short_caption
stringlengths 3
255
| caption
stringlengths 31
10.7k
| image_url
stringlengths 61
61
|
|---|---|---|
On Nov. 24, 2018, MarCO-B, one of NASA's Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats, took this picture of the Red Planet, which appears as small, grey dot in the lower left quadrant of the image. | Annotated ImageClick on the image for larger versionNASA's twin MarCO spacecraft are scheduled to make a flyby of Mars on Nov. 26. On Nov. 24, a wide-angle camera on MarCO-B took this picture of the Red Planet, which appears as a small, grey dot in the lower left quadrant of the image. On the right side of the image is the spacecraft's high-gain antenna. On the left side is the high-gain antenna feed, as well as part of the spacecraft's thermal blanket.MarCO-B was approximately 310,000 miles (500,000 km) away from Mars at the time. Mars is actually only about 3 pixels wide in this image, but because of blurring it appears larger.An annotated version of this image notes the location of Mars, the high-gain antenna, high-gain antenna feed and thermal blanket.Each about the size of a briefcase, the MarCO spacecraft are CubeSats, or small satellites built from standardized units that are 4 inches (10 cm) square. (Each MarCO satellite consists of six CubeSat units.) The MarCOs are the first CubeSats to reach deep space, and were the first CubeSats to photograph Mars.The MarCO and InSight projects are managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, by JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Dorsa Argentea. Dorsa Argentea is located near in the south pole and is comprised of a series of linear and sinuous ridges. | 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 Dorsa Argentea. Dorsa Argentea is located near in the south pole and is comprised of a series of linear and sinuous ridges. The ridges are most likely material deposited in subglacial channels, which become a positive relief feature when the ice is removed. On Earth, these features are called eskers.Orbit Number: 67545 Latitude: -77.3087 Longitude: 325.514 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-03-06 14:06Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of a shallow channel carved in the plains of the Zephyria region of Mars. This feature might be the result of the passing of either extremely fluid lava or, perhaps, mud. | 31 December 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of a shallow channel carved in the plains of the Zephyria region of Mars. This feature might be the result of the passing of either extremely fluid lava or, perhaps, mud.Location near: 5.1°N, 203.7°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Winter | |
This observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows samples of bedrock lithologies which give us a measure of the post-flood erosion and modification history for the floor of Kasei Valles. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionOn Earth, cataracts represent regions where a river's gradient increases enough to create so much turbulence, that air gets incorporated into the water body forming a bubbly current sometimes called "whitewater". This image covers a location that may have acted as a cataract in the Kasei valley region.This observation samples the bedrock lithologies and gives us a measure of the post-flood erosion and modification history for the floor of Kasei Valles. At high resolution, we can also look for boulders.While there is a HiRISE stereo pair adjacent to this location that captures much of this cataract, it also misses some of the head scarp that might be the most useful, scientifically.This caption is based on the original science rationale.This is a stereo pair with PSP_003948_2055.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. | |
In this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft showing a location about 1,000 km (620 miles) west of the massive Elysium volcanic complex, a system of branching troughs shows a continuum of features that provides clues to its origin. | About 1000 km west of the massive Elysium volcanic complex, a system of branching troughs shows a continuum of features that provides clues to their origin. Within the scene there are fully formed troughs, some approaching 2 km in depth, as well as shallow, discontinuous pits and troughs. The presence of the latter landforms suggests that a process of collapse is responsible for producing the deep and continuous final form of the troughs.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 21.1, Longitude 123.3 East (236.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. | |
Rover's Wheel Churns Up Bright Martian Soil (Vertical) | NASA_x0092_s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired this mosaic on the mission_x0092_s 1,202nd Martian day, or sol (May 21, 2007), while investigating the area east of the elevated plateau known as _x0093_Home Plate_x0094_ in the _x0093_Columbia Hills._x0094_ The mosaic shows an area of disturbed soil, nicknamed _x0093_Gertrude Weise_x0094_ by scientists, made by Spirit's stuck right front wheel.The trench exposed a patch of nearly pure silica, with the composition of opal. It could have come from either a hot-spring environment or an environment called a fumarole, in which acidic, volcanic steam rises through cracks. Either way, its formation involved water, and on Earth, both of these types of settings teem with microbial life.The image is presented here as a vertical projection, as if looking straight down, and in false color, which brings out subtle color differences. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this mosaic of the crater called 'Bonneville' to get a better vantage point. The rover is close enough to the edge to see the crater's interior, but high and far enough back to get a view of all of the walls. | The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this navigation camera mosaic of the crater called "Bonneville" after driving approximately 13 meters (42.7 feet) to get a better vantage point. Spirit's current position is close enough to the edge to see the interior of the crater, but high enough and far enough back to get a view of all of the walls. Because scientists and rover controllers are so pleased with this location, they will stay here for at least two more martian days, or sols, to take high resolution panoramic camera images of "Bonneville" in its entirety. Just above the far crater rim, on the left side, is the rover's heatshield, which is visible as a tiny reflective speck. | |
This image, acquired by the Robotic Arm Camera on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, shows a spring on the ground under the lander near a footpad. This spring was released from the lander when the biobarrier was opened to free the Robotic Arm. | This image, acquired by the Robotic Arm Camera on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, shows a spring on the ground under the lander near a footpad. This spring was released from the lander when the biobarrier was opened to free the Robotic Arm. This image was taken on the sixth Martian day of the mission (May 30, 2008). The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
This view from the NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows an example of cross-bedding that results from water passing over a loose bed of sediment. It was taken at a target called 'Whale Rock' within the 'Pahrump Hills' outcrop at the base of Mount Sharp. | Figure 1Click on the image for larger versionThis view from the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows an example of cross-bedding that results from water passing over a loose bed of sediment. The cross-bedding -- evident as layers at angles to each other -- reflects formation and passage of waves of sand, one on top of the other. These are known as ripples, or dunes. The direction of migration of these small ripples and dunes was toward the southeast. That direction is toward Mount Sharp and away from the area where Curiosity found evidence of delta deposits where a stream entered a lake. The directional flows recorded in the sediments are interpreted to have formed by currents moving down the deltas and into deeper lake water.The color has been approximately white-balanced to resemble how the scene would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. Figure 1 is a cropped version with a superimposed scale bar of 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) just beneath the cross-bedding. The Mastcam's right-eye camera captured the component frames of this mosaic image at a target called "Whale Rock" during the 796th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (Nov. 2, 2014). The location of Whale Rock within the "Pahrump Hills" outcrop at the base of Mount Sharp is indicated on an earlier Mastcam view at PIA19039. 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/. | |
This image shows the concentration of hematite measured NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. The abundance of hematite is shown in red, with increasing brightness indicating increasing hematite abundance. | This figure shows the concentration of hematite measured by the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument. The abundance of hematite is shown in red, with increasing brightness indicating increasing hematite abundance. The location and size of the individual TES observations on the surface are indicated by the individual squares. Black squares indicate observations with no detectable hematite. Data from 11 separate orbits acquired between Nov. 22, 1997 and April 25, 1998 are shown in this image. The TES data are superimposed on a Viking photomosaic for context. The image extends from 10 S to 10 N latitude and 350 W to 15 W longitude, covering an area 1500 km (940 miles) in longitude by 1200 km (750 miles) in latitude.The TES instrument was built by Santa Barbara Remote Sensing and is operated by Philip R. Christensen, of Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. The MGS mission is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the floor of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. | Context imageToday's image shows the floor of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra.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.Orbit Number: 63534 Latitude: -9.41914 Longitude: 1.30232 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-04-10 04:28Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the dune field on the floor of Rabe Crater on Mars. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis VIS image, collected simultaneously with yesterday's IR image, shows the western margin of the dune field in Rabe Crater. Note the change in topography from the bottom to the top of the frame (the top is the lowest part of the depression).Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -43.7N, Longitude 34.4E. 22 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows pedestal craters and wind streaks in South Medusae Fossae. | Mars is a desert planet in which wind has a considerable effect on the landscape. Bright and dark wind streaks in this image indicate past movement of fine sediment across the landscape from upper left toward lower right. Two impact craters that look like flowers or starfish are seen in the lower portion of the image. The ejecta deposits of these craters are raised above the surrounding terrain, and indicate that wind has deflated a layer of material (that is, blown it away, thus lowering the surface) that was present at the time that the craters formed. The craters were formed by impacts of meteorites into the earlier, higher surface, and the rocks and gravel thrown out when they formed protected some of this former layer from the wind's effects. This picture--showing part of the Medusae Fossae region near the martian equator--was taken in early April 1999 and covers an area only 1 kilometer (0.62 miles) wide. Illumination is from the lower right.Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. | |
Streamlined buttes and mesas are left as remnants of an erosive wind that has carried away sediments and even the rim of a small crater in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Released 22 April 2003Streamlined buttes and mesas are left as remnants of an erosive wind that has carried away sediments and even the rim of a small crater. Two wind directions are apparent in the buttes and mesas that cross each other at 90 degrees. Small dark dunes wind their way between the remnant towers, indicating that the work of the wind is an ongoing process.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 5.3, Longitude 350.1 East (9.9 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rover's rock abrasion tool, also known as 'rat' (circular device in center), located on its instrument deployment device, or 'arm.' | This image taken at Meridiani Planum, Mars by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rover's microscopic imager (circular device in center), located on its instrument deployment device, or "arm." The image was acquired on the ninth martian day or sol of the rover's mission. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a crater is in northern Arabia Terra taken in April 1998. Some craters in the middle latitudes of Mars exhibit strange, concentric- and radial-textured patterns on their floors. | Some craters in the middle latitudes of Mars exhibit strange, concentric- and radial-textured patterns on their floors--as seen here. The origin is presently unknown. This crater is in northern Arabia Terra, and the picture was taken in April 1998. | |
An altimeter chart shows data from the first flight of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which occurred on April 19, 2021. | This altimeter chart shows data from the first flight of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which occurred on April 19, 2021. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages this technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development.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/ and nasa.gov/perseverance | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of the floor and inner 'moat' of Hooke crater on Mars. The dunes are climbing up the inner wall of the 'moat.' | This image shows a portion of the floor and inner "moat" of Hooke crater. The dunes are climbing up the inner wall of the "moat."Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -44.7N, Longitude 315.6E. 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. | |
shows the 15-foot (4.5-meter) diameter heat shield when it was about 50 feet (16 meters) from the spacecraft. | This color thumbnail image was obtained by NASA's Curiosity rover during its descent to the surface of Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The image was obtained by the Mars Descent Imager instrument known as MARDI and shows the 15-foot (4.5-meter) diameter heat shield when it was about 50 feet (16 meters) from the spacecraft. It was obtained two and one-half minutes before touching down on the surface of Mars and about three seconds after heat shield separation. It is among the first color images Curiosity sent back from Mars. The resolution of all of the MARDI frames is reduced by a factor of eight in order for them to be promptly received on Earth during this early phase of the mission. Full resolution (1,600 by 1,200 pixel) images will be returned to Earth over the next several months as Curiosity begins its scientific exploration of Mars.
