiani Planum by the Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover ... no one knows. The image is located near 7.3°S, 48.8°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. The picture is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. | |
A global surface map from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a heavily cratered terrain in Mars' southern hemisphere as well as that of the Valles Marineris canyon walls and the Olympus Mons aureole deposits. | The median of slopes in 35-km windows indicate the typical roughness on 300-meter baselines. The rougher nature of the heavily cratered terrain in the Southern Hemisphere is apparent, as well as that of Valles Marineris (12S, 289E) canyon walls and the Olympus Mons (18N, 227E) aureole deposits. The Northern Lowlands are smooth, especially Amazonis Planitia (16N, 202E), a region to the west of Olympus Mons, were typical median slopes on these baselines are often smaller than 0.1 degree. A shaded relief map of the topography is overlaid is monochrome. | |
The rock in the center of this image was tossed about 3 feet (1 meter) by NASA's InSight spacecraft as it touched down on Mars on November 26, 2018. | Uncropped imageClick on the image for larger versionThe rock in the center of this image was tossed about 3 feet (1 meter) by NASA's InSight spacecraft as it touched down on Mars on November 26, 2018. The rock was later nicknamed "Rolling Stones Rock" in honor of The Rolling Stones.A little larger than a golf ball, the rock is about 2.2 inches (5.5 centimeters) in diameter and 1 inch (2.4 centimeters) in height. A series of 10 or so divots marks the rock's course after being set in motion by the landing. It's the farthest NASA has seen a rock roll after landing a spacecraft on another planet. Though fitting, "Rolling Stones Rock" is not an official designation by the International Astronomical Union, which is responsible to approving the names given to geographical and geological features on other planets.This image, which has been cropped, was taken by the Instrument Deployment Camera (IDC) on InSight's robotic arm. The uncropped image is provided as well.JPL manages InSight for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the InSight spacecraft, including its cruise stage and lander, and supports spacecraft operations for the mission.A number of European partners, including France's Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), are supporting the InSight mission. CNES provided the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument to NASA, with the principal investigator at IPGP (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris). Significant contributions for SEIS came from IPGP; the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland; Imperial College London and Oxford University in the United Kingdom; and JPL. DLR provided the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument, with significant contributions from the Space Research Center (CBK) of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland. Spain's Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) supplied the temperature and wind sensors. | |
Cryptic Terrain on Mars | Figure 1There is an enigmatic region near the south pole of Mars known as the "cryptic" terrain. It stays cold in the spring, even as its albedo darkens and the sun rises in the sky.This region is covered by a layer of translucent seasonal carbon dioxide ice that warms and evaporates from below. As carbon dioxide gas escapes from below the slab of seasonal ice it scours dust from the surface. The gas vents to the surface, where the dust is carried downwind by the prevailing wind.The channels carved by the escaping gas are often radially organized and are known informally as "spiders" (figure 1).Observation GeometryImage PSP_003179_0945 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 01-Apr-2007. The complete image is centered at -85.4 degrees latitude, 104.0 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 245.9 km (153.7 miles). At this distance the image scale is 49.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~148 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel . The image was taken at a local Mars time of 06:19 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 78 degrees, thus the sun was about 12 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 210.8 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.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. | |
Scientist hypothesize that a lake of liquid water once filled Gale crater, and the layers in the mound formed as sediment settled down through the water to the bottom of the lake in this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | Scientists have been wondering about the origin of the central mound in Gale Crater since before Curiosity landed nearby. One hypothesis was that a lake of liquid water once filled the crater, and the layers in the mound formed as sediment settled down through the water to the bottom of the lake.Other hypotheses involved dust or volcanic ash that fell through the air to form layers. In either case, the layers could have later eroded away at the edges to form a central mound.HiRISE took many images with the goal of figuring out this mystery. Now, a paper by Edwin Kite of Caltech claims that the layers were formed by wind action, not liquid water.Kite and the coauthors used HiRISE stereo to make digital elevation models, then measured the dip angle of the layers at the edges of the mound. The layers are tilted outward, not flat and horizontal across the mound. Their model shows how wind alone could have formed layers at the same angles they see in the Gale mound, so there didn't have to be a lake in Gale Crater.Curiosity will be able to test this model. If wind alone formed this mound, Curiosity might not find much evidence for water-related processes there.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
The Eridania Basin is thought to have once contained a large sea. This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft shows the Gorgonum Basin, which lies along the eastern edge of Eridania. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe Eridania Basin is thought to have once contained a large sea. This image shows the Gorgonum Basin, which lies along the eastern edge of Eridania.Along this eastern boundary, the terrain is being eroded away to expose light-toned altered material, including clays. There are also linear ridges and inverted channels. The channels and ridges are now inverted because they are composed of material that is harder than their surroundings (e.g., cements) so as erosion removes the softer materials, the harder rocks within the channels and ridges remain.The ridges and channels are interpreted to have formed by water flow, either along the surface (channels) or in the subsurface (ridges), providing clues to the water history of Eridania.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 annotated image of Mars' Jezero Crater depicts the route NASA's Perseverance rover will take during its first science campaign, as well as its path to the location of its second science campaign. | This annotated image of Mars' Jezero Crater depicts the route NASA's Perseverance rover will take during its first science campaign – as well as its path to the location of its second science campaign. The image was provided by the High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance orbiter.Perseverance's first science campaign sends the rover south and west of the Octavia E. Butler Landing Site to investigate and sample several of the deepest, and potentially oldest, accessible geologic units in Jezero Crater – the "Séítah" unit (which in Navajo language means "amidst the sand"), and the "Cratered Floor Fractured Rough." At the completion of the science campaign, Perseverance will return to the "Octavia E. Butler" landing site on its way north, then head west toward the location where its second science campaign will begin.The first science campaign (depicted with yellow hash marks) begins with the rover performing an arching drive southward from its landing site to Séítah-North (Séítah-N). At that point the rover will travel west a short distance to an overlook where it can view much of the Séítah unit. The "Séítah-N Overlook" could also become an area of scientific interest – with Perseverance performing a "toe dip" into the unit to collect remote-sensing measurements of geologic targets.Once its time at the Séítah-N Overlook is complete, Perseverance will head east, then south toward a spot where the science team can study the Crater Floor Fractured Rough in greater detail. The first core sample collected by the mission will also take place at this location.After Cratered Floor Fractured Rough, the Perseverance rover team will evaluate whether additional exploration (depicted with light-yellow hash marks) farther south – and then west – is warranted.Whether Perseverance travels beyond the Cratered Floor Fractured Rough during this first science campaign, the rover will eventually retrace its steps. As Perseverance passes the Octavia B. Butler landing site, the first science campaign will conclude. At that point, several months of travel lay ahead as Perseverance makes its way to "Three Forks," where the second science campaign will begin. From Three Forks, Perseverance can access geologic locations at the base of the ancient delta (the fan-shaped remains of the confluence of an ancient river and a lake), as well as ascend the delta by driving up a valley wall to the northwest.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This approximate true-color image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rock dubbed 'Mazatzal' before the rover drilled into it with its rock abrasion tool. | This approximate true-color image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rock dubbed "Mazatzal" before the rover drilled into it with its rock abrasion tool. On sol 82, Spirit ground into a circular patch of the rock called "New York," then repeated this operation on sol 85 to complete the hole. Several observations were made during this grinding process with the rover's suite of scientific instruments. Preliminary results suggest that fluid may have been present during Mazatzal's formation. Images from the panoramic camera's blue, green and red filters (480, 530 and 600-nanometer filters) were combined to make this picture. | |
