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This scene shows gullies superposed on the inner walls of four large craters. Most of these gullies, imaged by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, appear to emanate from one or two specific layers along the inner crater's entire circumference. | (Released 28 March 2002)This scene shows gullies superposed on the inner walls of four large craters. Most of these gullies appear to emanate from one or two specific layers along the inner crater's entire circumference. The presence of gullies on the equatorward facing slopes is unusual in that most gullied inner crater walls are poleward facing. It appears that there are several distinct layers from which the gullies issue forth as well as different expressions and possibly types and or ages of gully development. Some gullies appear to originate in the uppermost layers and others in lower layers. An atmospheric haze is also visible in the poleward facing slopes of the craters. This haze is visible in the original data but has been enhanced by image processing. The small elliptical crater in the lower left contains evidence of downslope flow on the floor. The largest crater in this scene has a central peak with a pit. Note the lack of gully development on either the central peak and pit. Most craters in this region are filled and mantled (covered in dust) or "softened." This image is approximately 22 km wide and 60 km in length; north is toward the top. | |
Ius Chasma is unique from the other chasmata of Valles Marineris in possessing mega gullies on both sides of the chasma. This image was captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image Ius Chasma is unique from the other chasmata of Valles Marineris in possessing mega gullies on both sides of the chasma. The largest mega gullies are located in Sinai Planum, dissecting those plains and emptying into the canyon. These mega gullies are called Louros Valles. Mega gullies are thought to be sapping channels caused by groundwater flow and erosion. The Earth analog is springs - water that flows underground and then breaches the surface creating channels. The morphology of the Mars gullies mirrors terrestrial springs. The channel is fairly uniform in width and the "head" of the channel is rounded like an amphitheater. The channel lengthens by erosion at the "head" backwards as the surface where the spring emerges is undercut. For Mars it is theorized that subsurface water would stay liquid due to underground heating. The channels in this image are parts of the two largest mega gullies. Note how every channel head is the amphitheater bowl shape. Ius Chasma is at the western end of Valles Marineris, south of Tithonium Chasma. Valles Marineris is over 4000 kilometers long, wider than the United States. Ius Chasma is almost 850 kilometers long (528 miles), 120 kilometers wide and over 8 kilometers deep. In comparison, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is about 175 kilometers long, 30 kilometers wide, and only 2 kilometers deep. The canyons of Valles Marineris were formed by extensive fracturing and pulling apart of the crust during the uplift of the vast Tharsis plateau. Landslides have enlarged the canyon walls and created deposits on the canyon floor. Weathering of the surface and influx of dust and sand have modified the canyon floor, both creating and modifying layered materials. There are many features that indicate flowing and standing water played a part in the chasma formation.The 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: 40700 Latitude: -8.16691 Longitude: 275.35 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-02-16 12:12Please 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 16, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows collapse pits are found on the flank of Ascraeus Mons on Mars. The pits and channels are all related to lava tube formation and emptying. | We will be looking at collapse pits for the next two weeks. Collapse pits on Mars are formed in several 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 edifice 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 collapse pits are found on the flank of Ascraeus Mons. The pits and channels are all related to lava tube formation and emptying.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude 8, Longitude 253.9 East (106.1 West). 100 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Track of Right-Wheel Drag | This 360-degree panorama combines several frames taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during the rover's 313th martian day (Nov. 19, 2004). The site, labeled Spirit site 93, is in the "Columbia Hills" inside Gusev Crater. The rover tracks point westward. Spirit had driven eastward, in reverse and dragging its right front wheel, for about 30 meters (100 feet) on the day the picture was taken. Driving backwards while dragging that wheel is a precautionary strategy to extend the usefulness of the wheel for when it is most needed, because it has developed more friction than the other wheels. The right-hand track in this look backwards shows how the dragging disturbed the soil. This view is presented in a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction. | |
An engineering version of the robotic arm on NASA's InSight mission lifts the engineering version of the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe (HP3) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. | An engineering version of the robotic arm on NASA's InSight mission lifts the engineering version of the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe (HP3) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This test was conducted by InSight team members in a Mars-like environment, including reddish lighting, to simulate conditions InSight will encounter on the Red Planet. The orange tape-like tail behind HP3 is a tether that connects the HP3 support structure to the instrument's back-end electronics box on the lander.JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages InSight for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The InSight spacecraft was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver, Colorado.For more information about the mission, go to https://mars.nasa.gov/insight. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the floor of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. | 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 Noachis Terra.Orbit Number: 75302 Latitude: -45.6155 Longitude: 359.839 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-05 14:49Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This is the first image ever taken from the surface of Mars of an overcast sky. The image was taken by NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 16 at about ten degrees up from the eastern Martian horizon. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | This is the first image ever taken from the surface of Mars of an overcast sky. Featured are stratus clouds coming from the northeast at about 15 miles per hour (6.7 meters/second) at an approximate height of ten miles (16 kilometers) above the surface. The "you are here" notation marks where Earth was situated in the sky at the time the image was taken. Scientists had hoped to see Earth in this image, but the cloudy conditions prevented a clear viewing. Similar images will be taken in the future with the hope of capturing a view of Earth. From Mars, Earth would appear as a tiny blue dot as a star would appear to an Earthbound observer. Pathfinder's imaging system will not be able to resolve Earth's moon. The clouds consist of water ice condensed on reddish dust particles suspended in the atmosphere. Clouds on Mars are sometimes localized and can sometimes cover entire regions, but have not yet been observed to cover the entire planet. The image was taken about an hour and forty minutes before sunrise by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 16 at about ten degrees up from the eastern Martian horizon.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