The original image from MARDI has been geometrically corrected to look flat.
Curiosity landed inside of a crater known as Gale Crater. | |
The landslide deposits in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located in Baetis Chaos. | Context imageThe landslide deposits in this VIS image are located in Baetis Chaos.Orbit Number: 47089 Latitude: -0.50499 Longitude: 299.295 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-07-26 12:32Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took this image when the rover was 427 feet from its heat shield on Dec. 19, 2004. The protective device shielded the rover from intense frictional heat as it entered the martian atmosphere. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took this image with its panoramic camera when the rover was about 130 meters (427 feet) from its heat shield, during the rover's 322nd sol (Dec. 19, 2004). The protective device shielded the rover from intense frictional heat as it entered the martian atmosphere. The heat shield was shed during the descent and landing sequence, just before the rover (within its folded lander) was lowered on a bridle. Scientists and engineers are interested in seeing what effects the descent had on the heat shield and are directing Opportunity to examine it. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey is dominated by a large crater on Mars. The crater no longer has any visible ejecta, and retains only it's rim, seen here as a varigated black/gray semi-circle surrounding a brighter floor. | This nighttime IR image is dominated by a large crater. The crater no longer has any visible ejecta, and retains only it's rim - seen here as a varigated black/gray semi-circle surrounding a brighter floor. The smaller craters in the image have bright rings representing their rocky rims. This crater is located just south of Syrtis Major.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude 2.8, Longitude 76.4 East (283.6 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 image from 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. The paterae are calderas on the volcanic complex called Syrtis Major Planum. | 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: 38822 Latitude: 8.88015 Longitude: 67.4268 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-09-14 22:51Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows one of Mars' South Polar residual cap where ice remains even after the peak of summer arrives. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis close-up image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter gives the impression of looking like bacterial cells and their internal structures which travel and split in the process of life. These features are fractal in nature: the same image is preserved through different scales, with the pattern repeating eternally.The reality is, we are looking at one of Mars' polar regions; the South Polar residual cap to be precise, and, as with many things in Martian planetary science, there is a precise reasoning behind the name. With the coming and going of the seasons, this is an area on Mars where ice remains even after the peak of summer arrives.The texture is very alien, bearing more of a resemblance to the universe of the very small, rather than the universe far, far away. But if this is a polar cap, then why does it not look like the polar caps on Earth? Indeed, there is no equivalent terrain observed here on Earth.The so-called "Swiss cheese terrain, referencing the numerous holes of the region, is a product of seasonal exchange between the surface and the Martian atmosphere. With a predominantly carbon dioxide content at 98 percent, the colder temperatures condense the gas out of the atmosphere to produce dry ice. The prevalence of water is more concentrated in the north, leaving the South polar region more carbon dioxide rich, and it's this difference in composition that generates the unusual texture of the Swiss cheese terrain.The Red Planet is one of the chief candidates in the search for life elsewhere in the Solar System; however, a quick glance at this image virtually gives the impression we have already found it.NB: The cutout image has been rotated so that north is approximately up.
The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 49.5 centimeters (21.5 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 148 centimeters (58.2 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.
The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a Southern hemisphere crater with gullies, dunes, periglacial modification, bright rock deposits, and dust devil tracks. | Figure 1Click on the image for larger versionThis observation shows a Southern hemisphere crater with gullies, dunes, periglacial modification, bright rock deposits, and dust devil tracks. Although these features are all common on Mars, there are not many places that have all of them together as viewed here.The gullies seen at the top of the image are likely caused by wet debris flows. They have deposits of multiple ages. The gully on the left has bright deposits that have been modified by periglacial processes overlain by slightly darker deposits that have not been modified. Periglacial processes, such as seasonal freezing and thawing, are responsible for the polygonal fractures seen near the gullies and around the image.The dark material in the center of the image is a dune field. There are several different sizes and orientations of dunes -- these different orientations indicate that the dominant winds in the area have changed throughout time.The dark streaks that criss-cross on the outskirts of the dune field are dust devil tracks. Dust devils are spinning cells of dust that travel across the Martian surface. As they move, they pick up and redeposit particles, as well as disturbing dust on the surface. They are responsible elsewhere on Mars for removing dust from the solar panels of the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which has helped to extend their missions way beyond the 90-day primary mission.The subimage (Figure 1), 750 meters across, shows dust devil tracks near the southwest edge of the dune field. The bright protruding rocks to the right of the image are either being exposed or being buried as the dunes migrate.Note that the black rectangular feature near the top right of the full image is a data gap resulting from data transmission problems; it is not a real feature.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.Originally released July 11, 2007 | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a field of dunes on the floor of an unnamed crater near Schiaparelli Crater in Noachis Terra. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a field of dunes on the floor of an unnamed crater near Schiaparelli Crater in Noachis Terra.Orbit Number: 79163 Latitude: -3.81259 Longitude: 12.247 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-10-19 14:21Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover completed a shallow 'mini drill' test April 29, 2014, in preparation for full-depth drilling at a rock target called 'Windjana.' The hole results from the test is 0.63 inch across and about 0.8 inch deep. | NASA's Curiosity Mars rover completed a shallow "mini drill" activity on April 29, 2014, as part of evaluating a rock target called "Windjana" for possible full-depth drilling to collect powdered sample material from the rock's interior. This image from Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) instrument shows the hole and tailings resulting from the mini drill test. The hole is 0.63 inch (1.6 centimeters) in diameter and about 0.8 inch (2 centimeters) deep. When collecting sample material, the rover's hammering drill bores as deep as 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters). This preparatory activity enables the rover team to evaluate interaction between the drill and this particular rock and to view the potential sample-collection target's interior and tailings. Both the mini drill activity and acquisition of this image occurred during the 615th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars (April 29, 2014). MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
Barnacle Bill,' the small rock at left, and 'Yogi,' the large rock at upper right, are shown as viewed by NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on July 7, 1997. | This view taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was taken on Sol 3. "Barnacle Bill," the small rock at left, and "Yogi," the large rock at upper right, have been examined by Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument and the rover's cameras. Barnacle Bill has the chemical composition of an andesitic volcanic rock, but may have been produced by sedimentation processes or meteorite impact. The lander's rear ramp which Sojourner used to descend to the Martian surface is at lower left, and a portion of deflated airbag is at lower right.Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator. | |
This image taken by the panoramic camera onboard NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit before it rolled off the lander shows the rocky surface of Mars. The lander's deflated airbags can be seen in the foreground. | This full-resolution image taken by the panoramic camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit before it rolled off the lander shows the rocky surface of Mars. Scientists are eager to begin examining the rocks because, unlike soil, these "little time capsules" hold memories of the ancient processes that formed them. The lander's deflated airbags can be seen in the foreground. Data from the camera's red, green and blue filters were combined to create this approximate true color picture. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a close-up of texture interpreted as cross-lamination evidence that sediments forming the rock were laid down in flowing water on Mars' Meridiani Planum. | Figure 1This view of the lower portion of the martian rock called "Last Chance" (see PIA05482) shows a close-up of texture interpreted as cross-lamination evidence that sediments forming the rock were laid down in flowing water. NASA's Opportunity took the original image during the rover's 38th sol in Mars' Meridiani Planum region (March 2, 2004).In the central part of the image, the dip of fine layers at angles to each other (cross laminae) suggests that the water that created the cross-lamination was flowing from left to right. Interpretive blacklines trace these cross-laminae. Interpretive blue lines indicate boundaries of possible sets of cross-laminae (Figure 1).Figure 2A three-dimensional visualization of this portion of the rock offers additional details of the cross-lamination (see PIA05626). The visualization and the image from the panoramic camera are compared to show a point of correlation (yellow arrow, Figure 2). | |