This anaglyph view of 'Ender,' due south of the lander, was produced by NASA's Mars Pathfinder's Imager camera. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail. | These anaglyph views of "Ender," due south of the lander, were produced by combining left and right views from the IMP (left image) and two right eye frames taken from different viewing angles from the rover (right image). For the 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). Then, for both the lander and rover, 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. | |
This image from NASA's Curiosity rover shows a sample of powdered rock extracted by the rover's drill from the 'Confidence Hills' target -- the first rock drilled after Curiosity reached the base of Mount Sharp in September 2014. | This image from NASA's Curiosity rover shows a sample of powdered rock extracted by the rover's drill from the "Confidence Hills" target -- the first rock drilled after Curiosity reached the base of Mount Sharp in September 2014. The image was taken after the sample was transferred from the drill to the rover's scoop. In subsequent steps, the sample was sieved, and portions of it delivered to the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument (see PIA19038). The scoop is 1.8 inches (4.5 centimeters) wide.The image was obtained by Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) instrument on Sept. 28, 2014, or Sol 762, Curiosity's 762nd Martian day of operations. The image has been white-balanced to show what the sample would look like under daytime lighting conditions on Earth.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates the rover's Mastcam.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
The 'holey' texture of the image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft of the North Polar cap is called 'swiss-cheese,' while the linear texture at the bottom of the frame is called 'thumbprint terrain.' | Context image for PIA01949Polar TextureThe "holey" texture of the image of the North Polar cap is called "swiss-cheese," while the linear texture at the bottom of the frame is called "thumbprint terrain."Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -85.8N, Longitude 310.5E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took this image of a crater cluster on Mars, the first ever to be discovered AI. | Figure 1, Annotated ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took this image of a crater cluster on Mars, the first ever to be discovered artificial intelligence (AI). The AI first spotted the craters in images taken the orbiter's Context Camera; scientists followed up with this HiRISE image to confirm the craters. The Context Camera's view of the craters can be found in PIA24091.These craters created by several pieces of a single meteor. The largest of the craters is about 13 feet (4 meters) wide. In total, the craters span about 100 feet (30 meters) of the Red Planet's surface. The craters were found in a region called Noctis Fossae, located at latitude -3.213, longitude 259.415.The AI used to discover these craters was developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. JPL, a division of Caltech, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space, Denver, built the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, provided and operates the Context Camera. University of Arizona provided and operates HiRISE. | |
NASA's Perseverance rover puts its robotic arm to work around a rocky outcrop called Skinner Ridge in Mars' Jezero Crater. | Figure ANASA's Perseverance rover puts its robotic arm to work around a rocky outcrop called "Skinner Ridge" in Mars' Jezero Crater. Composed of multiple images, this mosaic shows layered sedimentary rocks in the face of a cliff in the delta, as well as one of the locations where the rover abraded a circular patch to analyze a rock's composition.The delta is an area where, billions of years ago, a river once flowed into a lake in Jezero Crater and deposited rocks and sediments in a fan shape. Scientists consider the delta one of the best places on Mars to search for potential signs of ancient microbial life. The verification of ancient life on the Red Planet carries an enormous burden of proof.Figure A is an annotated version of the image that indicates the layered sedimentary rock unit known as "Rockytop" at the top of this mosaic. It also shows the abrasion patch Perseverance created at Skinner Ridge at the bottom center. For scale, the bright abrasion patch is about 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter.The multiple images that compose this mosaic were acquired by Perseverance's Mastcam-Z instrument between June 30 and July 8, 2022 (PDT), the 484th and 492nd Martian days, or sols, of the rover's mission. The color bands of the image have been processed to improve visual contrast and accentuate color differences. In the days after this mosaic was taken, Perseverance also extracted two classroom chalk-size pieces of rock (cylinders about 0.5 inches, or 13 millimeters, in diameter and 2.4 inches, or 60 millimeters, long) from Skinner Ridge and sealed them in ultra-clean sample tubes.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 the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover. Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Neils Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/For more about the Mars Sample Return campaign: mars.nasa.gov/msr | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Bahram Vallis. Bharam Vallis drains from the higher elevations of Lunae Planum into the Chryse Planitia basin. | Context imageBahram Vallis crosses this VIS image. Bharam Vallis drains from the higher elevations of Lunae Planum into the Chryse Planitia basin. Bahram Vallis is 270km (167 miles) long, with an almost uniform width along most of the channel.Orbit Number: 86116 Latitude: 20.5906 Longitude: 302.116 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-05-14 02:29Please 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 360-degree view of the terrain surrounding NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity was taken on the rover's 171st sol on Mars (July 17, 2004). It was assembled from images taken by the rover's navigation camera. | This 360-degree view of the terrain surrounding NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity was taken on the rover's 171st sol on Mars (July 17, 2004). It was assembled from images taken by the rover's navigation camera at a position referred to as "site 33." Opportunity had driven 11 meters (36 feet) into "Endurance Crater." The view is a vertical projection with geometrical seam correction. | |
This annotated image, taken in 2014, shows where features seen in an observation by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have been interpreted as hardware from the Dec. 25, 2003, arrival at Mars of the United Kingdom's Beagle 2 Lander. | This annotated image shows where features seen in a 2014 observation by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have been interpreted as hardware from the Dec. 25, 2003, arrival at Mars of the United Kingdom's Beagle 2 Lander.Beagle 2 was released by the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter but never heard from after its expected landing. Images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have been interpreted as showing the Beagle 2 did make a soft landing and at least partially deployed its solar panels. The 0.1-kilometer scale bar indicates a dimension of 328 feet. The location is approximately 11.5 degrees north latitude, 90.4 degrees east latitude.The image is an excerpt from HiRISE observation ESP_037145_1915, taken June 29, 2014. Other image products from this observation are available at ESP_037145_1915. 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. | |
