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This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows gullies on the inner rim of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows gullies on the inner rim of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra.Orbit Number: 58205 Latitude: -50.2033 Longitude: 34.0703 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-01-27 07:56Please 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. | |
Lizard-Skin Surface Texture | Figure 1The south polar region of Mars is covered seasonally with translucent carbon dioxide ice. In the spring gas subliming (evaporating) from the underside of the seasonal layer of ice bursts through weak spots, carrying dust from below with it, to form numerous dust fans aligned in the direction of the prevailing wind.The dust gets trapped in the shallow grooves on the surface, helping to define the small-scale structure of the surface. The surface texture is reminiscent of lizard skin (figure 1). Observation GeometryImage PSP_003730_0945 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 14-May-2007. The complete image is centered at -85.2 degrees latitude, 181.5 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 248.5 km (155.3 miles). At this distance the image scale is 24.9 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~75 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel . The image was taken at a local Mars time of 06:04 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 69 degrees, thus the sun was about 21 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 237.5 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows an exposure of layered material, probably sediment, on the floor of Shalbatana Vallis on Mars. Erosion has exhumed small impact craters and created round, layered buttes. | 5 December 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an exposure of layered material, probably sediment, on the floor of Shalbatana Vallis. Erosion has exhumed small impact craters and created round, layered buttes. This image is located near 3.2°N, 43.4°W, and covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The scene is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows gullies and debris aprons in a crater on Mars. Gullies such as these may have formed by running water, carbon dioxide, or dry mass movement processes. | 20 March 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows gullies and debris aprons in a crater near 38.5°S, 174.5°W. Gullies such as these may have formed by running water, carbon dioxide, or dry mass movement processes. Most investigators of martian gullies consider that water, whether fresh or briney, may have been involved. This picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity broke its own record for the deepest hole ground into a rock on another planet with a 7.2-millimeter (about 0.28-inch) grind on the rock 'Pilbara,' on the rover's 86th sol on Mars. | The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity broke its own record for the deepest hole ground into a rock on another planet with a 7.2-millimeter (about 0.28-inch) grind on the rock "Pilbara," on the rover's 86th sol on Mars.This image is a panoramic camera picture highlighting the hole left by the rock abrasion tool after two hours and 16 minutes of grinding. The hole is 7.2 millimeters (about 0.28 inches) deep and 4.5 centimeters (about 1.8 inches) in diameter. The tool swept the hole clean after grinding, leaving the ring of cuttings around the hole. When this image was taken, the abraded area was mostly shaded by the rover, with the sun peeking through the joint that connects the front solar panel to the body of the rover.The team has developed a new approach to commanding the rock abrasion tool that allows for more aggressive grinding parameters. The tool is now programmed, in the event of a stall, to retreat from its target and attempt to grind again. This allows the grinder to essentially reset itself instead of aborting its sequence altogether and waiting for further commands from rover planners. | |
The NASA Mars rover Curiosity used its Mast Camera (Mastcam) during the mission's 120th Martian day, or sol (Dec. 7, 2012), to record this view of a rock outcrop informally named 'Shaler.' | Figure 1Figure 2Click on an individual image for larger viewsThe NASA Mars rover Curiosity used its Mast Camera (Mastcam) during the mission's 120th Martian day, or sol (Dec. 7, 2012), to record this view of a rock outcrop informally named "Shaler." The outcrop's striking layers, some at angles to each other in a pattern called crossbedding, made it a target of interest for the mission's science team. The site is near where three types of terrain meet at a place called "Glenelg," inside Gale Crater.The area covered by the image spans about 3 feet (90 centimeters) in the foreground. Figure 1 includes a 10-centimeter (4-inch) scale bar.The image has been white-balanced to show what the rock would look like if it were on Earth. Figure 2 is a raw-color version, showing what the rock looks like on Mars to the camera.Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, developed, built and operates Mastcam. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
This imagery is being released in association with NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission. This is a temporary caption to be replaced as soon as more information is available. | This image shows the location (green) where scientists estimate NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars within Gale Crater, based on images from the Mars Descent Imager (MARDI). The landing estimates derived from navigation and landing data agree to within 660 feet (200 meters) of this MARDI estimate.
The red line shows the northern edge of the targeted landing region, a probability distribution defined by an ellipse.
The gray scale image is a mosaic from the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The color image is from MARDI. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows landforms found in the Medusae Sulci region of Mars. The most classic yardang shape is that of the inverted boat hull. | 13 July 2004Erosive winds have removed large volumes of material in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image to form yardang ridges. The most classic yardang shape is that of the inverted boat hull; each of these streamlined hills provides a near-textbook example. The landforms are found in the Medusae Sulci region near 5.7°S, 159.8°W. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left. | |
Olympia Undae is a large field of sand dunes surrounding Mars' North Polar ice cap. High latitude covers them with water and carbon dioxide frost in the winter so they are illuminated. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter views these best in summer. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionOlympia Undae is a large field of sand dunes surrounding Mars' North Polar ice cap. Because of the high latitude of the dunes, they are covered with water and carbon dioxide frost in the winter and are poorly illuminated. They are best viewed in the summer, when features such as ripples on the dunes' surface can be seen in detail. (Some dunes are probably also covered over by the cap, but we can't see them directly.)In this image, we see the dunes in early summer of this year. The dark material is sand that makes up the dunes. Between the dunes, bright bedrock and some lingering patches of frost that have not yet sublimated are visible. Zooming in, we can see small ripples on the dunes' surface, as well as the bright inter-dune areas. This area has been viewed several times by HiRISE, so we can compare this image to past ones to see if there have been changes.Here, we compare the new view to one from approximately a Mars years ago (about 2 Earth years), but slightly later in the summer. The most obvious difference between the images is simply the illumination, with the better lighting in the 2012 image showing finer details. Despite these differences, changes in the boundaries of sand and ripple positions are obvious. This shows that winds, perhaps assisted by the sublimation of frost that may loosen sand, are modifying Olympia Undae year-to-year.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on March 22, 2004 shows tiny lines of craters on Mars created by the ejecta from a large crater to the left. | Released 22 March 2004The Odyssey spacecraft has completed a full Mars year of observations of the red planet. For the next several weeks the Image of the Day will look back over this first mars year. It will focus on four themes: 1) the poles - with the seasonal changes seen in the retreat and expansion of the caps; 2) craters - with a variety of morphologies relating to impact materials and later alteration, both infilling and exhumation; 3) channels - the clues to liquid surface flow; and 4) volcanic flow features. While some images have helped answer questions about the history of Mars, many have raised new questions that are still being investigated as Odyssey continues collecting data as it orbits Mars.Infrared images taken during the daytime exhibit both the morphological and thermophysical properties of the surface of Mars. Morphologic details are visible due to the effect of sun-facing slopes receiving more energy than antisun-facing slopes. This creates a warm (bright) slope and cool (dark) slope appearance that mimics the light and shadows of a visible wavelength image. Thermophysical properties are seen in that dust heats up more quickly than rocks. Thus dusty areas are bright and rocky areas are dark.This daytime IR image was collected on February 11, 2003 during the southern winter season. This image shows the tiny lines of craters created by the ejecta from the large crater to the left.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -4, Longitude 183.3 East (176.7 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 lava flows located on the northeastern flank of Olympus Mons. | Context imageThe lava flows seen in the VIS image are located on the northeastern flank of Olympus Mons. The lavas flowed from the lower left side of the image to the upper right.Orbit Number: 72356 Latitude: 19.9937 Longitude: 231.845 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-04-06 23:41Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows Scamander Vallis on Mars which contains several tributaries entering the main channel. | Context image for PIA09991Scamander VallisThe major Martian dust storm of 2007 filled the sky with dust and produced conditions that prevented the THEMIS VIS camera from being able to image the surface. With no new images being acquired, we've dug into the archive to highlight some interesting areas on Mars. The this week's topic is medium sized channels. This image of Scamander Vallis contains several tributaries entering the main channel.