These arcuate ridges are appearing as wind erosion removes the less resistant surface materials. This terrain is located on the northern end of Gordii Dorsum on Mars. This image is from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey. | Context image for PIA08610Arcuate RidgesThese arcuate ridges are appearing as wind erosion removes the less resistant surface materials. This terrain is located on the northern end of Gordii Dorsum.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 11.7N, Longitude 212.1E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows partially exposed bedrock within the Koval'sky impact basin, which is on the outskirts of the extensive lava field of Daedalia Planum. Daedalia Planum is located southwest of Arsia Mons. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image shows partially exposed bedrock within the Koval'sky impact basin, which is on the outskirts of the extensive lava field of Daedalia Planum. Daedalia Planum is located southwest of Arsia Mons, which may be the source responsible for filling the crater with lava flows and ash deposits.On one side, bright bedrock with scattered dark blue spots are seen. The dark blue spots are boulders shedding from the outcrops. The color range of the bedrock provides some information on its composition. The blue color is indicative of the presence of iron-rich minerals that are generally not oxidized (i.e., rusted), unlike most of the ruddy Martian surface. Volcanic rocks are common on Mars. Possible candidate minerals for the bluish materials are often consistent with iron-rich minerals, such as pyroxene and olivine. The ridges may represent remnants of the original surface of the lava flows that filled the Koval'sky impact basin.NB: The region is named for M. A. Koval'sky, a Russian astronomer. The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 50.8 centimeters (20 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 152 centimeters (59.8 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-572, 12 December 2003Mie Crater, a large basin formed by asteroid or comet impact in Utopia Planitia, lies at the center of this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) red wide angle image. The crater is approximately 104 km (65 mi) across. To the east and southeast (toward the lower right) of Mie, in this 5 December 2003 view, are clouds of dust and water ice kicked up by local dust storm activity. It is mid-winter in the northern hemisphere of Mars, a time when passing storms are common on the northern plains of the red planet. Sunlight illuminates this image from the lower left; Mie Crater is located at 48.5°N, 220.3°W. Viking 2 landed west/southwest of Mie Crater, off the left edge of this image, in September 1976. | |
NASA's Sojourner rover's front right camera imaged Pop-tart, a small rock or indurated soil material which was pushed out of the surrounding drift material by Sojourner during a soil mechanics experiment. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | The Sojourner rover's front right camera imaged Pop-tart, a small rock or indurated soil material which was pushed out of the surrounding drift material by Sojourner's front left wheel during a soil mechanics experiment.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a vast region of sand dunes located on the margin of the north polar cap of Mars. This 'sea' of sand is call the polar erg. | Context image for PIA10863Polar ErgA vast region of sand dunes is located on the margin of the north polar cap of Mars. This 'sea' of sand is call the polar erg.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 80.5N, Longitude 183.5E. 20 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Hebrus Valles, located west of the Elysium Volcanic complex. | Context imageLocated west of the Elysium Volcanic complex, Hebrus Valles is a complex channel system that flowed to the north. The start of the channel is visible in this image. There are fluid created channels and tectonic formed depressions in this image, while in other portions of the valles, there are pits and collapse features which appear to have formed by material falling into subsurface voids. These are common features in regions of volcanic activity where lava tubes run below the surface. Both water and lava contributed to the formation of Hebrus Valles. Hebrus Valles is 325km (202 miles) long.Orbit Number: 94308 Latitude: 17.8126 Longitude: 128.079 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-03-19 15:06Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows Mars' two natural satellites, or moons, Phobos and Deimos. | MOC Wide Angle ViewMOC Narrow Angle Camera ViewMGS MOC Release No. MOC2-400, 23 June 2003Mars has two natural satellites, or moons, Phobos and Deimos. On 1 June 2003, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft was slewed eastward to capture these views of the inner moon, Phobos, shortly before it set over the afternoon limb. Phobos orbits Mars about 3 times a day at an average distance of 9,378 km (5,828 mi). About 0.006 times the size of Earth's Moon, Phobos is a potato-shaped object with dimensions approximately 27 by 22 by 18 kilometers (about 17 by 14 by 11 miles).The first picture shown here is a color composite of four MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle images; the second is the same as the first, but indicates the location of Phobos. The third view is a MOC narrow angle image, taken at the same time as the wide angle views, showing details on the surface of the tiny moon.Phobos is one of the darkest objects in the Solar System. Thus, four wide angle images were obtained to make the picture of Phobos over the martian limb: a pair of red and blue wide angle images was acquired for the limb, and a pair of separate images were required to see Phobos. The wide angle images illustrate the fact that Phobos is mostly colorless (dark gray); the faint orange/red hue in the wide angle picture is a combination of slight differences in the focal lengths of the blue and red cameras and the orange/red illumination provided by reflection of sunlight off Mars. To a person standing on Phobos, the red planet would fill most of the sky.The high resolution image (bottom) was taken at the same time as the wide angle views. MGS was about 9,670 kilometers (6,010 miles) from Phobos when the picture was taken. At this distance, the image resolution is about 36 meters (470 ft.) per pixel; the maximum dimension of Phobos as seen in this image (the diagonal from lower left to upper right) is just over 24 km (15 mi). This is the "trailing" hemisphere, the part of Phobos that faces opposite the direction that the moon orbits Mars. This is a part of Phobos that was not seen by MOC in 1998, when MGS made several close flybys of the tiny moon.The rows of grooves and aligned pits on Phobos are related to, and were probably caused by, a large meteor impact that occurred on the side of Phobos that is not seen here. That large crater, Stickney, was named for the maiden name of the wife of the astronomer that discovered Phobos and the other martian satellite, Deimos, in 1877, Asaph Hall.Examples, with descriptive captions, of the views of Phobos obtained by MOC in 1998 can be seen at:http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/All of the previous MOC images of Phobos are available in the MOC Gallery at:http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.htmlhttp://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html | |
This picture of a canyon on the Martian surface was obtained on January 8, 1998 by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor; it shows the canyon of Nanedi Vallis, one of the Martian valley systems cutting through cratered plains in the Xanthe Terra region of Mars. | This picture of a canyon on the Martian surface was obtained a few minutes after 10 PM PST, January 8, 1998 by the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), during the 87th orbit around Mars of the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. It shows the canyon of Nanedi Vallis, one of the Martian valley systems cutting through cratered plains in the Xanthe Terra region of Mars. The picture covers an area 9.8 km by 18.5 km (6.1 mi by 11.5 mi), and features as small as 12 m (39 ft) can be seen. The canyon is about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) wide. Rocky outcrops are found along the upper canyon walls; weathered debris is found on the lower canyon slopes and along the canyon floor. The origin of this canyon is enigmatic: some features, such as terraces within the canyon (as seen near the top of the frame) and the small 200 m (660 ft) wide channel (also seen near the top of the frame) suggest continual fluid flow and downcutting. Other features, such as the lack of a contributing pattern of smaller channels on the surface surrounding the canyon, box-headed tributaries, and the size and tightness of the apparent meanders (as seen, for example, in the Viking image 897A32, left), suggest formation by collapse. It is likely that both continual flow and collapse have been responsible for the canyon as it now appears. Further observations, especially in areas west of the present image, will be used to help separate the relative effects of these and other potential formation and modification processes.Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. | |
A polygonal pattern in the ground in an arctic region called Vastitas Borealis, near NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander, similar in appearance to icy ground in the arctic regions of Earth. | This image shows a small-scale polygonal pattern in the ground near NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. This pattern is similar in appearance to polygonal structures in icy ground in the arctic regions of Earth.Phoenix touched down on the Red Planet at 4:53 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53 p.m. Eastern Time), May 25, 2008, in an arctic region called Vastitas Borealis, at 68 degrees north latitude, 234 degrees east longitude.This image was acquired by the Surface Stereo Imager shortly after landing. On the Phoenix mission calendar, landing day is known as Sol 0, the first Martian day of the mission. 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 wavy cloud pattern formed in the lee of Korolev Crater on Mars. | 30 September 2004This red wide angle Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a wavy cloud pattern formed in the lee of Korolev Crater, located near 72.8°N, 195.7°W. Korolev Crater is about 85 km (53 mi) in diameter and named for Sergei P. Korolev, a pioneering Russian rocket designer and engineer who died in the mid-1960s. The image, acquired in late northern summer, is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor taken on July 30, 1998, shows a slope along the edge of the permanent north polar cap of Mars that has dozens of layers exposed in it. | On Earth, geologists use layers of rock to "read" the history of our planet. Where rocks were initially formed as layers of sediment, the historic record of Earth is deciphered by knowing that older layers are found beneath the younger layers. Scientists investigating changes in Earth's climate over the past few million years also use this principle to examine cores of ice from Greenland and Antarctica. Layered rock and layered polar deposits on Mars may also preserve a comparable record of that planet's geologic and environmental history.The martian north and south polar regions are covered by large areas of layered deposits. Since their discovery in the early 1970's, these polar layered deposits have been cited as the best evidence that the martian climate experiences cyclic changes over time. It was proposed that detailed investigation of the polar layers (e.g., by landers and/or human beings) would reveal a climate record of Mars in much the same way that ice cores from Antarctica are used to study past climates on Earth. On January 3, 1999, NASA's Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2 Penetrators will launch on a journey to study the upper layers of these deposits in the martian southern hemisphere.Meanwhile, investigation of the north polar layered deposits has advanced significantly this year with the acquisition of MGS data. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter acquired new topographic profiles over the north polar deposits in June and early July, 1998, and dozens of new high resolution images were taken by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) from mid-July to mid-September, 1998. When it was proposed to NASA in 1985, one of the original objectives of MOC was to determine whether the polar layered deposits--then thought to consist of 10 to 100 layers each between 10 and 100 meters (33 to 330 feet) thick--have more and thinner layers in them. The layers were proposed to have formed by slow accumulation of dust and ice--perhaps only 100 micrometers (0.004 inches) per year. A layer 10 meters (33 feet) thick would take 100,000 years to accumulate, roughly equal to the timescale of climate changes predicted by computer models.The image shown here (right image) was taken at 11:52 p.m. PDT on July 30, 1998, near the start of the 461st orbit of Mars Global Surveyor. The picture shows a slope along the edge of the permanent north polar cap of Mars that has dozens of layers exposed in it. The image shows many more layers than were visible to the Viking Orbiters in the 1970s (left images). The layers appear to have different thicknesses (some thinner than 10 meters (33 feet)) and different physical expressions. Some of the layers form steeper slopes than others, suggesting that they are more resistant to erosion. The more resistant layers might indicate that a cement (possibly ice) is present, making those layers stronger. All of the layers appear to have a rough texture that might be the result of erosion and/or redistribution of sediment and polar ice on the slope surface.The presence of many more layers than were seen by Viking is an important and encouraging clue that suggests that future investigation of polar layered deposits by landers and, perhaps some day, by human explorers, will eventually lead to a better understanding of the of the polar regions and the climate history recorded there. Our view of these deposits will be much improved--starting in late March 1999--when the Mapping Phase of the MGS mission begins, and MOC will be able to obtain images with resolutions of 1.5 meters (5 feet) per pixel.[The Viking Images (left)]: Regional and local context of MOC image 46103. The small figure in the upper right corner is a map of the north polar region, centered on the pole with 0° longitude located in the lower middle of the frame. A small black box within the polar map indicates the location of the Viking Orbiter 2 image used here for local context. The Viking image, 560b60, was taken in March 1978, toward the end of Northern Spring. The thin strip superposed on the Viking image is MOC image 46103, reduced in size to mark its placement relative to the Viking context image. The black box on the MOC image shows the location of the subframe highlighted here (right image). Illumination is from the left in the Viking image. The 10 kilometer scale bar also represents approximately 6.2 miles.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 stereo image pair of the rock 'Chimp' was taken by NASA's Sojourner rover's front cameras on Sol 72 (September 15). Fine-scale texture on Chimp and other rocks is clearly visible. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | This stereo image pair of the rock "Chimp" was taken by the Sojourner rover's front cameras on Sol 72 (September 15). Fine-scale texture on Chimp and other rocks is clearly visible. Wind tails, oriented from lower right to upper left, are seen next to small pebbles in the foreground. These were most likely produced by wind action.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. | |
Three images from the tool called AI4Mars show different kinds of Martian terrain as seen by NASA's Curiosity rover. | Three images from the public tool AI4Mars show different kinds of Martian terrain as seen by NASA's Curiosity rover. By drawing borders around terrain features and assigning one of four labels to them, you can help train an algorithm that will automatically identify favorable and hazardous terrain for Curiosity's rover planners. You can visit AI4Mars here.All three images were generated by Curiosity's black-and-white Navigation Cameras. In the lower right corner of the first image on the left, the circle and checkerboard on is the Sample Playground, where samples of soil or pulverized rock can be trickled to study their physical properties. In the center are Curiosity's robotic arm and turret, a collection of science tools on the end of the arm.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This wind-swept region of Amazonis Planitia, imaged here by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, has been so uniformly dissected into yardangs that only two craters provide any indication that other processes have ever been active on the surface. | This wind-swept region of Amazonis Planitia, northwest of the Olympus Mons Aureole deposit, has been so uniformly dissected into yardangs that only two craters provide any indication that other processes have ever been active on the surface.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. | |
These are more wispy blue clouds from Sol 39, Aug. 12, 1997, as seen by the Imager for NASA's Mars Pathfinder. The bright clouds near the bottom are about 30 degrees above the horizon. The clouds are thought to be made of small water ice particles. | These are more wispy blue clouds from Sol 39 as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder. The bright clouds near the bottom are about 30 degrees above the horizon. The clouds are believed to be at an altitude of 10 to 15 km, and are thought to be made of small water ice particles. The picture was taken about 35 minutes before sunrise.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This map show a portion of Endeavour Crater's western rim that includes the 'Marathon Valley' area investigated intensively by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity in 2015 and 2016. | This map show a portion of Endeavour Crater's western rim that includes the "Marathon Valley" area investigated intensively by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity in 2015 and 2016, and a fluid-carved gully that is a destination to the south for the mission.The width of the area covered in the map is about half a mile (about 800 meters). North is up. Opportunity entered the northern end of the mapped area in January 2015 and entered Marathon Valley in July 2015. A gold line on the map, which may not be visible without zooming into the image, shows the rover's route. Opportunity departed Marathon Valley in September 2016 by driving southward through "Lewis and Clark Gap" into "Bitterroot Valley." The gully near the south end of the map was incised into Endeavour's rim long ago by a fluid, possibly a water-lubricated debris flow or a flow with mostly water. Driving into this gully to learn more about that flow is one of the goals for a two-year mission extension taking Opportunity through September 2018.A map showing wider context of Opportunity's route from its January 2004 landing in Eagle Crater to Endeavour Crater and Marathon Valley is at PIA19154. The rover's traverse shown here has been mapped by Tim Parker of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, onto an image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Opportunity completed its three-month prime mission in April 2004 and has continued operations in bonus extended missions. It has found several types of evidence of ancient environments with abundant liquid water. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and operates Opportunity and manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colorado. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows an unnamed channel on Mars located on the eastern margin of Tempe Terra. | Context image for PIA11282Tempe TerraThe unnamed channel in this VIS image is located on the eastern margin of Tempe Terra.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 43.6N, Longitude 305.2E. 19 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image acquired on May 4, 2021 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows a layered rock formation within Jiji Crater that has eroded into buttes and stair-like layers. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image shows a layered rock formation within Jiji Crater that has eroded into buttes and stair-like layers.This formation extends west and east. Similar layered rocks are within several craters in Arabia Terra and Meridiani Planum, including Sera and Banes craters. The similarities suggest that the same process was forming deposits over a large geographic area long ago. Our image also indicates that much of the formation has eroded away relative to what has remained.Multiple HiRISE images within Jiji Crater allow scientists to evaluate how similar or different layers are over this area, which can help them understand geologic layers and their properties over greater distances.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 31.9 centimeters [12.6 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 96 centimeters [37.8 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.This is a stereo pair with ESP_065360_1900.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of the south polar residual cap where the effects of sublimation are apparent. Over extended periods of time, sublimation eats away at the smoother appearing material. | 16 February 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the south polar residual cap where the effects of sublimation are apparent. Over extended periods of time, sublimation "eats" away at the smoother appearing material (largely composed of frozen carbon dioxide), darkening the scarps and creating the irregularly shaped depressions that are present throughout much of the scene.Location near: 87.1°S, 69.3°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 27 March 2004This 1.5 meter per pixel (5 ft./pixel) Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows south polar layers exposed on the slopes of a mesa near 74.2°S, 244.6°W. These layers were once more extensive across the region, today only this and a few other remnants remain. The dark streaks were created by spring and summer dust devils that swept across the layered mesa with little regard to the changes in topography. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a windstreak located on the volcanic flows of western Daedalia Planum. | Context image for PIA11344WindstreakThis windstreak is located on the volcanic flows of western Daedalia Planum.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -6.5N, Longitude 222.2E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image, acquired on April 20, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows bright white flows coming from gullies in a crater wall. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image of a crater rim strikingly shows what appear to be bright white flows coming from gullies in the crater wall. However, HiRISE has been watching these gullies for some time (going all the way back to our first observation in 2012) and the flow features have been there for years. The new aspect is the bright white coloration, which is frost. This is the earliest in the springtime that this area has been observed, and just like some winter mornings here on Earth, the conditions on Mars can be just right for frost to form. The interesting thing is that the frost appears on the gully deposits and not as much on the surrounding rock, indicating the physical properties of the gully deposits are different.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 31.3 centimeters [12.3 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 94 centimeters [37.0 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. | |