The dunes in this image taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located on the floor of Herschel Crater. | Context imageThe dunes in this VIS image are located on the floor of Herschel Crater.Orbit Number: 36038 Latitude: -15.0061 Longitude: 128.099 Instrument: VISPlease 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 anaglyph view of 'Half Dome' was produced by NASA's Mars Pathfinder's Imager camera. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail. | This view of the "Half Dome" was produced by combining the "Super Panorama" frames from the IMP camera. Super resolution was applied to help to address questions about the texture of this rock and what it might tell us about its mode of origin.The composite color frames that make up this anaglyph were produced for both the right and left eye of the IMP. These composites consist of 7 frames in the right eye and 8 frames in the left eye, taken with different color filters that were enlarged by 500% and then co-added using Adobe Photoshop to produce, in effect, a super-resolution panchromatic frame that is sharper than an individual frame would be. These panchromatic frames were then colorized with the red, green, and blue filtered images from the same sequence. The color balance was adjusted to approximate the true color of Mars.The anaglyph view was produced by combining the left with the right eye color composite frames by assigning the left eye composite view to the red color plane and the right eye composite 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).The left eye and right eye panoramas from which this anaglyph was created is available atPIA02405 andPIA02406.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a complex of hills and surrounding lava flows located northeast of Olympus Mons. | Context image for PIA10266Hills and FlowsThis complex of hills and surrounding lava flows is located northeast of Olympus Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 22.0N, Longitude 232.1E. 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. | |
The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in many ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the large ridge on the floor of Newton 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 images shows part of the large ridge on the floor of Newton Crater in Terra Sirenum.Orbit Number: 59416 Latitude: -41.0768 Longitude: 200.911 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-05-07 00:38Please 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 animation shows NASA's Perseverance Mars rover collecting a rock sample from an outcrop the science team calls Berea using a coring bit on the end of its robotic arm. The images were taken by one of the rover's front hazard cameras. | Click here for animationThis animation shows NASA's Perseverance Mars rover collecting a rock sample from an outcrop the science team calls "Berea" using a coring bit on the end of its robotic arm. The sample was collected on March 30, 2023, the 749th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The images were taken by one of the rover's front hazard cameras.A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ | |
This is a forward-looking view of the Meridiani Planum plains that lie between NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity and its primary drive target, 'Endurance Crater.' | This is a forward-looking view of the Meridiani Planum plains that lie between the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity and its primary drive target, "Endurance Crater." The images in this image mosaic were taken by the rover's panoramic camera on sol 88. | |
Curiosity used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this image of its 36th successful drill hole on Mount Sharp, at a rock called Canaima. The pulverized rock sample was acquired on Oct. 3, 2022. | Figure ANASA's Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this image of its 36th successful drill hole on Mount Sharp, at a rock called "Canaima." The pulverized sample of this rock was drilled on Oct. 3, 2022, the 3,612th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.Figure A shows the same image with an inset of the drill hole, as viewed by the Mars Hand Lens Imager camera (MAHLI) on the end of Curiosity's robotic arm, on Oct. 16, 2022, the 3,624th sol of the mission.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.jpl.nasa.gov/msl or https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html. | |
The 'Shaler' outcrop is dramatically layered, as seen in this mosaic of telephoto images from the right Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. | Raw ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe "Shaler" outcrop is dramatically layered, as seen in this mosaic of telephoto images from the right Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. In some portions of the outcrop, patterns in the layering provide evidence of stream flow. The images combined into this mosaic were taken between 12:34 and 1:00 p.m. local Mars solar time during the 120th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's surface operations (Dec. 7, 2012). The mosaic has been white-balanced to show what the rocks would look like if they were on Earth. A raw-color version is also available, showing what the rocks look like on Mars to the camera.An excerpt from this mosaic, PIA16707, provides an indication of scale. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Sirenum Fossae. The linear features are tectonic graben. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a portion of Sirenum Fossae. The linear features are tectonic graben. 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. Numerous sets of graben are visible in this THEMIS image, trending from north-northeast to south-southwest. Because the faults defining the graben are formed perpendicular to the direction of the applied stress, we know that extensional forces were pulling the crust apart in the west-northwest/east-southeast direction. The Sirenum Fossae graben are 2735km (1700 miles) long and stretch from eastern Terra Sirenum into western Daedalia Planum.Orbit Number: 90574 Latitude: -27.0842 Longitude: 217.82 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-05-16 03:55Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The channels in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft were created by the flow of lava rather than water. These lava channels are near the northeast flank of Olympus Mons. | Context imageThe channels in this VIS image were created by the flow of lava rather than water. These lava channels are near the northeast flank of Olympus Mons.Orbit Number: 47079 Latitude: 23.5864 Longitude: 230.98 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-07-25 16:39Please 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. | |
Fretted Terrain Valley in Coloe Fossae Region | Figure 1Click on image for larger versionThe image in figure 1 shows lineated valley fill in one of a series of enclosed, intersecting troughs known as Coloe (Choloe) Fossae. Lineated valley fill consists of rows of material in valley centers that are parallel to the valley walls. It is probably made of ice-rich material and boulders that are left behind when the ice-rich material sublimates. Very distinct rows can be seen near the south (bottom) wall of the valley. Lineated valley fill is thought to result from mass wasting (downslope movement) of ice-rich material from valley walls towards their centers. It is commonly found in valleys near the crustal dichotomy that separates the two hemispheres of Mars. The valley shown here joins four other valleys with lineated fill near the top left corner of this image. Their juncture is a topographic low, suggesting that the lineated valley fill from the different valleys may be flowing or creeping towards the low area (movement towards the upper left of the image). The valley walls appear smooth at first glance but are seen to be speckled with small craters several meters in diameter at HiRISE resolution (see contrast-enhanced subimage). This indicates that at least some of the wall material has been stable to mass wasting for some period of time. Also seen on the valley wall are elongated features shaped like teardrops. These are most likely slightly older craters that have been degraded due to potentially recent downhill creep. It is unknown whether the valley walls are shedding material today. The subimage is approximately 140 x 400 m (450 x 1280 ft). Image PSP_001372_2160 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 11, 2006. The complete image is centered at 35.5 degrees latitude, 56.8 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 290.3 km (181.4 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 58.1 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) to 116.2 cm/pixel (with 4 x 4 binning). This image has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:23 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 48 degrees, thus the sun was about 42 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 133.8 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 close-up image shows the first target NASA's Curiosity rover aims to zap with its Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument. The instrument will analyze that spark with a telescope and identify the chemical elements in the target. | Annotated ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis close-up image shows the first target NASA's Curiosity rover aims to zap with its Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument. ChemCam will be firing a laser at this rock, provisionally named N165, and analyzing the glowing, ionized gas, called plasma, that the laser excites. The instrument will analyze that spark with a telescope and identify the chemical elements in the target.The rock is just off to the right of the rover. This image is part of a set of images obtained by Curiosity's Mast Camera on Aug. 8 PDT (Aug. 9 EDT). See PIA16051 for the larger mosaic.