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 14.8N, Longitude 29.0E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows two diamond-shaped crater on the surface of Mars. | Context image for PIA09465LandslidesThe two craters in this image are not circular, but instead are more diamond-shaped. Meteor Crater in Arizona is also more square than round. Meteor Crater formed in a limestone rock that had already been faulted in two directions. The preexisting faults controlled some of the stress induced by the impacting event, resulting in the crater not ending up perfectly round. The same thing likely occurred with the formation of the martian craters -- a preexisting fault or fracture system in the rocks.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -12.6N, Longitude 262.9E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image released on Oct 6, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows an area on Mars in Candor Chasma. Layered surfaces and wind etched surfaces are present in this area. | The Odyssey spacecraft has taken some great pictures of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system. If this canyon were on Earth, it would stretch from New York to Los Angeles. For the next several weeks, the Image of the Day will tour some of the canyons that make up this vast system. We will start with Ius Chasma in the west, and end with Coprates Chasma to the east. For more information on Vallis Marineris, please see http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mep/science/vm.html.This image shows an area in Candor Chasma. Layered surfaces and wind etched surfaces are present in this area.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -5.3, Longitude 283.2 East (76.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located in eastern Coprates Chasma. The branching features near the bottom of the image are spurs of rock in the cliff face. | Context image Coprates Chasma is one of the numerous canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The chasma stretches for 960 km (600 miles) from Melas Chasma to the west and Capri Chasma to the east. Landslide deposits, layered materials and sand dunes cover a large portion of the chasma floor. This image is located in eastern Coprates Chasma. The branching features near the bottom of the image are spurs of rock in the cliff face. The rock is more resistant to erosion that fine materials like sand and dust. Those materials are visible below the spurs, and then onto the canyon floor. Unlike the large landslide deposits, these small fans of material build up over time as the material above erodes. There are sand dunes along the edge of the fans in this 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: 36294 Latitude: -14.7055 Longitude: 303.066 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-02-18 17:20Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-514, 15 October 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows a streamlined island in Marte Vallis, a large outflow channel system that crosses the 180°W meridian between the Elysium and Amazonis regions of Mars. The flow patterns on the floor of Marte Vallis might be the remains of lava flows or mud flows. Marte is the Spanish word for Mars. Most of the largest valleys on the red planet are named for "Mars" in various languages. This island is located near 21.8°N, 175.3°W. The picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera during the rover's 1,278th Martian day, or sol, (Aug. 28, 2007) to take the images combined into this view. The rover was perched at the lip of Victoria Crater. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera during the rover's 1,278th Martian day, or sol, (Aug. 28, 2007) to take the images combined into this view. The rover was perched at the lip of Victoria Crater, which is about 800 meters (one-half mile) in diameter.After assessment of possible routes for Opportunity to descend into the crater, the rover team selected a site farther to the right along the rim. That selected entry point lies near the ripple of bright soil visible just outside the crater near the top center of this scene. The driving distance for Opportunity from the Sol 1,278 viewpoint to the selected entry point is about 40 meters (about 130 feet).This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction. | |
This image acquired on January 30, 2022 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows an impact crater that has been seen in images dating back 50 years to the Mariner 9 mission. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionNew impact craters on Mars are often darker than their surroundings and have lots of boulders in their interior. The crater in this image has all those attributes and looks like it may have occurred very recently; however, it's been seen in images dating back 50 years to the Mariner 9 mission.HiRISE has imaged this crater a few times (most recently in January 2022) to check for changes. We expect that over time the dark coloring will fade and many of the boulders will be buried by sand and dust. Learning how fast this process happens helps us understand changes on the Martian surface today. So far however, this crater has been rather persistent and shows little change from our first image in 2007.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 27.4 centimeters [10.8 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 82 centimeters [32.3 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the floor and rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of the floor and rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.Orbit Number: 7635 Latitude: -24.3149 Longitude: 155.8 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-09-04 01:00Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Tantalus Catena, just one of many north/south trending tectonic graben located south and east of Alba Mons. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of Tantalus Catena, just one of many north/south trending tectonic graben located south and east of Alba Mons. While other graben in the area are identified as fossae (defined as a long, narrow depression), the circular depressions within this graben lead to the descriptor name catena (defined as a chain of craters). In this case the craters are a result of roof collapse into an underlying open space such as a lava tube.Orbit Number: 85793 Latitude: 32.2064 Longitude: 258.537 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-04-17 12:16Please 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 dark lobed material in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is a lava flow located northwest of the Elysium Volcanic Complex. | Context imageThe dark lobed material in this VIS image is a lava flow located northwest of the Elysium Volcanic Complex. The channel on the dark material was likely formed by the flow of lava rather than water.Orbit Number: 54637 Latitude: 33.1545 Longitude: 133.458 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-04-08 15:51Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The pits at the top of this image are created by the action of the wind in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageThe pits at the top of this VIS image are created by the action of the wind.Orbit Number: 39854 Latitude: -1.35014 Longitude: 202.152 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-12-08 20:22Please 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 that this portion of the rim of Henry Crater has numerous dark streaks located on the slopes of the inner crater wall. | (Released 02 April 2002)This portion of the rim of Henry Crater has numerous dark streaks located on the slopes of the inner crater wall. These dark slope streaks have been suggested to have formed when the relatively bright dust that mantles the slopes slides downhill, either exposing a dust-free darker surface or creating a darker surface by increasing its roughness. The topography in this region appears muted, indicating the presence of regional dust mantling. The materials on floor of the crater (middle to lower left) are layered, with differing degrees of hardness and resistance to erosion producing cliffs (resistant layers) and ledges (easily eroded layers). These layered materials may have been originally deposited in water, although deposition by other means, such as windblown dust and sand, is also possible. Henry Crater, named after a 19th Century French astronomer, is 170 km in diameter and is located at 10.9° N, 336.7° W (23.3° E) in a region called Arabia Terra. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of a heavily eroded crater near the northern margin of Terra Sabaea. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of a heavily eroded crater near the northern margin of Terra Sabaea. This region is heavily eroded and dissected by a multitude of unnamed channels, regions of chaos and old craters. This crater has a channel within it, seen on the right side of this image.Orbit Number: 86149 Latitude: 31.175 Longitude: 68.5579 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-05-16 19:45Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a section of Nanedi Valles. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a section of Nanedi Valles. Located In Xanthe Terra, the channel system is 508 km (315 miles) long. Nanedi Valles contains two large channels that join together as the elevation drops near Chryse Planitia.Orbit Number: 87763 Latitude: 1.08634 Longitude: 310.73 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-09-26 17:02Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Perseverance Valley' lies just on the other side of the dip in the crater rim visible in the left half of this 360-degree panorama from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. | "Perseverance Valley" lies just on the other side of the dip in the crater rim visible in the left half of this 360-degree panorama from the Navigation Camera (Navcam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.As the rover arrived at this area in early May 2017, researchers began looking for clues about what process carved the valley. The rover team plans to drive Opportunity all the way down the valley into the interior of Endeavour Crater.The foreground and the area to the right are on the plain just outside of Endeavour Crater. An orbital view of the location is at PIA21496.The high point near the center of the image is called "Winnemucca," part of an Endeavour rim segment called "Cape Byron." Endeavour's interior and distant eastern rim are visible at upper left, above the notched portion of the western rim that sits directly above Perseverance Valley.The rover's Navcam took the component images of this scene on May 2 and May 3, 2017, during the 4,718th and 4,719th Martian days, or sols, of Opportunity's work on Mars, two days before a drive that brought Opportunity to the head of the valley. | |