The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the plains of Terra Sabaea. | Context image The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of the plains of Terra Sabaea.Orbit Number: 49034 Latitude: -25.4878 Longitude: 44.1368 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-01-02 12:26Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image shows a delta deposit where a tributary channel enters Ismenius Cavus in Mamers Valles as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a delta deposit where a tributary channel enters Ismenius Cavus in Mamers Valles.Orbit Number: 52206 Latitude: 33.891 Longitude: 17.5017 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-09-20 14:40Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
These maps are global false-color topographic views of Mars at different orientations from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. The maps are orthographic projections that contain over 200,000,000 points and about 5,000,000 altimetric crossovers. | These maps are global false-color topographic views of Mars at different orientations from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). The maps are orthographic projections that contain over 200,000,000 points and about 5,000,000 altimetric crossovers. The spatial resolution is about 15 kilometers at the equator and less at higher latitudes. The vertical accuracy is less than 5 meters. The right hand image view features the Hellas impact basin (in purple, with red annulus of high standing material). The left hand features the Tharsis topographic rise (in red and white). Note also the subtle textures associated with resurfacing of the northern hemisphere lowlands in the vicinity of the Utopia impact basin. These data were compiled by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Team led by David Smith at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows several lava flows in Lycus Sulci. Notice the streamlined features near the bottom of the image indicating the flow direction. | Released 28 April 2003Lots of lava flows in Lycus Sulci. Notice the streamlined features near the bottom of the images indicating the flow direction. This image is located near Olympus Mons, a gargantuan volcano that is roughly the size of the state of Arizona.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 26.2, Longitude 232.8 East (127.2 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-545, 15 November 2003Northern Sinus Meridiani is a region of vast exposures of layered, sedimentary rock. Buried within these layers are many filled impact craters. Erosion has re-exposed several formerly-buried craters in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image. Arrows 1 and 2 indicate craters that are still emerging from beneath layered material; arrow 3 indicates a crater that has been fully re-exposed. This image is located near 5.1°N, 2.7°W. The area shown is about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and illuminated from the left/upper left. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows layers exposed in the walls of a crater-like form in the south polar region of Mars. | 28 March 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows layers exposed in the walls of a crater-like form (only partially seen here) in the south polar region. These layers record some of the history of the martian south pole, although deciphering this record will require human or robotic explorers to get a closer view. The layered outcrop is located near 84.6°S, 359.6°W. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
These images from the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter were taken before and after an apparent impact scar appeared in the area in March 2012. Comparing the images confirms that fresh craters appeared during the interval. | These images from the Context Camera (CTX) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter were taken before (left) and after (right) an apparent impact scar appeared in the area in March 2012 and was detected in images from the orbiter's Mars Color Imager (MARCI). Comparing the Jan. 16, 2012, image on the left with the April 6, 2014, image on the right confirms that two adjacent fresh craters appeared during that interval. Each of these two images covers an area about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) across. The craters are within the inscribed rectangle of the "after" image. The larger of the two craters is 159 feet (48.5 meters) wide, making it the biggest fresh crater ever clearly confirmed with before-and-after images, on Mars or anywhere else. Follow-up observations with the same orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera (see https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18382.Many of the approximately 400 fresh impact craters on Mars that have been confirmed with before-and-after images were first seen as dark scars detected in CTX images and then confirmed to have craters within the scars when follow-up observations were made with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera. This impact is the only one, so far, big enough for the scar to be first detected in MARCI images (see https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18381), with follow-up confirmation of a crater by CTX. CTX is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The camera was built by and is operated by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
The eroded, layered deposit in this NASA Mars Odyssey image of Gale Crater is a mound of material rising 3 km (about 2 miles) above the crater floor. It has been sculpted by wind and possibly water to produce the dramatic landforms seen today. | The eroded, layered deposit in Gale Crater is a mound of material rising 3 km above the crater floor. It has been sculpted by wind and possibly water to produce the dramatic landforms seen today. The origin of the sedimentary material that composes the mound remains a contested issue: was it produced from sedimentation in an ancient crater lake or by airfall onto dry land?Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -5.1, Longitude 137.5 East (222.5 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. | |
This image shows a screenshot from the software used by engineers to drive NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The software simulates the rover's movements across the martian terrain, helping to plot a safe course for the rover. | This image shows a screenshot from the software used by engineers to drive the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The software simulates the rover's movements across the martian terrain, helping to plot a safe course for the rover. The virtual 3-D world around the rover is built from images taken by Spirit's stereo navigation cameras. Regions for which the rover has not yet acquired 3-D data are represented in beige. This image depicts the state of the rover before it backed up and turned 45 degrees on Sol 11 (01-13-04). | |
Gullies on Martian sand dunes, like these in Matara Crater, have been very active, with many flows in the last ten years. In this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter frost in and around two gullies are seen. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionGullies on Martian sand dunes, like these in Matara Crater, have been very active, with many flows in the last ten years. The flows typically occur when seasonal frost is present.In this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter we see frost in and around two gullies, which have both been active before. (View this observation to see what these gullies looked like in 2010.) There are no fresh flows so far this year, but HiRISE will keep watching.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 50.3 centimeters (19.8 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 151 centimeters (59.4 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows sections of two of the many channel forms found radial to the Elysium Mons volcanic complex. | Context imageToday's VIS image contains sections of two of the many channel forms found radial to the Elysium Mons volcanic complex. In this case the fossae are located to the west of Elysium Mons. Elysium Fossae are comprised of both linear and sinuous channels, usually interpreted to have both fluid and tectonic forces playing a part in the formation. The linear depression resembles a graben (formed by tectonic forces) and sinuous channel more closely resembles features caused by fluid flow – either lava or water created by melting subsurface ice due to volcanic heating. The Elysium Fossae system is 1044 km (649 miles) in length.Orbit Number: 94395 Latitude: 25.0308 Longitude: 137.23 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-03-26 19:03Please 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 from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Olympica Fossae, a complex channel located on the volcanic plains between Alba Mons and Olympus Mons. | Context imageOlympica Fossae is a complex channel located on the volcanic plains between Alba Mons and Olympus Mons. The sinuosity of the large channel in the middle of the image indicates that this is a channel created by liquid flow. In this case the location and other surface features point to lava rather than water as the liquid. Subtle dark slope streaks are visible both in the channel walls and in the small crater at the bottom of the image. These features are thought to form by downslope movement of material which either reveals the darker rock beneath the dust coating, or creates the darker surface by flow of a volatile just beneath the dust coating.Orbit Number: 81875 Latitude: 25.8728 Longitude: 248.783 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-05-29 21:51Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the crater floor at Meridiani Planum, Mars, after the rover dug a trench on Feb. 16, 2004. A small patch of soil is seen in the center of the trench wall with the rovers' tracks leading off in the distance. | This image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the crater floor at Meridiani Planum, Mars, after the rover dug a trench on sol 23 (February 16, 2004). Scientists used the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the rover's instrument deployment device, or "arm," to take a picture of the small patch of soil in the center of the trench wall. Here, that microscopic image has been overlaid to show where that patch of soil, which measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across, is located. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the summit caldera of Ceraunius Tholus, one of the smaller volcanoes of the Tharsis region. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the summit caldera of Ceraunius Tholus, one of the smaller volcanoes of the Tharsis region.Orbit Number: 38990 Latitude: 23.9003 Longitude: 262.72 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-09-28 18:47Please 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 actor Brad Pitt (right) shows off his 'boarding pass' for Mars with Jennifer Trosper (left), the Mars 2020 project systems engineer, at JPL on Sept. 6, 2019. | Figure 1Click on image for larger versionThe actor Brad Pitt (right) shows off his "boarding pass" for Mars with Jennifer Trosper (left), the Mars 2020 project systems engineer and a veteran of several NASA Mars missions, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, on Sept. 6, 2019. Members of the public can join the actor in sending their names to Mars aboard NASA's Mars 2020 rover at https://go.nasa.gov/mars2020pass. Names can be submitted until Sept. 30, 2019. Pitt visited JPL to learn about real space technology after filming his space-themed movie "Ad Astra." | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Proctor Crater and the large dune field on the crater floor. | 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 Proctor Crater and the large dune field on the crater floor. These dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected in the bottom of the crater. The topographic depression of the crater forms a sand trap that prevents the sand from escaping. Dune fields are common in the bottoms of craters on Mars and appear as dark splotches that lean up against the downwind walls of the craters. Dunes are useful for studying both the geology and meteorology of Mars. The sand forms by erosion of larger rocks, but it is unclear when and where this erosion took place on Mars or how such large volumes of sand could be formed. The dunes also indicate the local wind directions by their morphology. In this case, there are few clear slipfaces that would indicate the downwind direction. The crests of the dunes also typically run north-south in the image. This dune form indicates that there are probably two prevailing wind directions that run east and west (left to right and right to left). Proctor Crater is located in Noachis Terra and is 172km (107miles) in diameter.