Mars Science Laboratory is a project of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The mission is managed by JPL. Curiosity was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
This image shows a closer view of the landing site of NASA's Curiosity rover and a destination nearby known as Glenelg. Curiosity landed inside Gale Crater on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT) at the blue dot. | This image shows a closer view of the landing site of NASA's Curiosity rover and a destination nearby known as Glenelg. Curiosity landed inside Gale Crater on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT) at the blue dot. It is planning on driving to an area marked with a red dot that is nicknamed Glenelg. That area marks the intersection of three kinds of terrain. Starting clockwise from the top of this image, scientists are interested in this brighter terrain because it may represent a kind of bedrock suitable for eventual drilling by Curiosity. The next terrain shows the marks of many small craters and intrigues scientists because it might represent an older or harder surface. The third, which is the kind of terrain Curiosity landed in, is interesting because scientists can try to determine if the same kind of rock texture at Goulburn, an area where blasts from the descent stage rocket engines scoured away some of the surface, also occurs at Glenelg.The science team thought the name Glenelg was appropriate because, if Curiosity traveled there, it would visit the area twice -- both coming and going -- and the word Glenelg is a palindrome. After Glenelg, the rover will aim to drive to the base of Mount Sharp.These annotations have been made on top of an image acquired by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | |
This closeup shows the size of the computer chip that holds about 35,000 laser-engraved signatures of visitors to the Mars Exploration Rovers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. | April 15, 2003
Prelaunch at Kennedy Space CenterThis closeup shows the size of the computer chip that holds about 35,000 laser-engraved signatures of visitors to the Mars Exploration Rovers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It will be placed on the second rover to be launched to Mars; the first rover already has one. The signatures include those of senators, artists, and John Glenn. The identical Mars rovers are scheduled to launch June 5 and June 25 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. | |
This image from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows details of rock texture and color in an area where the rover's Dust Removal Tool (DRT) brushed away dust that was on the rock. | Annotated VersionClick on the image for larger versionThis image from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows details of rock texture and color in an area where the rover's Dust Removal Tool (DRT) brushed away dust that was on the rock. This rock target, "Wernecke," was brushed on the 169th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's mission on Mars (Jan. 26, 2013). This image was recorded on Sol 173 (Jan. 30, 2013).The image shows nine small pits created by the rover's Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) laser during its analysis of the target, one of four potential drill targets considered. Ultimately, this site was not chosen for the rover's first drilling. The rest of the features are natural to the rock, and include fractures, white veins, gray and white nodules, pits and tiny dark grains. Remaining clumps and specks of dust can also be seen. The scale bar at lower left is 0.12 inches (3 millimeters).Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, developed, built and operates MAHLI. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and the mission's Curiosity rover for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows 'etched terrain' near the south pole of Mars. In several places in this image there are large areas with many dark spots. | Released 17 June 2003This stunning THEMIS visible image was acquired in "etched terrain" near the south pole of Mars. In several places in this image there are large areas with many dark spots. These spots have been noticed to appear and disappear as the seasons progress on Mars. As the southern hemisphere of Mars gets warmer, carbon dioxide frost present in this terrain sublimates, leaving behind the dark spots.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -73.5, Longitude 351.3 East (8.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The numerous, closely spaced channels in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Arda Valles. | Context image The numerous, closely spaced channels in this VIS image are part of Arda Valles.Orbit Number: 66005 Latitude: -19.988 Longitude: 327.824 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-10-30 17:26Please 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. | |
Gully Grab Bag in Crater Wall in the Terra Sirenum Region | Click on image for larger versionThis HiRISE image (PSP_002291_1335) shows the complex, gullied western wall of a kilometer-deep impact crater in the Terra Sirenum region. This is an interesting crater because it appears to be mantled by the fluidized ejecta blanket of a slightly smaller crater just to the west. A diverse set of gullies originate at multiple elevations along the crater wall. Prominent gullies have incised through the overlying ejecta into the upper walls to reveal numerous resistant dark layers. The floors of these gullies display a host of interesting features, including braided middle reaches, cut banks, channel bars, and stream terracing. These are all features suggestive of water flow.Miniature gully systems, less than a kilometer long, start much further downslope than the larger gullies yet display the usual gully attributes, including theater-headed alcove source regions, incised middle reaches, and overlapping alluvial fans at their lower reaches. Detailed studies of these and other gully systems should help to elucidate the gully formation mechanisms.Observation GeometryAcquisition date: 1 January 2007Local Mars time: 3:41 PMDegrees latitude (centered): -46.2 °Degrees longitude (East): 184.5 °Range to target site: 272.0 km (170.0 miles) Original image scale range: 54.4 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~163 cm across are resolvedMap-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is upMap-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAREmission angle: 23.6 °Phase angle: 90.1 °Solar incidence angle: 70 °, with the Sun about 20 ° above the horizonSolar longitude: 170.7 °, Northern SummerNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the southern margin of Candor Chasma. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of the southern margin of Candor Chasma. While not as deep as the northern regions of eastern Candor Chasma, the southern region contains all the features seen at the lower elevations to the north. Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. It is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and is divided into two regions - eastern and western Candor. Candor is located south of Ophir Chasma and north of Melas Chasma. The border with Melas Chasma contains many large landslide deposits. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Candor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides).Orbit Number: 89860 Latitude: -8.00834 Longitude: 293.829 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-03-18 09:02Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a group of unnamed craters north of Fournier 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 a group of unnamed craters north of Fournier Crater.Orbit Number: 34505 Latitude: -1.5262 Longitude: 68.226 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-09-24 10:13Please 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. | |
Hilly Surroundings (Right Eye) | This is the right-eye view of a stereo pair showing the terrain surrounding NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on the rover's 189th sol on Mars (July 15, 2004). It was assembled from images taken by the rover's navigation camera at a position referred to as Site 72, which is at the base of the "West Spur" portion of the "Columbia Hills." The 360-degree view is presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection with geometrical seam correction. See PIA06711 for 3-D view and PIA06712 for left eye view of this right eye cylindrical-perspective projection. | |
This image is part of THEMIS art month, taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey featuring a portion of Mars' landscape looking like the face of an owl. | Welcome to the second annual THEMIS ART MONTH. From Jan. 31 through March 4 we will be showcasing images for their aesthetic value, rather than their science content. Portions of these images resemble things in our everyday lives, from animals to letters of the alphabet. We hope you enjoy our fanciful look at Mars!This nighttime IR image could be an owl, or perhaps a cartoon face?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. | |
Marikh Vallis is the name given to the channels seen in this image of Noachis Terra as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageMarikh Vallis is the name given to the channels seen in this VIS image of Noachis Terra.Orbit Number: 42107 Latitude: -20.9215 Longitude: 4.24352 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-06-12 08:39Please 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. | |