This image of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument of the Perseverance rover on June 15, 2021. The location, Airfield D, is just east of the Séítah geologic unit. | This image of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument of the Perseverance rover on June 15, 2021, the 114th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The location, "Airfield D" (the fourth airfield), is just east of the "Séítah" geologic unit.The image has been processed from the original version.Ingenuity was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which also manages the project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System.A 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. Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Neils Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.For more about Perseverance:mars.nasa.gov/mars2020nasa.gov/perseverance | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-573, 13 December 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows mesas--the eroded remnants of a former layer or group of layers--in the south polar region of Mars. The circular feature at the top of the image is an old meteor impact crater that has been somewhat covered by younger materials; a remnant of the layer that comprises the mesas is also found on the floor of this crater. The image is located near 79.3°S, 299.0°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates this scene from the upper left. | |
NASA's Curiosity rover used its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to capture a set of 55 high-resolution images, which were stitched together to create a full-color self-portrait. | On Sol 84 (Oct. 31, 2012), NASA's Curiosity rover used the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to capture this set of 55 high-resolution images, which were stitched together to create this full-color self-portrait.The mosaic shows the rover at "Rocknest," the spot in Gale Crater where the mission's first scoop sampling took place. Four scoop scars can be seen in the regolith in front of the rover. The base of Gale Crater's 3-mile-high (5-kilometer) sedimentary mountain, Mount Sharp, rises on the right side of the frame. Mountains in the background to the left are the northern wall of Gale Crater. The Martian landscape appears inverted within the round, reflective ChemCam instrument at the top of the rover's mast.Self-portraits like this one document the state of the rover and allow mission engineers to track changes over time, such as dust accumulation and wheel wear. Due to its location on the end of the robotic arm, only MAHLI (among the rover's 17 cameras) is able to image some parts of the craft, including the port-side wheels.This high-resolution mosaic is a more detailed version of the low-resolution version created with thumbnail images, at PIA16238.JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-527, 28 October 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows a meteor impact crater in central Syrtis Major. This is a relatively young crater; its ejecta patterns are very well preserved and have not been eroded away by wind or buried by fine sediment. The crater is located near 8.5°N, 295.2°W. The picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the left/upper left. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located southeast of the region of the large sand dune deposit. Here there is still limited amounts of available sand and the dunes formed are smaller individual features. | Context image This image is located southeast of the region of the large sand dune deposit. Here there is still limited amounts of available sand and the dunes formed are smaller individual features. The rocky floor of the crater is visible between the dunes. In some places the floor is relatively free of hills and mesas, while other locations are dense with features. The hills and mesas in the crater can range up to several hundreds of meters tall.Located in eastern Arabia is an unnamed crater, 120 kilometers (75 miles) across. The floor of this crater contains a large exposure of rocky material, a field of dark sand dunes, and numerous patches of what is probably fine-grain sand. The shape of the dunes indicate that prevailing winds have come from different directions over the years.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: 37799 Latitude: 26.2544 Longitude: 63.1648 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-06-22 17:06Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows multiple gullies located on the northwestern rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria. | Context image for PIA10264GulliesMultiple gullies are located on the northwestern rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -37.1N, Longitude 129.6E. 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. | |
This image shows a region near Olympus Mons on Mars where wind has been moving loose material across the lava flows in the center of the image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey. | Context image for PIA08621Wind and LavaThis image shows a region near Olympus Mons where wind has been moving loose material across the lava flows in the center of the image.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 6.5N, Longitude 219.5E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Three bite marks left in the Martian ground by the scoop on the robotic arm of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity are visible in this image. Each of the three bites is about 2 inches (5 centimeters) wide. | Three bite marks left in the Martian ground by the scoop on the robotic arm of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity are visible in this image taken by the rover's right Navigation Camera during the mission's 69th Martian day, or sol (Oct. 15, 2012). The third scoopful, collected on that sol, left the bite or pit farthest to the right. Each of the three bites is about 2 inches (5 centimeters) wide.Of the two bites to the left, the lower one is where Curiosity collected its first scoopful of Martian material, on Sol 61 (Oct. 7, 2012). The upper one is the site of the second scooping, on Sol 66 (Oct. 12, 2012). The location for all of these scoops, and two more planned, is a ripple of windblown dust and sand at a location called "Rocknest."The bright circular part of the rover near the bottom center of this image is the observation tray, which is 3 inches (7.8 centimeters) in diameter.JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
This scene from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft of the dust covered plains of eastern Arabia Terra portrays a range of geological time. Three craters at the center of the image capture some of this range. | This scene from the dust covered plains of eastern Arabia Terra portrays a range of geological time. Three craters at the center of the image capture some of this range. Two have the classic bowl-shape of small, relatively recent craters while the one just to the north has seen much more history. Its rim has been scoured away by erosion and its floor has been filled in by material likely of a sedimentary nature. The channels that wind through the scene may be the oldest features present while the relatively dark streaks scattered about could have been produced in the past few years or even months as winds remove a layer of dust to reveal darker material below.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria. | 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 the floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.Orbit Number: 7099 Latitude: -27.1329 Longitude: 132.992 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-07-21 22:05Please 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. | |
Digital Elevation Map of Spirit's Trek | This digital elevation map, produced from satellite data overlain on an image taken by the Mars Orbital Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, shows changes in elevation along the trek of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as of the rover's 328th martian day, or sol (Dec. 4, 2004). To that point, Spirit had driven a total of 3.89 kilometers (2.42 miles).The blue area represents the basaltic plains on the floor of Gusev Crater, about 20 meters (66 feet) below the rover's present location. Spirit crossed those plains for several months after landing to the west, off the left edge of this image. The greenish-blue area is the "West Spur" of the "Columbia Hills," which Spirit reached on sol 156 (June 11, 2004). Since then, Spirit has been gradually ascending the slopes of the "West Spur" in an east-northeasterly direction. Southeast of the rover's current position is a brighter green area that represents an abrupt increase in slope where the "West Spur" meets the steeper flanks of the "Columbia Hills." The yellow and red areas represent the highest slopes and peaks. A steep valley east of the rover's location appears, from orbiter images, to have layered outcrops. Scientists are directing the rover to a ridge overlooking the valley to get a better look at what lies ahead. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Olympus Rupes, the large escarpment surrounding Olympus Mons. The escarpment is a cliff where there is a large elevation change over a short distance. | Context imageOlympus Rupes is the name of the large escarpment surrounding Olympus Mons. The escarpment is a cliff where there is a large elevation change over a short distance. This VIS image is located along the southeastern margin of Olympus Mons, the largest Martian volcano.Orbit Number: 72406 Latitude: 14.4639 Longitude: 229.509 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-04-11 02:30Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a part of Olympia Undae, the largest dune field near the north polar cap. In this region, the dunes are spaced far enough apart to show the detail of the surface they are moving across. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a part of Olympia Undae, the largest dune field near the north polar cap. In this region, the dunes are spaced far enough apart to show the detail of the surface they are moving across.Orbit Number: 47095 Latitude: 79.6934 Longitude: 149.575 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-07-26 23:56Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This 180-degree view from the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity was its first look inside 'Endurance Crater.' | This 180-degree view from the left navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is the first look inside "Endurance Crater." The view is a cylindrical-perspective projection constructed from four images. The crater is about 130 meters (about 430 feet) in diameter.See PIA05860 for 3-D view and PIA05862 for right eye view of this left eye cylindrical-perspective projection. | |
NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft captured this image in July 2003, roughly halfway between the great volcanoes of Olympus Mons and Pavonis Mons, the graben (troughs) of Ulysses Fossae intersect with the furrows of Gigas (gigantic) Sulci. | Released 9 July 2003Roughly halfway between the great volcanoes of Olympus Mons and Pavonis Mons, the graben (troughs) of Ulysses Fossae intersect with the furrows of Gigas (gigantic) Sulci. A clear time sequence is evident: first came the formation of the sulci terrain (to the left), which then was fractured by graben radial to Olympus Mons, followed by flooding of lava. All but the deepest graben are filled by lava in the topographic low between the two volcanic rises.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 11.8, Longitude 234.3 East (125.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Northern Plains | Image PSP_001341_2485 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 8, 2006. The complete image is centered at 68.4 degrees latitude, 175.4 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 314.1 km (196.3 miles). At this distance the image scale is 31.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~94 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:04 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 58 degrees, thus the sun was about 32 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 132.6 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows an unnamed channel in northern Terra Cimmeria. Two impact craters occur along the length of the channel. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows an unnamed channel in northern Terra Cimmeria. Two impact craters occur along the length of the channel. The crater rims are higher than the channel floor and are not breached. This observation means the craters are "on top" of the channel, and therefore are younger than the channel. Figuring out which feature formed first is called relative dating. We don't know the absolute ages of either the channel or the impact craters, or how much time elapsed between the channel being carved and the impacts that resulted in the craters. All we can say is what feature formed first.Orbit Number: 78398 Latitude: -2.18803 Longitude: 123.026 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-08-17 14:31Please 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 small portion of the floor of Alexey Tolstoy Crater with a dark surface that is extremely rough and rocky. It appears that the smoother, bright material has been eroded back, exposing the lower, darker surface. | The circular, polar orbit of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) achieved in early 1999 has begun to provide many opportunities to examine features in the martian southern hemisphere at high resolution. One of our favorite examples (thus far) is this picture of a small portion of the floor of Alexey Tolstoy Crater.The top of the image shows a dark surface that is extremely rough and rocky. The rest of the image shows a brighter, smoother material. It appears that the bright material has been eroded back, exposing the lower, darker surface. The small crater that dominates this picture is only about 850 meters (930 yards) wide and has also been partly exhumed/exposed from beneath the bright, smooth material. Illumination is from the upper left.Alexey (or Aleksey) Tolstoy Crater, in which the small unnamed crater seen in this picture occurs, was named by the International Astronomical Union in 1982 to honor the Soviet writer who died in 1945. It is one of only a few craters on Mars designated by both the first and last names of the honored person. The Alexey Tolstoy Crater has a diameter of 94 kilometers (58 miles) and is centered at 47.6°S latitude, 234.6°W longitude in eastern Promethei Terra.Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a tributary channel of Ares Vallis. | Context imageThe channel seen in this VIS image is a tributary channel of Ares Vallis. This channel is not as deep as the main channel and parallels Ares Vallis before joining the the deeper channel at one of its bends. This channel is located in Margaritifer Terra.Orbit Number: 79863 Latitude: 8.01076 Longitude: 335.715 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-12-16 05:45Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows that dust avalanches, also called slope streaks, occur on many Martian terrains. These dust avalanches are located in a small canyon within a crater rim northeast of Naktong Vallis. | Dust avalanches, also called slope streaks, occur on many Martian terrains. The deposition of airborne dust on surfaces causes a bright tone in the THEMIS VIS images. Any movement of the dust downhill, a dust avalanche, will leave behind a streak where the darker, dust-free surface is exposed. These dust avalanches are located in a small canyon within a crater rim northeast of Naktong Vallis.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 7.1, Longitude 34.7 East (325.3 West). 17 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Sirenum. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Sirenum. A group of channels dissect the rim in the center of the image. These channels are called gullies due to being on a steep slope rather than a flat river plain. In some images it is possible to see a boundary layer between the upper incised gully and a lower deposition region. The boundary marks a change in slope, the steep upper portion supports fast moving fluid that carves into the rim eroding materials. The change to a flatter slope causes the fluid to slow down and as it slows the materials carried by the fluid are deposited.Orbit Number: 92703 Latitude: -39.1381 Longitude: 182.069 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-11-07 10:33Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Angustus Labyrinthus. The squares formed by intersecting ridges have given the feature the informal name of Inca City. | Context imageAngustus Labyrinthus is a unique region near the south polar cap. The squares formed by intersecting ridges have given the feature the informal name of Inca City. The linear ridges are believed to have formed by volcanic and tectonic forces, where magma filled fractures in the subsurface and then erosion revealed the magmatic material.Orbit Number: 76172 Latitude: -81.2617 Longitude: 295.232 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-02-15 06:40Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image released on Nov 8, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows collapse pits in the floor of Bernard Crater on Mars. These collapse pits were likely formed by the release of volatiles from the materials deposited in the crater floor. | We will be looking at collapse pits for the next two weeks. Collapse pits on Mars are formed in serveral ways. In volcanic areas, channelized lava flows can form roofs which insulate the flowing lava. These features are termed lava tubes on Earth and are common features in basaltic flows. After the lava has drained, parts of the roof of the tube will collapse under its own weight. These collapse pits will only be as deep as the bottom of the original lava tube. Another type of collapse feature associated with volcanic areas arises when very large eruptions completely evacuate the magma chamber beneath the volcano. The weight of the volcano will cause the entire ediface to subside into the void space below it. Structural features including fractures and graben will form during the subsidence. Many times collapse pits will form within the graben. In addition to volcanic collapse pits, Mars has many collapse pits formed when volatiles (such as subsurface ice) are released from the surface layers. As the volatiles leave, the weight of the surrounding rock causes collapse pits to form.These pits occur in the floor of Bernard Crater. These collapse pits were likely formed by the release of volatiles from the materials deposited in the crater floor.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -24, Longitude 205.5 East (154.5 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. | |