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: 93120 Latitude: -47.5698 Longitude: 30.2743 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-12-11 18:38Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey shows chaos on Cerberus Fossae on Mars. Chaos is typically interpreted to be a collapse terrain; it is the blocky landscape after the transport and removal of subsurface support. | This is some chaos terrain located on the floor of Cerberus Fossae. Chaos is typically interpreted to be a collapse terrain; it is the blocky landscape after the transport and removal of subsurface support.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 8.9, Longitude 162.9 East (197.1 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 3-D cylindrical-perspective mosaic was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured on on sol 100. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | This 3-D cylindrical-perspective mosaic was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 100 (April 14, 2004). It reveals Spirit's view after a century of sols on the martian surface. See PIA05772 for left eye view and PIA05773 for right eye view of this 3-D cylindrical-perspective mosaic. | |
This 3-D view from the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a vista across Endeavour Crater, with the rover's own shadow in the foreground. | Left-eye viewRight-eye viewClick on an individual image for full resolution figures imageThis stereo view from the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a vista across Endeavour Crater, with the rover's own shadow in the foreground. The view spans 216 compass degrees, from north at the left to south-southwest on the right. It appears three-dimensional when seen through blue-red glasses with the red lens on the left.Opportunity has been studying the western rim of Endeavour Crater since arriving there in August 2011. The crater spans 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter, by far the largest that Opportunity has visited since it landed on Mars in January 2004.The component images in this mosaic view were taken during the 3,020th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's work on Mars (July 22, 2012). Figure 1 and Figure 2 are the separate left-eye and right-eye mosaics that are combined into the stereo view. | |
View Northward from Spirit's Winter Roost (False Color) | One part of the research program that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is conducting while sitting at a favorable location for wintertime solar energy is the most detailed panorama yet taken on the surface of Mars. This view is a partial preliminary product from the continuing work on the full image, which will be called the "McMurdo Panorama." Spirit's panoramic camera (Pancam) began taking exposures for the McMurdo Panorama on the rover's 814th Martian day (April 18, 2006). The rover has accumulated more than 900 exposures for this panorama so far, through all of the Pancam mineralogy filters and using little or no image compression. Even with a tilt toward the winter sun, the amount of energy available daily is small, so the job will still take one to two more months to complete. This portion of the work in progress looks toward the north. "Husband Hill," which Spirit was climbing a year ago, is on the horizon near the center. "Home Plate" is a between that hill and the rover's current position. Wheel tracks imprinted when Spirit drove south from Home Plate can be seen crossing the middle distance of the image from the center to the right.This view is presented in false color to emphasize differences among rock and soil materials. It combines exposures taken through three of the panoramic camera's filters, centered on wavelengths of 750 nanometers, 530 nanometers and 430 nanometers. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a dramatic view of 'Endurance Crater' on Mars. | This navigation camera mosaic, created from images taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on sols 115 and 116 (May 21 and 22, 2004) provides a dramatic view of "Endurance Crater." The rover engineering team carefully plotted the safest path into the football field-sized crater, eventually easing the rover down the slopes around sol 130 (June 12, 2004). To the upper left of the crater sits the rover's protective heatshield, which sheltered Opportunity as it passed through the martian atmosphere. The 360-degree view is presented in a cylindrical projection, with geometric and radiometric seam correction. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a section of Cerberus Fossae. | Context imageThe top of today's VIS image shows a section of Cerberus Fossae. Located southeast of the Elysium Planitia volcanic complex, the linear graben near the top of the image were created by tectonic forces related to volcanic activity. The graben are sources of both channels and significant volcanic flows. Cerberus Fossae cuts across features such as hills, indicating the relative youth of the tectonic activity. Graben form where extensional tectonic forces allows blocks of material to subside between paired faults. In the central part of the image part of Athabasca Valles is visible. Arising from Cerberus Fossae, the formation mode of this channel is still being debated. While the channel features are similar to water flow, other features are similar to lava flows, and yet other features have an appearance of slabs of material that floated on an underlying fluid. It is thought that Athabasca Valles is the youngest outflow channel system on Mars. Athabasca Valles is just one of the complex channel formations in the Elysium Planitia region. The Cerberus Fossae tectonic features are 1235km (767 miles) long. Athabasca Valles is 270km (168 miles) long.Orbit Number: 94045 Latitude: 9.43635 Longitude: 156.501 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-02-25 23:19Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Long dunes are visible in this image of an unnamed crater in Sisyphi Planum as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageLong dunes are visible in this image of an unnamed crater in Sisyphi Planum.Orbit Number: 43168 Latitude: -59.7129 Longitude: 351.805 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-09-07 17:10Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the floor of Gusev Crater. | Context image Today's VIS image shows part of the floor of Gusev Crater. Numerous dark linear markings were created by dust devil action. Gusev Crater is the "home" of the MER Spirit rover.Orbit Number: 65212 Latitude: -14.4728 Longitude: 175.478 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-08-26 09:37Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
An image and 3D representation from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is seen after a sample informally called 'Sorceress' was delivered to its silicon substrate on July 2, 2008. | The image on the upper left is from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Optical Microscope after a sample informally called "Sorceress" was delivered to its silicon substrate on the 38th Martian day, or sol, of the mission (July 2, 2008).A 3D representation of the same sample is on the right, as seen by Phoenix's Atomic Force Microscope. This is 200 times greater magnification than the view from the Optical Microscope, and the most highly magnified image ever seen from another world.The image shows four round pits, only 5 microns in depth, that were micromachined into the silicon substrate, which is the background plane shown in red. This image has been processed to reflect the levelness of the substrate.A Martian particle —only one micrometer, or one millionth of a meter, across —is held in the upper left pit.The rounded particle —shown at the highest magnification ever seen from another world —is a particle of the dust that cloaks Mars. Such dust particles color the Martian sky pink, feed storms that regularly envelop the planet and produce Mars' distinctive red soil.The Optical Microscope and the Atomic Force Microscope are part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer instrument.The AFM was developed by a Swiss-led consortium, with Imperial College London producing the silicon substrate that holds sampled particles.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Tithonium Chasma. A lobate 'tongue' visible between the ridge and the top of the canyon is the deposit left by a landslide event. | Context image This VIS image shows part of Tithonium Chasma. The ridge visible at the top of the image is not the top of the canyon. The top of the canyon is off the image to the north. A lobate "tongue" visible between the ridge and the top of the canyon is the deposit left by a landslide event. This material is more resistant and forms the ridges extending down the canyon walls. Eroded materials cover much of the canyon floor. The initial formation of layered floor desposits was possibly created of air fall of dust, sand, and volcanic materials and water lain materials. The weathering of these deposits is probably by the wind. Loose sand and dust can be seen in other portions of this image.Tithonium Chasma is at the western end of Valles Marineris. Valles Marineris is over 4000 kilometers long, wider than the United States. Tithonium Chasma is almost 810 kilometers long (499 miles), 50 kilometers wide and over 6 kilometers deep. In comparison, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is about 175 kilometers long, 30 kilometers wide, and only 2 kilometers deep. The canyons of Valles Marineris were formed by extensive fracturing and pulling apart of the crust during the uplift of the vast Tharsis plateau. Landslides have enlarged the canyon walls and created deposits on the canyon floor. Weathering of the surface and influx of dust and sand have modified the canyon floor, both creating and modifying layered materials.The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 71,000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images!Orbit Number: 3212 Latitude: -4.46108 Longitude: 271.004 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-09-04 22:56Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image in reddish hues from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, shows the rover's destination toward the hills nicknamed the 'Columbia Hills,' on the right. The rover's heatshield can be seen on the left as a tiny bright dot in the distance. | Click on the image for Spirit's Destination (panorama) (QTVR)This panoramic image mosaic from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit panoramic camera, shows the rover's destination toward the hills nicknamed the "Columbia Hills," on the right. The rover's heatshield can be seen on the left as a tiny bright dot in the distance, just under the horizon. Dark drift material can be seen in the image center. The rover is currently positioned outside the view of this image, on the right. This image was taken on sols 68 and 69 of Spirit's mission (March 12 and 13, 2004) from the location the rover first reached on the western rim of the crater. The image is in approximate true color, based on a scaling of data from the red, green and blue (750 nanometers, 530 nanometers, and 480 nanometers) filters. | |