The channels in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Enipeus Vallis. | Context imageThe channels in this VIS image are part of Enipeus Vallis.Orbit Number: 47340 Latitude: 36.0802 Longitude: 267.124 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-08-16 04:05Please 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-539, 9 November 2003A suite of channels and valleys are carved into the plains southeast of the martian volcano, Olympus Mons. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example located near 16.5°N, 124.8°W. Whether the valley was cut by water is unknown. Today it is dry, has dust-covered wind ripples on the floor of the innermost channel, and small craters have formed here and there on the valley terrain. This picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the left. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the Nili Patera dune field. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows. | Context image This image shows part of the Nili Patera dune field. High resolution imaging by other spacecraft has revealed that the dunes in this region are moving. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows. The paterae are calderas on the volcanic complex called Syrtis Major Planum. Dunes are found in both Nili and Meroe Paterae and in the region between the two calderas.The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images!Orbit Number: 33668 Latitude: 8.71491 Longitude: 67.3706 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-07-17 14:09Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity taken on April 29, 2007 shows parallel tracks left by earlier drives nearer to the northern rim of Victoria crater. | NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers have been getting smarter as they get older. This view from Opportunity shows the tracks left by a drive executed with more onboard autonomy than has been used on any other drive by a Mars rover.Opportunity made the curving, 15.8-meter (52-foot) drive during its 1,160th Martian day, or sol (April 29, 2007). It was testing a navigational capability called "Field D-star," which enables the rover to plan optimal long-range drives around any obstacles in order to travel the most direct safe route to the drive's designated destination. Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, did not have this capability until the third year after their January 2004 landings on Mars. Earlier, they could recognize hazards when they approached them closely, then back away and try another angle, but could not always find a safe route away from hazards. Field D-Star and several other upgrades were part of new onboard software uploaded from Earth in 2006. The Sol 1,160 drive by Opportunity was a Martian field test of Field D-Star and also used several other features of autonomy, including visual odometry to track the rover's actual position after each segment of the drive, avoidance of designated keep-out zones, and combining information from two sets of stereo images to consider a wide swath of terrain in analyzing the route.Two days later, on Sol 1,162, (May 1, 2007), Opportunity was still at the location it reached during that drive, and the rover's panoramic camera (Pancam) took the exposures combined into this image.Victoria Crater is in the background, at the top of the image. The Sol 1,160 drive began at the place near the center of the image where tracks overlap each other. Tracks farther away were left by earlier drives nearer to the northern rim of the crater. For scale, the distance between the parallel tracks left by the rover's wheels is about 1 meter (39 inches) from the middle of one track to the middle of the other. The rocks in the center foreground are roughly 7 to 10 centimeters (3 to 4 inches) tall. The rover could actually drive over them easily, but for this test, settings in the onboard hazard-detection software were adjusted to make these smaller rocks be considered dangerous to the rover. The patch of larger rocks to the right was set as a keep-out zone. The location from which this image was taken is where the rover stopped driving to communicate with Earth. A straight line from the starting point to the destination would be 11 meters (36 feet). Opportunity plotted and followed a smoothly curved, efficient path around the rocks, always keeping the rover in safe areas. This view combines separate images taken through the Pancam filters centered on wavelengths of 753 nanometers, 535 nanometers and 432 nanometers. It is presented in a false-color stretch to bring out subtle color differences in the scene. | |
This image released on August 24, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows Acheron Catera, a line of craters found on the flanks of Alba Patera -- a very old volcano on Mars. | Released August 24, 2004The THEMIS Image of the Day will be exploring the nomenclature of Mars for the next three weeks.Acheron CateraCatera: chain of cratersAcheron: river of woe. Acheron is one of the nine rivers separating Hades from the land of the living. It is across Acheron that Charon ferries the dead. Cerberus guards this river. If a person is not buried correctly, or does not have the fare to pay Charon, his/her soul is doomed to wander the banks of Acheron forever.Acheron Catena is a line of craters found on the flanks of Alba Patera -- a very old volcano. The majority of the craters appear to have formed by collapse.Nomenclature Fact of the Day: Earth's Moon is the only body in the solar system (besides Earth) that uses the descriptor Oceanus.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 38.2, Longitude 256.2 East (103.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Spirit's View on Sol 182 (Vertical) | This 360-degree view of the terrain surrounding NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on the 148th martian day of the rover's mission inside Gusev Crater, on June 2, 2004, was assembled from images taken by Spirit's navigation camera. The rover's position is Site A61. The view is presented in a vertical projection with geometrical seam correction. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Tempe Fossae. The fossae are graben comprised of paired, parallel fractures with a down-dropped block of material between the fracture set. | Context imageToday's VIS image is shows a portion of Tempe Fossae. The fossae are graben comprised of paired, parallel fractures with a down-dropped block of material between the fracture set. This morphology is created by extensional tectonic stresses. 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. Numerous sets of graben are visible in this THEMIS image, trending from north-northeast to south-southwest. Because the faults defining the graben are formed perpendicular to the direction of the applied stress, we know that extensional forces were pulling the crust apart in the north-northwest/south-southeast direction.This fossae system is located in Tempe Terra, a complexly fractured region between Tharsis and Acidalia Planitia. The complete fossae system in almost 2000 km (1242 miles) long.Orbit Number: 93791 Latitude: 37.9726 Longitude: 279.906 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-02-05 01:33Please 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 annotated image of Mars' Jezero Crater depicts the ground track and waypoints of Ingenuity's planned tenth flight, scheduled to take place no earlier than Saturday, July 24. | This annotated image of Mars' Jezero Crater depicts the ground track and waypoints of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's planned tenth flight, scheduled to take place no earlier than Saturday, July 24. The image was generated using terrain imaged by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The goal of Flight 10 is to obtain 3D imagery of geologic features that are of interest to the agency's Perseverance rover science team. The pale-blue dots indicate mission waypoints. The first and last waypoints provide takeoff and landing locations. Waypoints 2 through 9 indicate where Ingenuity's color Return to Earth (RTE) camera will take pictures that could be made into stereo images. 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 in Washington.The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages the technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science, Aeronautics Research, and Space Technology mission directorates. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System. | |
A large pile of sand with dune features on its surface is located on the floor of Matara Crater as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageA large pile of sand with dune features on its surface is located on the floor of Matara Crater.Orbit Number: 43591 Latitude: -49.6011 Longitude: 34.7014 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-10-12 12:04Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image acquired on June 3, 2021 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows intersecting troughs, or fractures, cutting across geologically young volcanic terrain in the Tharsis volcanic province. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThese intersecting troughs, or fractures, cut across geologically young volcanic terrain in the Tharsis volcanic province. In many locations near where this image was taken, material has erupted from similar features.However, it does not appear that material erupted from these particular fractures. Instead, they appear to crosscut material that flowed across the surface, indicating that the fractures are younger than the flows. The widths of the troughs at their rims are about 200 to 250 meters across.This image is an example of how the surface can provide information about the processes happening in Mars' interior.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 27.6 centimeters [10.7 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 83 centimeters [32.7 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image released on Oct 14, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows Tyrrhena Patera and its surroundings. Tyrrhena Patera is one of several moderate sized volcanoes located in the Martian southern highlands. | This week we will be examining images of Tyrrhena Patera and its surroundings. Tyrrhena Patera is one of several moderate sized volcanoes located in the Martian southern highlands. While the volcanic edifice is only moderate in size (when compared to the larger Tharsis volcanoes), the surrounding volcanic materials cover an extensive area. Deep eroded channels on the slope of the volcano indicate that the volcano itself is likely composed of pyroclastic materials rather than flow materials.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -21.8, Longitude 106.4 East (253.6 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. | |