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is seen here at the end of its fourth flight, on April 30, 2021. This enhanced video shows the dust kicked up by the helicopter's spinning rotors. | Click here for Mastcam-Z left eye animation (.gif)Click here for Mastcam-Z left eye animation (.mp4)Click here for Mastcam-Z right eye animation (.gif)Click here for Mastcam-Z right eye animation (.mp4)NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is seen here at the end of its fourth flight, on April 30, 2021. This enhanced video shows the dust kicked up by the helicopter's spinning rotors. Scientists can analyze this dust to learn more about the Martian environment.This video was captured by the Mastcam-Z imager aboard NASA's Perseverance rover. Two files are available for the Mastcam-Z's left and right eyes. The files are available as both mp4s and GIFs.Arizona State University in Tempe leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego.A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.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.The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages the technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science, Aeronautics Research, and Space Technology mission directorates. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows dark, slope steaks, common in the heavily fractured material found to the north and west of Olympus Mons. | Context image for PIA10845Dark StreaksDark, slope steaks are common in the heavily fractured material found to the north and west of Olympus Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 29.8N, Longitude 227.1E. 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 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on Jan 15, 2004 shows a smaller crater on the floor of the much larger Gusev Crater. | Released 15 January 2004Long before the MER landers were named or launched, the two orbiters at Mars were asked to examine landing sites. Both the Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft have been collecting landing site data for the past two years. The MGS and ODY data were used as part of the decision making process in the final selection of the two landing sites. The types of data collected by the two orbiters included not only images of the surface but also thermal data about the surface composition, atmospheric data about the climate at each location, and the tracking of major dust storms in the region prior to landing. The presence of, and data collected by, the MGS and ODY orbiters have proven invaluable in MER mission planning.This image, taken on 25 April 2002, shows a smaller crater on the floor of the much larger Gusev Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -14.8, Longitude 174.7 East (185.3 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows low-albedo sand dunes in Herschel Crater in the Mare Cimmerium region of the martian southern hemisphere. | 28 December 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows low-albedo sand dunes in Herschel Crater in the Mare Cimmerium region of the martian southern hemisphere. Winds responsible for these dunes generally blow from the north (top).Location near: 14.5°S, 231.7°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Southern Summer | |
This image shows the view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit after it successfully completed a 115 degree turn to face northwest, the direction it will roll off the lander. | This image shows the view from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit after it successfully completed a 115 degree turn to face northwest, the direction it will roll off the lander. The image was taken by the rover's front hazard avoidance camera. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows an unnamed crater in Arabia Terra. Dark blue in this combination is typically basaltic sands. | Context imageToday's VIS image is located in an unnamed crater in Arabia Terra. Dark blue in this combination is typically basaltic sands. The presence of sand dunes with this tone indicated that these dunes are of basaltic composition.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: 62523 Latitude: 11.3145 Longitude: 13.2155 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-01-17 22:08Please 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 by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of the vast region of dunes around the north polar. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a small portion of the vast region of dunes around the north polar.Orbit Number: 44983 Latitude: 79.5416 Longitude: 217.449 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-02-04 03:43Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a target dubbed 'Bylot' on the slopes of 'Endurance Crater.' Opportunity dug a hole into the target with its rock abrasion tool. | This image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a target dubbed "Bylot" on the slopes of "Endurance Crater." Opportunity dug a hole into the target with its rock abrasion tool, then captured this picture with its microscopic imager on sol 196 (Aug. 12, 2004). The image mosaic is about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) across. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows an unusally-shaped (not circular) impact crater in the Elysium region of Mars. A dark-toned lava flow surface is seen in the southern (lower) portion of the image. | 23 February 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an unusally-shaped (not circular) impact crater in the Elysium region of Mars. A dark-toned lava flow surface is seen in the southern (lower) portion of the image.Location near: 5.9°N, 220.0°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Winter | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows an unconformity in the layered sequence of the martian north polar cap. An unconformity is a geologic term that indicates a break in the depositional record of a sedimentary deposit. | Figure 119 August 2004The arrows (see Figure 1) in this July 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image indicate the location of an unconformity in the layered sequence of the martian north polar cap. An unconformity is a geologic term that indicates a break in the depositional record of a sedimentary deposit. In this case, the change is recorded by the presence of a series of polar layers that are truncated (cut off) along the line of arrows. The erosion that cut these layers along a gentle slope were later covered by a new set of layers that occur from the arrow tips upward to the top of the sequence shown here. The image is located near 85.2°N, 7.3°W. The bright features in the lower third of the image are frost-covered sand dunes. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across and sunlight illuminates the scene from the top/upper right. | |
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter achieves powered, controlled flight for the first time on another planet, hovering for several seconds before touching back down on April 19, 2021. | Click here for animationNASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter achieves powered, controlled flight for the first time on another planet, hovering for several seconds before touching back down on April 19, 2021. The image was taken by the left Navigation Camera, or Navcam, aboard the agency's Perseverance Mars rover from a distance of 210 feet (64 meters). A short movie was also recorded and can be downloaded here as a GIF. 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 the central part of Arkhangelsky Crater, including the individual dunes on the crater floor on Mars. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis daytime IR image shows the central part of Arkhangelsky Crater, including the individual dunes on the crater floor.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -41.2N, Longitude 335.0E. 122 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 map shows the route on lower Mount Sharp that NASA's Curiosity followed between April 19, 2015, and Nov. 5, 2015. | This map shows the route on lower Mount Sharp that NASA's Curiosity followed between April 19, 2015, and Nov. 5, 2015. During this period the mission investigated silica-rich rock targets including "Buckskin," in the "Maria Pass" area, and "Greenhorn," in the "Bridger Basin" area. High-silica sites were identified both in the Murray formation -- the lowest and oldest geological unit the rover has visited on Mount Sharp -- and in the overlying Stimson geological unit, which is visible in sandstone ridges within this study area. The map covers an area about one-half mile (three-fourths kilometer) across. North is up. The base image is from the High Resolution Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Numbers along the route identify the sol, or Martian day, on which it completed the drive reaching that point, as counted since its 2012 landing.Wider-context maps are online at PIA19390 and PIA19067. Updated location maps for Curiosity are posted frequently at http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/whereistherovernow/. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. For more information about the Mars Science Laboratory mission and the mission's Curiosity rover, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
Mars Exploration Rover Landing Site at Gusev Crater | Area "a"Area "b"Area "c"Area "d"This image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The impact crater in the upper left portion of the image is "Bonneville Crater," which was investigated by Spirit shortly after landing. In the lower right portion of the image is "Husband Hill," a large hill that Spirit climbed and spent much of its now nearly three-year mission.The bright irregularly shaped feature in area "a" of the image is Spirit's parachute, now lying on the Martian surface. Near the parachute is the cone-shaped back shell, which helped protect Spirit's lander during its seven-month journey to Mars. The back shell appears relatively undamaged by its impact with the Martian surface. Wrinkles and folds in the parachute fabric are clearly visible.Area "b" of the image shows Spirit's lander. The crater in the upper left portion of the image, just northwest of the lander, was informally named "Sleepy Hollow" by the Mars Exploration Rover team.Area "c" of the image shows Spirit's heat shield at the edge of Bonneville Crater.Area "d" of the image shows the current location of Spirit. Toward the top of the image is "Home Plate," a plateau of layered rocks that Spirit explored during the early part of its third year on Mars. Spirit itself is clearly seen just southeast of Home Plate. Also visible are the tracks made by the rover before it arrived at its current location.This image is a small portion of an image (catalogued as PSP_001513_1655) taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on Sept. 29, 2006. The full image is centered at minus 7.8 degrees latitude, 279.5 degrees east longitude. The image is oriented such that north is toward the top. The range to the target site was 297 kilometers (185.6 miles). At this distance the image scale is 29.7 centimeters (11.7 inches) per pixel (with 1 by 1 binning), so objects as small as about 89 centimeters (35 inches) across are resolved. The image was taken at 3:30 p.m. local Mars time. The scene is illuminated from the west with a solar-incidence angle of 59.7 degrees, which means the sun was about 30.3 degrees above the horizon. When the image was taken, the season on Mars was southern winter.Images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment and additional information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are available online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mro or http://HiRISE.lpl.arizona.edu.For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, http://www.nasa.gov.