This three-dimensional perspective view of the Martian polar layered terrain was created by combining NASA's Viking images with NASA's Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter measurements of the height of the surface. | This three-dimensional perspective view of the Martian polar layered terrain was created by combining Viking images with Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter measurements of the height of the surface. A bright blue ellipse indicates the landing location of the landing site. The ellipse is 5 kilometers wide and 90 kilometers long. . The landing site is located at latitude 76 degrees South, longitude 195 degrees West.Launched Jan. 3, Mars Polar Lander will set down gently on the Red Planet Dec. 3 for the start of a three-month mission to help scientists study the planet's climate history. Polar Lander was launched toward a Colorado-sized area at about 75 degrees south latitude on Mars. Mission planners have been reviewing images and three-dimensional topographic measurements from NASA's orbiting Mars Global Surveyor mission to pick a safe and scientifically interesting spot to land.Piggybacking on the Polar Lander are two basketball-sized aeroshells containing the Deep Space 2 microprobes. Part of NASA's New Millennium program, which tests risky new technologies for future science missions, these two grapefruit-sized penetrators will smash into Mars at about 400 mph and search for signs of water ice about 3 feet below the surface.Mars Polar Lander and its companion mission, the Mars Climate Orbiter, make up the second wave of spacecraft in the long-term Mars Surveyor Program, which is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science. JPL's industrial partner in the development and operation of the Mars Global Surveyor, Polar Lander, and Climate Orbiter spacecraft is Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.For additional information about the Mars Surveyor 1998 Project, please visit our website at:http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/launch.htmlTo view additional MOC images, please visit the MSSS website at http://www.msss.com | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows sand dunes within Proctor Crater. These dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected in the bottom of the crater. | Context imageThis VIS image displays sand dunes within Proctor Crater. These dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected in the bottom of the crater. The topographic depression of the crater forms a sand trap that prevents the sand from escaping. Dune fields are common in the bottoms of craters on Mars and appear as dark splotches that often lean up against the downwind walls of the craters. Dunes are useful for studying both the geology and meteorology of Mars. The sand forms by erosion of larger rocks, but it is unclear when and where this erosion took place on Mars or how such large volumes of sand could be formed. The dunes also indicate the local wind directions by their morphology. In this case, there are few clear slipfaces that would indicate the downwind direction. The crests of the dunes also typically run north-south in the image. This dune form indicates that there are probably two prevailing wind directions that run east and west (left to right and right to left). Proctor Crater is located in Noachis Terra and is 168 km (104 miles) in diameter.Orbit Number: 91660 Latitude: -47.4832 Longitude: 30.5852 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-08-13 13:28Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows many new ice blocks compared to earlier images in 2006. One of the most actively changing areas on Mars are the steep edges of the North Polar layered deposits. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionOne of the most actively changing areas on Mars are the steep edges of the North Polar layered deposits. This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) acquired on March 25, 2018, shows many new ice blocks compared to an earlier image in December 2006. An animation shows one example, where a section of ice cliff collapsed. The older image (acquired in bin-2 mode) is not as sharp as the newer one. HiRISE has been re-imaging regions first photographed in 2006 through 2007, six Mars years ago. This long baseline allows us to see large, rare changes as well as many smaller changes.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 31.9 centimeters (12.6 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 96 centimeters (37.8 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
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 Melas 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 Melas Chasma.Orbit Number: 4622 Latitude: -12.797 Longitude: 288.629 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2002-12-30 00:28Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Cumulative driving by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity surpassed marathon distance on March 24, 2015, as the rover neared a destination called 'Marathon Valley,' which is middle ground of this stereo view from early March. | Cumulative driving by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity surpassed marathon distance on March 24, 2015, as the rover neared a destination called "Marathon Valley," which is middle ground of this stereo view from early March. The scene appears three-dimensional when viewed through blue-red glasses with the red lens on the left.Olympic marathon distance is 26.219 miles (42.195 kilometers).The left-eye and right-eye cameras of Opportunity's navigation camera collected the component images of this scene during the 3,948th and 3,949th Martian days, or sols, of the rover's work on Mars (March 3 and 4, 2015). The view is centered toward the east-southeast, from a location on Endeavour Crater's western rim overlooking Marathon Valley, with the floor of Endeavour beyond, and the eastern rim in the distance. In the foreground at center, Opportunity's robotic arm is positioned for examination of a blocky rock called "Sergeant Charles Floyd."JPL manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about Spirit and Opportunity, visit http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows Rabe Crater. In this view the rim of the pit is visible near the top of the image. | Context image Rabe Crater is 108 km (67 miles) across. Craters of similar size often have flat floors. Rabe Crater has some areas of flat floor, but also has a large complex pit occupying a substantial part of the floor. The interior fill of the crater is thought to be layered sediments created by wind and or water action. The pit is eroded into this material. The eroded materials appear to have stayed within the crater forming a large sand sheet with surface dune forms as well as individual dunes where the crater floor is visible. The dunes also appear to be moving from the upper floor level into the pit. In this VIS image the rim of the pit is visible near the top of the image.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: 17074 Latitude: -43.6954 Longitude: 34.66 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-10-20 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. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of an unnamed channel in northern Arabia Terra. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a portion of an unnamed channel in northern Arabia Terra. Numerous channels dissect this region of Arabia Terra where it borders the northern lowlands.Orbit Number: 81196 Latitude: 36.607 Longitude: 35.816 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-04-04 00:06Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity spent the seventh anniversary of its landing on Mars investigating a crater called 'Santa Maria,' which has a diameter about the length of a football field. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is spending the seventh anniversary of its landing on Mars investigating a crater called "Santa Maria," which has a diameter about the length of a football field. This stereo panorama combines views from the left eye and right eye of Opportunity's panoramic camera, to appear three-dimensional when seen through blue-red glasses. It looks eastward across Santa Maria crater. Portions of the rim of a much larger crater, Endurance, appear on the horizon. The panorama spans 225 compass degrees, from north-northwest on the left to south-southwest on the right. It has been assembled from multiple frames taken by the panoramic camera (Pancam) on Opportunity during the 2,453rd and 2,454th Martian days, or sols, of the rover's work on Mars (Dec. 18 and 19, 2010). Opportunity landed in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars on Jan. 24, 2004, Universal Time (Jan. 25, Pacific Time) for a mission originally planned to last for three months. Since that prime mission, the rover has continued to work in bonus-time extended missions. Both Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, have made important discoveries about wet environments on ancient Mars that may have been favorable for supporting microbial life.By mid-January 2011, Opportunity reached a location at the southeastern edge of Santa Maria crater. The rover team developed plans for Opportunity to spend a few weeks investigating rocks at that site during solar conjunction, a period when communications between Earth and Mars are curtailed because the sun is almost directly between the two planets.After completion of its work at Santa Maria, the rover will resume a long-term trek toward Endeavour. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Arsia Mons, the southernmost of the Tharsis volcanoes. | Context imageThe three large aligned Tharsis volcanoes are Arsia Mons, Pavonis Mons and Ascreaus Mons (from south to north). There are collapse features on all three volcanoes, on the southwestern and northeastern flanks. This alignment may indicate a large fracture/vent system was responsible for the eruptions that formed all three volcanoes. This VIS image shows part of the northwestern flank of Arsia Mons, west of the aligned fracture system. The scalloped depressions and lines of craters are most likely created by collapse of the roof of lava tubes. Lava tubes originate during eruption event, when the margins of a flow harden around a still flowing lava stream. When an eruption ends these can become hollow tubes within the flow. With time, the roof of the tube may collapse into the empty space below. The tubes are linear, so the collapse of the roof creates a linear depression. In this region, the complexity of the collapse and faulting has created a unique surface. This region has collapse depressions with floors at a variety of elevations and depression sizes from small to large.Arsia Mons is the southernmost of the Tharsis volcanoes. It is 270 miles (450km) in diameter, almost 12 miles (20km) high, and the summit caldera is 72 miles (120km) wide. For comparison, the largest volcano on Earth is Mauna Loa. From its base on the sea floor, Mauna Loa measures only 6.3 miles high and 75 miles in diameter. A large volcanic crater known as a caldera is located at the summit of all of the Tharsis volcanoes. These calderas are produced by massive volcanic explosions and collapse. The Arsia Mons summit caldera is larger than many volcanoes on Earth.Orbit Number: 93113 Latitude: -6.63675 Longitude: 238.403 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-12-11 04:35Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's shows two regions of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The region on the left, dubbed 'Charlie Flats,' was imaged because it contains an assortment of small grains, pebbles and spherules, as well as bo | Click on image for larger viewThis mosaic image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera shows two regions of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The region on the left, dubbed "Charlie Flats," was imaged because it contains an assortment of small grains, pebbles and spherules, as well as both dark and light soil deposits. The region on the right, nicknamed "El Capitan," is where Opportunity is parked and is doing work as of Sol 33 of its mission (February 26, 2004). | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small section of Cydonia Colles, a group of hills located in southeastern Acidalia Planitia. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows a small section of Cydonia Colles, a group of hills located in southeastern Acidalia Planitia.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: 88036 Latitude: 38.7031 Longitude: 349.62 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-10-19 04:44Please 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. | |