This false-color image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the floor of Candor Chasma in central Valles Marineris, taken during Mars' southern fall season. | The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the Martian surface using five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from using multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.This false color image shows part of the floor of Candor Chasma in central Valles Marineris. This image was collected during Southern Fall.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -5.2, Longitude 284 East (76 West). 35 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 small channels in this image of Utopia Planitia are south of Granicus Valles were captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey on July 23, 2010. | Context imageThe small channels in this image of Utopia Planitia are south of Granicus Valles.Orbit Number: 38171 Latitude: 25.1031 Longitude: 131.036 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-07-23 08:15Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows three craters. Investigating the relative ages of each crater indicates the largest crater formed first followed at some point by the smaller craters. | Context imageThis VIS image contains three craters. There is a quarter of the largest crater in the top half of the image, half of a smaller crater at the very top, and the full crater in the lower half of the image. Investigating the relative ages of each crater indicates the largest crater formed first followed at some point by the smaller craters -- the 1/2 crater at the top occurs on top of the big crater as does the ejecta from the bottom crater. Because the visible ejecta does not reach the smaller crater at the top it is difficult to determine the relative ages of the two smaller craters. Both have similar floor morphology, but different rim morphology. The crater in the bottom of the image has a very complex rim, including both rim gullies (top side) and ridge and spur eroded features (bottom side). These difference may be related to the different materials of the largest crater. One crater impacted into the floor and the other into the ejecta blanket of the largest crater. Near surface morphology as well as deeper materials can modify the pressure wave created by impact. These craters are located in Terra Cimmeria.Orbit Number: 75334 Latitude: -38.7393 Longitude: 157.653 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-08 06:01Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on Dec 10, 2003 shows remarkable layered deposits covering older, cratered surfaces near Mars' south pole. The margin of these layered deposits appears to be eroding poleward. | Released 10 December 2003Remarkable layered deposits covering older, cratered surfaces near Mars' south pole dominate this mosaic of images taken by the camera on NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft between Nov. 8 and Nov. 26, 2003. The margin of these layered deposits appears to be eroding poleward, exposing a series of layers in the retreating cliff.The mosaic, stitched from eight visible-wavelength images from Odyssey's thermal emission imaging system, covers an area more than 325 kilometers (200 miles) long and 100 kilometers (62 miles) wide. The pictured area lies between 78 degrees and 82 degrees south latitude and between 90 degrees and 104 degrees east longitude.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -80, Longitude 97 East (263 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image of an area south of Olympus Mons shows a region where the wind has been an active agent in modifying the surface. Small linear dunes cover the surface in this image taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLA
This VIS image of an area south of Olympus Mons shows a region where the wind has been an active agent in modifying the surface. Small linear dunes cover the surface in this image.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 8.3N, Longitude 228.0E. 21 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Angustus Labyrinthus, a unique region near the south polar cap. | Context imageAngustus Labyrinthus is a unique region near the south polar cap. The squares formed by intersecting ridges earned the feature the informal name of the Inca City when it was discovered in Mariner 9 images in 1972. The linear ridges are believed to have formed by volcanic and tectonic forces, where magma filled fractures in the subsurface and then erosion revealed the magmatic material.Orbit Number: 84113 Latitude: -81.4396 Longitude: 296.074 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-11-30 03:44Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of of Eos Chasma. | 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 Eos Chasma.Orbit Number: 1937 Latitude: -11.3818 Longitude: 320.235 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-05-23 00:03Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the margin between the polar cap and the surrounding plains. There are dunes on the plains at the top of the image. | Context image This VIS image shows the margin between the polar cap and the surrounding plains. There are dunes on the plains at the top of the image. In the upper left corner it can be seen that the dunes have been blown onto an extension of the ice. The rest of the image is dominated by the ice of the polar cap. The polar cap is formed of layers and layers of ice and dust formed over millions of years. The dust allows the layering to be easily visible.Orbit Number: 71623 Latitude: 83.6309 Longitude: 116.67 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-02-05 14:49Please 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. | |
The view from NASA's Spirit is from a position known informally as 'Larry's Lookout' along the drive up 'Husband Hill'. The panorama took images on Feb.27-Mar.2, 2005. | Click on the image for 'Lookout Panorama' from Spirit (QTVR)Click on the image for 'Lookout Panorama' from Spirit animationThis is the Spirit panoramic camera's "Lookout" panorama, acquired on the rover's 410th to 413th martian days, or sols (Feb. 27 to Mar. 2, 2005). The view is from a position known informally as "Larry's Lookout" along the drive up "Husband Hill." The summit of Husband Hill is the far peak near the center of this panorama and is about 200 meters (656 feet) away from the rover and about 45 meters (148 feet) higher in elevation. The bright rocky outcrop near the center of the panorama is part of the "Cumberland Ridge," and beyond that and to the left is the "Tennessee Valley."The panorama spans 360 degrees and consists of images obtained in 108 individual pointings and five filters at each pointing. This mosaic is an approximately true-color rendering generated using the images acquired through panoramic camera's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer, and 480-nanometer filters. The lighting varied considerably during the four sols that it took to acquire this image (partly because of imaging at different times of sol, but also partly because of small sol-to-sol variations in the dustiness of the atmosphere), resulting in some obvious image seams or rock shadow variations within the mosaic. These seams have been smoothed out from the sky parts of the mosaic in order to simulate better the vista that a person would have if they were viewing it all at the same time on Mars. However, it is often not possible or practical to smooth out such seams for regions of rock, soil, rover tracks, or solar panels. Such is the nature of acquiring and assembling large Pancam panoramas from the rovers.Spirit's tracks leading back from the "West Spur" region can be seen on the right side of the panorama. The region just beyond the area where the tracks made their last zig-zag is the area known as "Paso Robles," where Spirit discovered rock and soil deposits with very high sulfur abundances. After acquiring this mosaic (which took several weeks to fully downlink and then several more weeks to process), Spirit drove around the Cumberland Ridge rocks seen here and is now driving up the flank of Husband Hill, heading toward the summit. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a dust devil in the Phlegra region of Mars. Dust devils are spinning, columnar vortices of air that move across a landscape, picking up dust as they go. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-464, 26 August 2003Dust devils are spinning, columnar vortices of air that move across a landscape, picking up dust as they go. They are common occurrences during summer on Mars. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image, acquired during northern summer, shows a dust devil in the Phlegra region of Mars near 32.0°N, 182.1°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left; the dust devil is casting a columnar shadow toward the upper right. Some dust devils on Mars make streaks as they disrupt the fine coating of dust on the surface--but others do not make streaks. This one did not make a streak. The view shown here is 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. | |