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 is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera was built by Ball Aerospace Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows impact craters with dark ejecta patterns, a few of them also have light-toned ejecta, indicating that the impacting meteorite excavated to a depth where a light-toned material was present. | Figure A Annotated ImageFigure B Annotated Image No Annotation Figure C Annotated Image No AnnotationWhile most of the new impact craters found on Mars by the Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera have dark ejecta patterns, a few of them also have light-toned ejecta, indicating that the impacting meteorite excavated to a depth where a light-toned material was present. Figure A: The picture was acquired on Feb. 26, 2006. The single small crater of about 22.6 meters (about 74 feet) in diameter is surrounded by light and dark-toned ejecta. The crater occurs near 20.6 degrees north latitude, 356.8 degrees west longitude, in Arabia Terra. Figure B: This set of images shows how the impact site appeared to the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System infrared instrument before and after the impact. The white circle indicates the location of the impact site. Both images are from the Thermal Emission Imaging System band 9 (approximately 12.6 micrometers wavelength); the first image was obtained on June 30, 2002, the second on Oct. 5, 2003. In the 2003 image, the impact site appears as a bright spot, because it was warmer than the surroundings at the time the data were acquired. Figure C: The final figure shows how the impact site appeared to the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter wide-angle cameras. The first image shows the site before the impact, on Aug. 31, 1999. The second shows the impact site as it appeared on May 7, 2003. Taken together, the Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor data indicate that this impact occurred some time between June 30, 2002, and May 7, 2003. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., a division of the California Institute of Technology, also in Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera.For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows mid-summer in the northern hemisphere of Mars, a time of enhanced heating that leads to the release of water vapor into the atmosphere. | It is mid-summer in the northern hemisphere of Mars--a time of enhanced heating that leads to the release of water vapor into the atmosphere. In the north polar region, temperature differences between bright areas of year-round ice and dark areas of sand and rock create strong winds that mix the atmosphere and create waves of clouds that swirl around the polar cap. Sometimes, as seen during the Viking mission, these winds form tight cyclones; other times, they weave an intricate pattern reflecting the turbulence of the circulation of the atmosphere.This image is the third of five that are part of an animation that shows four days of observations of a representative portion of the northern hemisphere.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. | |
Baetis Chasma is a chasmata near but not directly connected to Valles Marineris. Dunes are prevalent on the floor of this portion of Juventae Chasma in this image taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey. | Context imageBaetis Chasma is a chasmata near Valles Marineris. It is not directly connected to Valles Marineris, but contains some of the same features seen in the larger chasmata. Dunes are prevalent on the floor of this portion of Juventae Chasma.Orbit Number: 36444 Latitude: -4.68844 Longitude: 297.159 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-03-03 01:41Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter lands with a soft bounce after its fifth flight on May 7, 2021. The images in this GIF were captured by the Mastcam-Z imager aboard NASA's Perseverance rover. | Click here for animationNASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter lands with a soft bounce after its fifth flight on May 7, 2021. The images in this GIF were captured by the Mastcam-Z imager aboard NASA's Perseverance rover.The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages the technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science, Aeronautics Research, and Space Technology mission directorates. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System.Arizona State University in Tempe leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a mid-summer view of layered terrain in the south polar region of Mars. | 12 March 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a mid-summer view of layered terrain in the south polar region of Mars. The general hypothesis that has been around since the Mariner missions to Mars in the late 1960s and early 1970s is that the layered material in the polar regions is composed of some combination of dust and ice in unknown proportions. Alternatively, the layers might be ancient sedimentary rock, perhaps protected from erosion by millennia of seasonal ice caps covering the region for, roughly, half a Mars year.Location near: 80.1°S, 259.7°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer | |
The semi-circular depressions in this image are called blowouts and are formed by wind action. These blowouts are part of the Medusae Fossae Formation as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey. | Context image for PIA02890BlowoutsThe semi-circular depressions in this image are called blowouts and are formed by wind action. These blowouts are part of the Medusae Fossae Formation.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 0.1N, Longitude 65.0E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a set of odd craters located in Ascuris Planum. The fractures at the bottom of the image are part of Mareotis Fossae. | Context image for PIA10877Odd CratersThis set of odd craters is located in Ascuris Planum. The fractures at the bottom of the image are part of Mareotis Fossae.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 41.0N, Longitude 279.6E. 19 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This map of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's new neighborhood at Meridiani Planum, Mars, demonstrates how engineers honed in on the location of the rover. The larger blue ellipse shows the projected landing area just before arriving at Mars. | This map of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's new neighborhood at Meridiani Planum, Mars, demonstrates how engineers honed in on the location of the rover. The larger blue ellipse shows the projected landing area just before arriving at Mars. The black ellipse denotes the first approximation of the rover's location after landing based on radio signals received by NASA's Deep Space Network during entry, descent and landing. The white cross points to the rover's precise location based on radio signals sent from the surface both directly to Earth through the Deep Space Network and through NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows many tens of layers of several meters thickness in the walls of a mesa in Melas Chasma in Valles Marineris on Mars. Erosion by mass wasting, landslides, has exposed these layers creating the dark fan-shaped deposits. | One of the earliest observations made by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) was that the upper crust of the planet appears to be layered to considerable depth. This was especially apparent, early in the mission, in the walls of the Valles Marineris chasms. However, layered mesas and mounds within the Valles Marineris troughs were recognized all the way back in 1972 with Mariner 9 images. The MOC image presented here shows many tens of layers of several meters (yards) thickness in the walls of a mesa in southern Melas Chasma in Valles Marineris. Erosion by mass wasting--landslides--has exposed these layers and created the dark fan-shaped deposits seen near the middle of the image. The floor of Melas Chasma is dark and covered with many parallel ridges and grooves (lower 1/3 of image). In the lower left corner of the picture, a bright, circular dust devil can be seen casting a columnar shadow toward the left. This image, illuminated by sunlight from the right/lower right, covers an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide and 8.2 kilometers (5.1 miles) long. The scene is located near 10.1°S, 74.4°W and was acquired on July 11, 1999. North is toward the lower left. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows part of a dune field in Chasma Boreale, the large north polar trough on Mars. The bright material covering the dunes is frozen carbon dioxide. | 25 August 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows part of a dune field in Chasma Boreale, the large north polar trough. The bright material covering the dunes is frozen carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide frost accumulates during the northern autumn and winter, and sublimes away (turns directly from solid to gas) during the spring and summer. The image was acquired near the end of the northern spring. The dark areas in this image are places where the frost sublimed away, revealing the coarse dark sand of the dunes.Location near: 84.5°N, 19.2°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Spring | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows channels which are a part of Hebrus Vallis. Hebrus Vallis is just one of the many channel systems in Utopia Planitia. | Context image for PIA10889Hebrus VallisThe channels seen in this image are all part of Hebrus Vallis. Hebrus Vallis is just one of the many channel systems in Utopia Planitia.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 19.0N, Longitude 126.9E. 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. | |