This image released on August 31, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows Lycus Sulci, a lowlying area of ridges and valleys found to the northwest of Olympus Mons on Mars. Sulci are subparallel furrow and ridges. | Released August 31, 2004The THEMIS Image of the Day will be exploring the nomenclature of Mars for the next three weeks.Lycus SulciSulci: subparallel furrows and ridgesLycus: King Lycus of Thebes. Uncle of Antiope, he honored his brother's deathbed wish to bring the girl home to Thebes. Lycus marched his army to Sicyon, slew Antiope's husband and brought her home to a life of hardship and cruelty.Lycus Sulci is a lowlying area of ridges and valleys found to the northwest of Olympus Mons. It is not yet understood how this feature formed or how it relates to the formation of Olympus Mons itself. The VIS image above shows the ridge forms that are typical of this region.Nomenclature Fact of the Day: With the Cassini Spacecraft now in orbit around Saturn, we will be getting new images of the Solar System's largest moon, Titan. The IAU has already decided on the types of names for different features on Titan.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 22.1, Longitude 212.8 East (147.2 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image shows the cored-rock sample remaining in the sample tube after the drill bit was extracted from Perseverance's bit carousel on January 7, 2022. | This image taken by the front left hazard camera (hazcam) aboard NASA's Mars Perseverance rover shows the cored-rock sample remaining in the sample tube after the drill bit was extracted from the bit carousel on Jan. 7, 2022. The sample was collected from a rock in the "South Séítah" region of Jezero Crater on Dec. 29, 2021.This image has been processed to enhance contrast.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/mars2020nasa.gov/perseverance | |
The landslide deposit in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located in Aurorae Chaos (distinctive area of broken terrain). Several regions of chaotic terrain are located on the eastern end of the Valles Marineris system. | Context imageThe landslide deposit in this VIS image is located in Aurorae Chaos. Several regions of chaotic terrain are located on the eastern end of the Valles Marineris system.Orbit Number: 36081 Latitude: -6.87295 Longitude: 328.72 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-02-01 04:23Please 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 a small portion of Acidalia Planitia, a largely flat plain that is part of Mars' vast northern lowlands. | Context imageAll this week, the THEMIS Image of the Day is following on the real Mars the path taken by fictional astronaut Mark Watney, stranded on the Red Planet in the book and movie, The Martian.Today's image shows a small portion of Acidalia Planitia, a largely flat plain that is part of Mars' vast northern lowlands. Scientists are debating the likelihood that the northern plains once contained a large ocean or other bodies of water, probably ice-covered.In the story, Acidalia Planitia is the landing site for a human expedition to Mars. After a dust storm damages the crew habitat and apparently kills Watney, the remaining crew abandon the expedition and leave for Earth. Watney however is still alive, and to save himself he must journey nearly 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) east to Schiaparelli Crater, where a rescue rocket awaits.Orbit Number: 27733 Latitude: 31.218 Longitude: 332.195 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-03-15 20:24Please 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 schematic shows the atomic structure of the smallest units that make up the layers and interlayer region of clay minerals. This structure is similar to the clay mineral in drilled rock powder collected by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. | Clay minerals are composed of layers. Water and cations (positive-charged ions) can be stored between these layers. This schematic shows the atomic structure of the smallest units that make up the layers and interlayer region of clay minerals. This structure is similar to the clay mineral in drilled rock powder collected by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover and analyzed by the rover's Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) and Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) laboratory instruments. The rover drilled into rock targets "Cumberland" (in upper left insert) and "John Klein," both in the Sheepbed mudstone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars.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/. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows fine details in the walls and floor of a meteor impact crater located immediately west of the Lycus Sulci ridged terrain on Mars. The walls of the crater exhibit the finely-detailed layering of the local bedrock. | 23 September 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows fine details in the walls and floor of a meteor impact crater located immediately west of the Lycus Sulci ridged terrain, northwest of the volcano, Olympus Mons. The walls of the crater exhibit the finely-detailed layering of the local bedrock. This crater is centered near 31.4°N, 147.7°W. The image covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left. | |
The Minerals of Aureum Chaos | Click on image for animation of3-dimensional model with 5x vertical exaggerationThis image of chaotic terrain in the Aureum Chaos region of Mars was taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) at 0858UTC (3:58 a.m. EST) on January 24, 2008, near 3.66 degrees south latitude, 26.5 degrees west longitude. The image was taken in 544 colors covering 0.36-3.92 micrometers, and shows features as small as 18 meters (60 feet) across. The image is about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) wide at its narrowest point.Aureum Chaos is a 368 kilometer (229 mile) wide area of chaotic terrain in the eastern part of Valles Marineris. The chaotic terrain is thought to have formed by collapse of the surrounding Margaritifer Terra highland region. Aureum Chaos contains heavily eroded, randomly oriented mesas, plateaus, and knobs—many revealing distinct layered deposits along their slopes. These deposits may be formed from remnants of the collapsed highlands, sand carried by Martian winds, dust or volcanic ash that settled out of the atmosphere, or sediments laid down on the floor of an ancient lake.The top panel in the montage above shows the location of the CRISM image on a mosaic taken by the Mars Odyssey spacecraft_x0092_s Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS). The CRISM data cover a narrow plateau near the edge of the chaotic terrain, that stretches across from the southwest to the northeast.The lower left image, an infrared false color image, reveals the plateau and several eroded knobs of varying sizes. The plateau_x0092_s layer-cake structure is similar to that of other layered outcrops in Valles Marineris.The lower right image reveals the strengths of mineral spectral features overlain on a black-and-white version of the infrared image. Areas shaded in red hold more of the mineral pyroxene, a primary component of basaltic rocks that are prevalent in the highlands. Spots of green indicate monohydrated sulfate minerals (sulfates with one water molecule incorporated into each molecule of the mineral), while blue indicates polyhydrated sulfate minerals (sulfates with multiple waters per mineral molecule).Although the plateau_x0092_s dark cap rock is somewhat mineralogically non-descript, the bright, white swath of underlying material cascading down the plateau_x0092_s flanks appears to hold polyhydrated sulfates. Dark eolian or wind deposited sediments in the south-central part of the plateau are also rich in polyhydrated sulfates.Surrounding the plateau are small greenish spots of monoyhydrated sulfates. These are erosional remnants of an even lower part of the layered deposits that is compositionally distinct from the main part of the plateau.The deepest layer visible is preexisting "basement" rock that forms the floor of Aureum Chaos around the plateau. It is comprised of basaltic rock exposed by collapse of the crust and the debris derived from that collapse.The animation (see above) of a 3-dimensional topographic model illustrates the relationship of these materials. It was made using the lower right CRISM image, draped over MOLA topography with 5X vertical exaggeration.CRISM is one of six science instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Led by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., the CRISM team includes expertise from universities, government agencies and small businesses in the United States and abroad. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Science Laboratory for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the orbiter. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a crater is located east of Huygens Crater on Mars. The ballistically emplaced ejecta is a uniform gray tone. | Today's crater is slightly older than one shown yesterday. The ballistically emplaced ejecta is now a uniform gray tone in this nighttime IR image. With time dust will cover young surfaces and control the IR image tone. This crater is located east of Huygens Crater.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -10.6, Longitude 64.3 East (295.7 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 image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Arabia Terra. | Context imageToday's false color image shows part of Arabia Terra. Dark blue tones in false color indicate basaltic sands, which can be seen in the unnamed crater at the top of the 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.Orbit Number: 63122 Latitude: 8.6734 Longitude: 8.32956 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-03-07 06:08Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a cross section of Trouvelot Crater and the smaller unnamed crater on its floor. | 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 cross section of Trouvelot Crater and the smaller unnamed crater on its floor. Dark blue in this color combination indicates basaltic sand, visible in sand dunes on the floors of both craters.Orbit Number: 70344 Latitude: 15.837 Longitude: 347.427 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-10-23 05:33Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.