NASA's Curiosity captured this 360-degree view of a challenging Martian slope that had a steep incline, slippery sand, and wheel-size boulders. This mosaic is composed of 145 images taken by the rover's Mastcam June 27, 2023. | Maximum resolution PNG, 29163 x 8374 pixels (364 MB)NASA's Curiosity captured this view of a slope with a steep incline, slippery sand, and wheel-size boulders – factors that together made it the most difficult climb of the rover's mission.This 360-degree mosaic is made up of 145 images that were stitched together after being sent back to Earth from Mars. The mosaic was captured by Curiosity's Mastcam on June 27, 2023, the 3,871st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The color has been adjusted to match lighting conditions as the human eye would see them on Earth.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 image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a region of Mars' northern hemisphere called Ismenia Fossae. Most of the landforms are the degraded remains of impact crater rim and ejecta from an unnamed crater (75 km diameter) just north of this scene. | (Released 2 July 2002)This THEMIS image is in a region of Mars' northern hemisphere called Ismenia Fossae. Most of the landforms in this image are the degraded remains of impact crater rim and ejecta from an unnamed crater (75 km diameter) just north of this scene (refer to the context image). The terminus of this ejecta blanket can be seen in the lower third of the image. The hills and other topographic highs of this landscape appear to be mantled. This mantling layer has itself been modified to produce a pitted, knobby surface in places. The presence of water ice in the mantling material is a likely possibility. Also visible in this image are some small degraded craters located primarily in the upper half of this scene. | |
This image captured by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) on July 21, 1999, shows polar regions on Mars during the spring and summer seasons, do indeed resemble aerial photographs of sand dune fields on Earth. | "They look like bushes!" That's what almost everyone says when they see the dark features found in pictures taken of sand dunes in the polar regions as they are beginning to defrost after a long, cold winter. It is hard to escape the fact that, at first glance, these images acquired by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) over both polar regions during the spring and summer seasons, do indeed resemble aerial photographs of sand dune fields on Earth -- complete with vegetation growing on and around them! Of course, this is not what the features are, as we describe below and in related picture captions. Still, don't they look like vegetation to you? Shown here are two views of the same MGS MOC image. On the left is the full scene, on the right is an expanded view of a portion of the scene on the left. The bright, smooth surfaces that are dotted with occasional, nearly triangular dark spots are sand dunes covered by winter frost.The MGS MOC has been used over the past several months (April-August 1999) to monitor dark spots as they form and evolve on polar dune surfaces. The dark spots typically appear first along the lower margins of a dune -- similar to the position of bushes and tufts of grass that occur in and among some sand dunes on Earth.Because the martian air pressure is very low -- 100 times lower than at Sea Level on Earth -- ice on Mars does not melt and become liquid when it warms up. Instead, ice sublimes -- that is, it changes directly from solid to gas, just as "dry ice" does on Earth. As polar dunes emerge from the months-long winter night, and first become exposed to sunlight, the bright winter frost and snow begins to sublime. This process is not uniform everywhere on a dune, but begins in small spots and then over several months it spreads until the entire dune is spotted like a leopard.The early stages of the defrosting process -- as in the picture shown here -- give the impression that something is "growing" on the dunes. The sand underneath the frost is dark, just like basalt beach sand in Hawaii. Once it is exposed to sunlight, the dark sand probably absorbs sunlight and helps speed the defrosting of each sand dune.This picture was taken by MGS MOC on July 21, 1999. The dunes are located in the south polar region and are expected to be completely defrosted by November or December 1999. North is approximately up, and sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. The 500 meter scale bar equals 547 yards; the 300 meter scale is also 328 yards.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 shows part of eastern Hesperia Planum on Mars as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA08588Martian Color #4This image shows part of eastern Hesperia Planum.This color treatment is the result of a collaboration between THEMIS team members at Cornell University and space artist Don Davis, who is an expert on true-color renderings of planetary and astronomical objects. Davis began with calibrated and co-registered THEMIS VIS multi-band radiance files produced by the Cornell group. Using as a guide true-color imaging from spacecraft and his own personal experience at Mt. Wilson and other observatories, he performed a manual color balance to display the spectral capabilities of the THEMIS imager within the context of other Mars observations. He also did some manual smoothing along with other image processing to minimize the effects of residual scattered light in the images.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -17.5N, Longitude 117.7E. 70 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. | |
A spectrum from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity reveals the different iron-containing minerals that makeup the martian rock dubbed Adirondack. | This spectrum - the first taken of a rock on another planet - reveals the different iron-containing minerals that makeup the martian rock dubbed Adirondack. It shows that Adirondack is a type of volcanic rock known as basalt. Specifically, the rock is what is called olivine basalt because in addition to magnetite and pyroxene, two key ingredients of basalt, it contains a mineral called olivine. This data was acquired by Spirit's Moessbauer spectrometer before the rover developed communication problems with Earth on the 18th martian day, or sol, of its mission. | |
Many dark slope streaks are visible in this image of an unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAMany dark slope streaks are visible in this VIS image of an unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 3.9N, Longitude 43.0E. 21 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 the Elysium/Mare Cimmerium face of Mars in mid-August 2006. | 22 August 2006This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 93° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 93° occurred in mid-August 2006. The picture shows the Elysium/Mare Cimmerium face of Mars. Over the course of the month, additional faces of Mars as it appears at this time of year are being posted for MOC Picture of the Day. Ls, solar longitude, is a measure of the time of year on Mars. Mars travels 360° around the Sun in 1 Mars year. The year begins at Ls 0°, the start of northern spring and southern autumn.Location near: 86.1°N, 208.5°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Summer/Southern Winter | |
This image shows paret of the west end of Melas Chasma on Mars. Landslide deposits are visible at the top of the image, with dark dunes appearing at the bottom as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA03281Canyon VarietyThis image shows paret of the west end of Melas Chasma. Landslide deposits are visible at the top of the image, with dark dunes appearing at the bottom.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -8.2N, Longitude 281.0E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image shows a 3-D model of the rock dubbed 'Humphrey' at Gusev Crater, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's landing site. Spirit examined the lumpy rock both before and after it drilled a hole into the rock surface. | This image shows a three-dimensional model of the rock dubbed "Humphrey" at Gusev Crater, Mars, the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's landing site. Spirit examined the lumpy rock with its suite of scientific instruments both before and after it drilled a hole into the rock surface on the 60th martian day, or sol, of its mission. "Humphrey" was one of several stops on the rover's way to the large crater dubbed "Bonneville." This model is displayed using software developed by NASA's Ames Research Center. Images from the rover's panoramic camera were used to make the model. | |
The Curiosity engineering team created this cylindrical projection view from images taken by NASA's Curiosity rover rear hazard avoidance cameras underneath the rover deck on Sol 0. Pictured here are the 'pigeon-toed' wheels in their stowed position from | The Curiosity engineering team created this view from images taken by NASA's Curiosity rover rear hazard avoidance cameras underneath the rover deck on Sol 0. This type of image is known as a cylindrical projection. The simplest way to imagine a cylinder projection is to think of an image that has been wrapped around a cylinder and then flattened out.When the Hazcam image is projected in this way, it creates the impression that the viewer is sitting underneath the rover and slightly behind the cameras. Pictured here are the wheels, which appear sort of "pigeon-toed" and in their stowed position from when the rover was tucked inside the spacecraft (aeroshell) on its way to Mars. Before driving for the first time, Curiosity will stretch her legs (wheels) and straighten them to their forward position.Scientists create a cylindrical projection by remapping each pixel from the original image onto a cylinder. From the rover's reference frame, each pixel is assigned an elevation (an angle measured from the horizon) and an azimuth (a compass angle expressed in degrees, which represents direction, such as north = 0º, east=90º, south=180º, and west = 270º). Pixels in the same row of this image are at the same elevation, and pixels in the same column of this image are at the same azimuth.
JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology
in Pasadena.