Windstreaks are a common feature on the surface of Daedalia Planum volcanic flows. This image was captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageWindstreaks are a common feature on the surface of Daedalia Planum volcanic flows.Orbit Number: 40103 Latitude: -13.7462 Longitude: 217.147 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-12-29 08:29Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This stereo view of a small, relatively fresh crater on Mars combines images from NASA's Opportunity Mars rover. The rover paused beside the crater in April 2017, during the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 16 mission to the moon. | This view of a small, relatively fresh crater on Mars combines images from the left eye and right eye of the Panoramic Camera (Pancam) on NASA's Opportunity Mars rover, to appear three-dimensional when seen through blue-red glasses with the red lens on the left. The rover paused beside the crater in April 2017, during the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 16 mission to the moon. The rover team chose to call it "Orion Crater," after the Apollo 16 lunar module. The crater's diameter is about 90 feet (27 meters). From the small amount of erosion or filling that Orion Crater has experienced, its age is estimated at no more than 10 million years. It lies on the western rim of Endeavour Crater. For comparison, Endeavor is about 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter and more than 3.6 billion years old. The component images were taken on April 26, 2017, during the 4,712th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's work on Mars. The rover's location on that sol, during its approach toward "Perseverance Valley" on the Endeavour rim, is indicated on a map at https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/mission/tm-opportunity/images/MERB_Sol4711_1.jpg as the endpoint of the Sol 4711 drive. Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charles Duke flew in the Orion lunar module to and from the first human landing in the lunar highlands while Ken Mattingly orbited the moon in the command module, Casper. On the moon, Young and Duke investigated Plum Crater, which is approximately the same size as Mars' Orion Crater.For more information about Opportunity's adventures on Mars, visit https://mars.nasa.gov/mer. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a plethora of dark streaks thought to have been created by the passage of dust devils on the the floor of Argyre Basin, Mars. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-363, 17 May 2003This summertime Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) view of the floor of Argyre Basin shows a plethora of dark streaks thought to have been created by the passage of dust devils. Dust devils are vortices of wind--just as a tornado is a vortex of wind associated with stormy weather on Earth, and the spiraling of water down a bathtub drain is a vortex in a liquid. Dust devils usually form on Mars on relatively calm, quiet, spring and summer afternoons. The passage of a dust devil picks up and disturbs the thin coatings of dust on the martian surface, forming streaks that mark the path that the moving dust devil took. This picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is located near 48.5°S, 43.0°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
Angular Unconformity | Image PSP_001332_2620 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 8, 2006. The complete image is centered at 81.8 degrees latitude, 48.8 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 314.9 km (196.8 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 31.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 63.0 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning). The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 2:20 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 65 degrees, thus the sun was about 25 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 132.2 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows Terby Crater, a basin just north of Hellas Planitia on Mars. Sedimentary rocks are eroded and exposed. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-395, 18 June 2003A sequence of layered, sedimentary rock, more than 1 km (0.62 miles) thick, once filled or nearly filled Terby Crater, a basin just north of Hellas Planitia. The sedimentary rocks were eroded and exposed so that today, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) regularly takes pictures of these outcrops in an effort to better understand them. Exposures of sedimentary rock on Mars are extremely important because they show that the planet has a rich, diverse history. However, an opportunity to read the history recorded in these rocks may still be many years away. This image is near 27.6°S, 285.9°W. The picture is illuminated from the upper left. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows layer outcrops and sand dunes in the Chasma Boreale portion of the martian north polar cap. | 23 July 2004Acquired just a few days ago on 21 July 2004, this 1.7 m/pixel (5.6 ft/pixel) Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows layer outcrops and sand dunes in the Chasma Boreale portion of the martian north polar cap. At this time, it is spring and these polar landforms are still covered by frost left over from the winter that ended back in March 2004. In summer, the dunes in this image will be darker than anything else in the scene. The picture is located near 85.1°N, 3.7°W, and covers an area about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) wide. This view is illuminated by sunlight from the upper right. | |
The broader scene for this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is the fluidized ejecta from Bakhuysen Crater to the southwest. A 'dragonfly' impact crater i seen with a gouged-out trench extending to the south. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe broader scene for this image is the fluidized ejecta from Bakhuysen Crater to the southwest, but there's something very interesting going on here on a much smaller scale.A small impact crater, about 25 meters in diameter, with a gouged-out trench extends to the south. The ejecta (rocky material ejected from the crater) mostly extends to the east and west of the crater. This "butterfly" ejecta is very common for craters formed at low impact angles. Taken together, these observations suggest that the crater-forming impactor came in at a low angle from the north, hit the ground and ejected material to the sides.The top of the impactor may have sheared off ("decapitating" the impactor) and continued downrange, forming the trench. We can't prove that's what happened, but this explanation is consistent with the observations. Regardless of how it formed, it's quite an interesting-looking "dragonfly" crater.This is a stereo pair with ESP_048528_1585.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.69 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 55.7 centimeters (21.92 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 167 centimeters (65.7 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. | |
At the summit of the low-relief shield volcano Syrtis Major on Mars, the caldera known as Nili Patera hosts a remarkable field of barchan-like dunes as seen in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Released 14 May 2003At the summit of the low-relief shield volcano Syrtis Major, the caldera known as Nili Patera hosts a remarkable field of barchan-like dunes. The rugged knob to the north of the dunes is probably a breached volcanic cone representing one of the last eruptive events from this caldera.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 9, Longitude 67.4East (292.6). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The dark features here look like raindrops, but are actually sand dunes in Copernicus Crater. This observation is from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe dark features here look like raindrops, but are actually sand dunes. This spot was targeted by CRISM because the dunes are rich in the mineral olivine.Olivine-rich dunes are very rare on Earth, as olivine rapidly weathers to clays in a wet environment. There is also olivine-rich bedrock in the central peaks of Copernicus Crater on the Moon.There is only a handful of very important scientists, like Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) who have craters named after them on both Mars and the Moon.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
Olympica 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 this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey indicates that this is a channel created by liquid flow. | Context image Olympica 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. The more linear depressions at the bottom third of the image are possibly tectonic features called graben and formed by movement along fault lines. The Alba Mons region contains extensive faulting which formed due to collapse of the volcano.Orbit Number: 71183 Latitude: 25.8417 Longitude: 247.895 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-12-31 08:32Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This observance from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a formation of large outflow channels on Mars' Aureum Chaos. | The formation of the large outflow channels on Mars have been attributed to catastrophic discharges of ground water. Many of the channels start in areas where the ground has apparently collapsed: the surface is now well below the surrounding undisturbed ground. Within the collapsed region, blocks of undisturbed material can often be seen and this has led to such regions being called chaotic terrain.In Aureum Chaos, the OMEGA experiment on Mars Express indicated the presence of phyllosilicates (clay minerals) which have been detected in a variety of bright outcrops and scarps. The subimage shows such an outcrop in a chaotic terrain region. At the highest resolution, layering can be seen. The image will be used to assess at what stage in Mars's history these clays minerals were formed and how.The area referred to as Aureum Chaos is located at 334 degrees East, 4 degrees South on the West side of the Margaritifer Terra region of Mars.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.Originally released August 1, 2007 | |
Two landslide deposits are visible in this image of Tithonium Chasma taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLATwo landslide deposits are visible in this image of Tithonium Chasma.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -4.7N, Longitude 274.5E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of a martian valley, perhaps long, long ago carved by a liquid such as water, in northern Terra Cimmeria on Mars. The floor is covered with large, light-toned, windblown ripples. | 21 May 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of a martian valley, perhaps long, long ago carved by a liquid such as water, in northern Terra Cimmeria. The channel that might have once run down through the valley is no longer visible; the floor is covered with large, light-toned, windblown ripples.Location near: 5.7°S, 227.6°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Winter | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 21 February 2004 The finger-shaped lobe just right of center in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image is the deposit of a small landslide that came down a dark, layered slope. Landslides are common on Mars in areas of steep topography; this one is located in the Kasei Valles region near 23.9°N, 67.1°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left; the picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the floor of Antoniadi Crater, a very large crater located north of Syrtis Major Planum. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the floor of Antoniadi Crater, a very large crater located north of Syrtis Major Planum.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: 61311 Latitude: 21.1681 Longitude: 62.1541 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-10-10 02:38Please 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. | |
In time to survive the Martian winter, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has driven to and parked on a north-facing slope in the 'Columbia Hills.' Spirit acquired the images in this mosaic on April 11, 2006. | In time to survive the Martian winter, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has driven to and parked on a north-facing slope in the "Columbia Hills." This vantage point will optimize solar power during the upcoming winter season and maximize the vehicle's ability to communicate with the NASA Odyssey orbiter.Top science priorities for the coming months are a detailed, 360-degree panorama using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, a study of surface and subsurface soil properties, and monitoring of the atmosphere and its changes. The planned subsurface soil experiments will be a first for the Mars Exploration Rover mission. To conduct the study, Spirit will use the brush on the rock abrasion tool to carefully sweep away soil, much the way an archaeologist uses a brush to uncover artifacts. At each level, Spirit will measure the mineral and chemical properties and assess the physical nature (such as grain size, texture, hardness) of the material, using the Athena science instruments on the robotic arm. Of particular interest are vertical variations in soil characteristics that may indicate water-related deposition of sulfates and other minerals.Panoramic images will provide important information about the nature and origin of surrounding rocks and soils. Spirit will also study the mineralogy of the surrounding terrain using the thermal emission spectrometer and search for surface changes caused by high winds. After the winter solstice in August, depending on energy levels, scientists may direct the rover to pivot around the disabled, right front wheel to get different targets within reach of the arm. When the winter season is over and solar energy levels rise again, scientists will direct Spirit to leave its winter campaign site and continue examining the "Columbia Hills."Spirit acquired the images in this mosaic with the navigation camera on the rover's 807th Martian day, or sol, of exploring Gusev Crater on Mars (April 11, 2006). Approaching from the east are the rover's tracks, including a shallow trench created by the dragging front wheel. On the horizon, in the center of the panorama, is "McCool Hill." This view is presented in a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction. | |
Several fractures cross through Gorgonum Chaos in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageSeveral fractures cross through Gorgonum Chaos in this VIS image.Orbit Number: 50827 Latitude: -38.1121 Longitude: 188.825 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-05-30 01:48Please 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 wide view of the 'John Klein' location selected for the first rock drilling by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is a mosaic taken by Curiosity's right Mast Camera (Mastcam). | Raw ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis wide view of the "John Klein" location selected for the first rock drilling by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is a mosaic taken by Curiosity's right Mast Camera (Mastcam) during the afternoon of the 153rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. Veins interpreted as evidence of a wet past are common in the flat-lying rocks of the area. An excerpt from this scene, PIA16568, provides an indication of scale. This mosaic of telephoto images has been white-balanced to show what the rocks would look like if they were on Earth. A raw-color version is also available, showing what the rocks look like on Mars to the camera. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 17 March 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows gullies in the wall of a crater near 39.1°S, 200.7°W. Discussion among Mars scientists as to how martian middle-and polar-latitude gullies formed continues to this day. They were first observed in MGS MOC images and reported in June 2000. Most investigators agree that gullies, such as those shown here, were formed by running water, but disagree on whether the liquid came from snowmelt, groundwater, or melting ground ice. Still others argue that the fluid was carbon dioxide, and a few suggest that the gullies formed "dry"--that is, by landsliding processes involving no liquid or gas. This January 2004 MOC full-resolution (1.5 m/pixel; 5 ft./pixel) image is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. The 300 m scale bar is approximately 984 ft. long. | |
Spirit Solar Panel on Sol 1813, Still Very Dusty | NASA Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this image using the left eye of its navigation camera during the 1,813th Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on Mars (February 7, 2009). Contrast has been stretched to make dust on the solar panel more easily visible.Engineering data from Spirit's power subsystem indicated that some dust blew off the rover's solar array on the preceding day, Sol 1812 (February 6, 2009). This image and one from Sol 1811 (February 5, 2009) (PIA11798) provide a before-and-after comparison of the dust visible on Spirit's rear solar array. The reduction in the dust coating is difficult to discern in the images. The cleaning event was detected by a change in electrical output from the solar panels. Spirit's daily energy supply from the solar array increased by about 30 watt-hours, to about 240 watt-hours from 210 watt-hours. (Thirty watt-hours is enough to illuminate a 30 watt bulb for one hour.) Before the Sol 1812 cleaning, only 25 percent of sunlight hitting the array was getting past the dust to be used by the photovoltaic cells. That factor improved to 28 percent after the cleaning event.Spirit took this image at about 2:07 p.m. local solar time at Spirit's location inside Gusev Crater. The rover's position was next to the northern edge of the low plateau called "Home Plate," visible beyond the solar panel. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small portion of the immense lava flows that originated from Arsia Mons. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a small portion of the immense lava flows that originated from Arsia Mons. Arsia Mons is the southernmost of the three large aligned volcanoes in the Tharsis region. Arsia Mons' last eruption was 10s of million years ago. The different surface textures are created by differences in the lava viscosity and cooling rates. The lobate margins of each flow can be traced back to the start of each flow — or to the point where they are covered by younger flows. Flows in Daedalia Planum can be as long as 180 km (111 miles). For comparison the longest Hawaiian lava flow is only 51 km (˜31 miles) long. The total area of Daedalia Planum is 2.9 million square km â_x0080__x0093_ more than four times the size of Texas.Orbit Number: 89650 Latitude: -23.8918 Longitude: 234.54 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-03-01 01:57Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This infrared image of Proctor Crater shows the dune field on the floor of the crater on Mars. The dunes are bright in this daytime image, indicating they are warmer than the surrounding crater materials as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA11885Proctor Crater DunesThis infrared (IR) image of Proctor Crater shows the dune field on the floor of the crater. The dunes are bright in this daytime image, indicating they are warmer than the surrounding crater materials.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -48.1N, Longitude 30.2E. 95 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. | |
Located at 64 degrees south latitude, the dunes in Wegener Crater are just beginning to lose their frost cover. The 'salt and pepper' appearance is bright frost and dark dune on the crater floor in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageLocated at 64 degrees south latitude, the dunes in Wegener Crater are just beginning to lose their frost cover. The 'salt and pepper' appearance is bright frost and dark dune on the crater floor.Orbit Number: 39736 Latitude: -64.2108 Longitude: 355.252 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-11-29 03:31Please 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. | |
There are several streamlined islands in this image of Kasei Valles. This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located near the region where Kasei Valles empties into Chryse Planitia. | Context imageThere are several streamlined islands in this VIS image of Kasei Valles. This image is located near the region where Kasei Valles empties into Chryse Planitia.Orbit Number: 54556 Latitude: 25.0252 Longitude: 307.603 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-04-01 23:54Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this stereo view of the rover's surroundings on sol (or Martian day) 959 of its surface mission. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this stereo view of the rover's surroundings on sol (or Martian day) 959 of its surface mission.This view is presented as a vertical projection with geometric seam correction. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows numerous large gullies dissect the inner rim of this unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. | Context image Numerous large gullies dissect the inner rim of this unnamed crater in Noachis Terra.Orbit Number: 65853 Latitude: -34.5477 Longitude: 37.3545 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-10-18 04:49Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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