For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
This image taken by NASA;s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rock called 'Pilbara' located in the small crater dubbed 'Fram.' The rock appears to be dotted with the same 'blueberries,' or spherules, found at 'Eagle Crater.' | This approximate true-color image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity show the hole drilled into the rock called "Pilbara," which is located in the small crater dubbed "Fram." Spirit drilled into this rock with its rock abrasion tool. The rock appears to be dotted with the same "blueberries," or spherules, found at "Eagle Crater." After analyzing the hole with the rover's scientific instruments, scientists concluded that Pilbara has a similar chemical make-up, and thus watery past, to rocks studied at Eagle Crater. This image was taken with the panoramic camera's 480-, 530- and 600-nanometer filters. | |
This image acquired on October 30, 2021 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows depressions, found near the northern edge of the ancient highlands, that have fractures indicating collapse toward their centers. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionWhile we have learned so much about Mars after over 50 years of exploration with spacecraft, there are some features that continue to be mysteries.These depressions, found near the northern edge of the ancient highlands, have fractures that indicate collapse toward their centers. This pattern can be found on glaciers that sit atop volcanoes after a small eruption has melted some of the ice.It is plausible that there is substantial ice buried underground at this location on Mars but there is no obvious process to remove some of the ice to form these depressions.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 30.3 centimeters [11.9 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 91 centimeters [35.8 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.This is a stereo pair with ESP_071607_2200.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This computer-generated visualization depicts a side view of the path Opportunity took when it landed at Meridiani Planum, Mars. | In this side view of the path the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took when it landed at Meridiani Planum, Mars, a computer-generated red line shows the path of the spacecraft's descent and bouncing along the surface. The line is superimposed on a mosaic of the three images taken during descent by the descent image motion estimation system camera, located on the bottom of the lander. Initially, the Opportunity lander was traveling east, but near the end of its descent, it began moving north. When the lander was released from the parachute, the spacecraft bounced to the north into the crater shown at the top of the image. North is indicated by the red-tipped white arrow in the coordinate axes and east, by the green-tipped white arrow. | |
On March 31,2005, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity drove toward a small crater called 'Viking.' This is a cylindrical view of the rover's surroundings. | On the 421st martian day, or sol, of its time on Mars (March 31,2005), NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity drove to within about 10 meters (33 feet) of a small crater called "Viking." After completing the day's 71-meter (233-foot) drive across flatland of the Meridiani Planum region, the rover used its navigation camera to take images combined into this view of its new surroundings, including the crater. That day was the last of Opportunity's second extended mission. On April 1, both Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, began third extensions approved by NASA for up to 18 more months of exploring Mars. This view is presented in a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction. | |
This image released on August 3, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows a decorrelation stretch in parts of Ius Chasma/Oudemans Crater. Pink/magenta colors usually represent basaltic dunes, cyan the presence of water ice clouds, while green can be dust. | Released August 3, 2004This image shows two representations of the same infra-red image covering parts of Ius Chasma and Oudemans Crater. On the left is a grayscale image showing surface temperature, and on the right is a false-color composite made from 3 individual THEMIS bands. The false-color image is colorized using a technique called decorrelation stretch (DCS), which emphasizes the spectral differences between the bands to highlight compositional variations.This image is dominated by atmospheric effects. The pink/magenta colors inside the canyon show areas with a large amount of atmospheric dust. In the bottom half of the image, the patchy blue/cyan colors indicate the presence of water ice clouds out on the plains. Water ice clouds and high amounts of dust do not generally occur at the same place and time on Mars because the dust absorbs sunlight and heats the atmosphere. The more dust that is present, the warmer the atmosphere becomes, sublimating the water ice into water vapor and dissipating any clouds.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -8.2, Longitude 267.9 East (92.1.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. | |
This set of images shows part of the deployment of the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) wind sensors on NASA's Perseverance Mars rover, taken by the rover's Navigation Cameras on Feb. 28, 2021. | Click here for animationThis set of images shows part of the deployment of the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) wind sensors on NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. MEDA is a set of weather sensors, with the wind sensor components on the rover's remote sensing mast. These images were taken by Perseverance's Navigation Cameras on Feb. 28, 2021. 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 enhanced-color image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows sand dunes trapped in an impact crater in Noachis Terra, Mars. | This enhanced-color image shows sand dunes trapped in an impact crater in Noachis Terra, Mars. Dunes and sand ripples of various shapes and sizes display the natural beauty created by physical processes. The area covered in the image is about six-tenths of a mile (1 kilometer) across.Sand dunes are among the most widespread wind-formed features on Mars. Their distribution and shapes are affected by changes in wind direction and wind strength. Patterns of dune erosion and deposition provide insight into the sedimentary history of the surrounding terrain.The image is one product from an observation by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera taken on Nov. 29, 2011, at 42 degrees south latitude, 42 degrees east longitude. Other image products from the same observation are at http://www.uahirise.org/ESP_025042_1375.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the northwestern flank of Pavonis Mons. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the northwestern flank of Pavonis Mons. Pavonis Mons is the central volcano of the three large Tharsis volcanoes. All three volcanoes form a line located along a tectonic bulge caused by extensional forces in the region. Pavonis Mons is the smallest of the three with a summit of only 14km (46,000 ft). The linear features in the image are concentric faults. Pavonis means peacock in Latin, making the name peacock mountain.Orbit Number: 88202 Latitude: 0.534605 Longitude: 245.963 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-11-01 20:33Please 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. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit analyzed a remarkable exposure of bright, loose material on Jan 19, 2006. Spirit discovered the material while driving toward 'Home Plate' along the floor of the basin south of 'Husband Hill' in Gusev Crater. | Figure 1False-Color CompositeNASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit spent the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend analyzing a remarkable exposure of bright, loose material. Spirit discovered the material while driving toward "Home Plate" along the floor of the basin south of "Husband Hill" in Gusev Crater. These images from Spirit's panoramic camera (Pancam) show some of the most colorful deposits yet photographed on the surface of Mars.Spirit uncovered several types of materials distinctive in their color, physical properties and chemistry as a result of accidentally digging a trench 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) wide during a turn at the end of a drive. The white material in this image is brighter than any seen previously by the rover. It has a powdery and cloddy texture and exhibits a high abundance of salts. The materials appear similar in some ways to bright soil deposits seen back at the "Paso Robles" site that Spirit encountered on the rover's Martian day, or sol, 431 (March 20, 2005) while climbing the northern flank of "Husband Hill."Spirit analyzed the bright, yellowish exposures in the lower left part of the frame using instruments on the rover's robotic arm. Scientists hypothesized and then confirmed that these materials have a salty chemistry dominated by iron-bearing sulfates. These salts may record the past presence of water, as they are most easily mobilized and concentrated in liquid solution. Spirit also examined the unusual, pitted rock about 10 centimeters (4 inches) wide in the lower center of the frame. Scientists continue to study the origin of these rocks and soils and the role that water has played in their formation.This view is an approximately true-color composite combining images taken with the Pancam's 600-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 480-nanometer filters on Jan. 12, 2006, the rover's 721st sol on Mars. The view in figure 1 is a false-color composite combining images taken with the Pancam's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 430-nanometer filters on the same day. |
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