The north polar residual ice cap of the Planum Boreum region, which is cut by spiral-patterned troughs, is located at top of this image from NASA's Viking Orbiter 1. | The coordinates of the Lambert azimuthal equal area projection are latitude 90 degrees N. to 90 degrees S. and longitude -180 degrees to 0 degrees. The north polar residual ice cap of the Planum Boreum region, which is cut by spiral-patterned troughs, is located at top. The upper part is marked by large depression, Isidis basin, which contains light-colored plains. The upper part also includes the light-colored smooth plains of Elysium Planitia and dark plains of Vastitas Borealis. Together, these form a vast expanse of contiguous plains. Toward the bottom, on the other hand, the southern hemisphere is almost entirely made up of heavily cratered highlands. Toward the bottom, a conspicuous, relatively bright circular depression marks the ancient large Hellas impact basin. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows small, linear ridges in this image located on the floor of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. | Context image for PIA10310More RidgesThe small, linear ridges in this image are located on the floor of an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -23.7N, Longitude 9.2E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Complex floor deposits showing a landscape of ridges and troughs within Western Ganges Chasma, Valles Marineris are evident in this image taken by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. | This image shows a remarkable landscape of ridges and troughs that very closely resemble folded and warped sediments on Earth. This is the first time such warped beds have been seen on Mars, and neither their origin nor their occurrence within Ganges Chasma is understood. It is possible these are beds folded by a large landslide, but that would be very unusual. Alternatively, these may be folded sedimentary beds, similar to horizontal beds seen elsewhere in Ganges Chasma. However, what forces then folded these particular beds while leaving the others undeformed is unknown. Future imaging within this and the other Valles Marineris will be used to address such issues.Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The original mission plan called for using friction with the planet's atmosphere to reduce the orbital energy, leading to a two-year mapping mission from close, circular orbit (beginning in March 1998). Owing to difficulties with one of the two solar panels, aerobraking was suspended in mid-October and resumed in November 8. Many of the original objectives of the mission, and in particular those of the camera, are likely to be accomplished as the mission progresses.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. | |
NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft passes above a portion of the planet that is rotating into the sunlight in this artist's concept illustration. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft passes above a portion of the planet that is rotating into the sunlight in this artist's concept illustration. This red-blue anaglyph artwork can be viewed in 3-D on your computer monitor or in color print form by wearing red-blue (cyan) 3-D glasses. The spacecraft has been orbiting Mars since October 24, 2001. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Mars Odyssey mission for the NASA Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Investigators at Arizona State University in Tempe, the University of Arizona in Tucson, and NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, operate the science instruments. The gamma-ray spectrometer was provided by the University of Arizona in collaboration with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency and Institute for Space Research, which provided the high-energy neutron detector, and the Los Alamos National Laboratories, New Mexico, which provided the neutron spectrometer. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit taken on Oct 16, 2005 shows where the rover explored Gusev Crater on Mars. | The first explorer ever to scale a summit on another planet, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has begun a long trek downward from the top of "Husband Hill" to new destinations. As shown in this 180-degree panorama from east of the summit, Spirit's earlier tracks are no longer visible. They are off to the west (to the left in this view). Spirit's next destination is "Haskin Ridge," straight ahead along the edge of the steep cliff on the right side of this panorama.The scene is a mosaic of images that Spirit took with the navigation camera on the rover's 635th Martian day, or sol, (Oct. 16, 2005) of exploration of Gusev Crater on Mars. This view is presented in a vertical projection with geometric seam correction. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this 3-D navigation camera mosaic of the crater called 'Bonneville.' 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this 3-D navigation camera mosaic of the crater called "Bonneville" after driving approximately 13 meters (42.7 feet) to get a better vantage point. Spirit's current position is close enough to the edge to see the interior of the crater, but high enough and far enough back to get a view of all of the walls. Because scientists and rover controllers are so pleased with this location, they will stay here for at least two more martian days, or sols, to take high resolution panoramic camera images of "Bonneville" in its entirety. Just above the far crater rim, on the left side, is the rover's heatshield, which is visible as a tiny reflective speck. | |
This graph shows rising air during a 2007 global dust storm on Mars lofted water vapor into the planet's middle atmosphere based on data from the Mars Climate Sounder instrument onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | Rising air during a 2007 global dust storm on Mars lofted water vapor into the planet's middle atmosphere, researchers learned from data graphed here, derived from observations by the Mars Climate Sounder instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The two vertical black lines in the right half of the graph (at about 260 and 310 on the horizontal scale) mark the beginning and end of the most recent global dust storm on Mars, which burst from regional scale to globe-encircling scale in July 2007. The presence of more colored dots, particularly green ones, in the upper portion of the graph between those lines, compared to the upper portion of the graph outside those lines, documents the uplift of water vapor in connection with the global dust storm.The vertical scale is altitude, labeled at left in kilometers above the surface of Mars (50 kilometers is about 30 miles; 80 kilometers is about 50 miles).The color bar below the graph gives the key to how much water vapor each dot represents, in parts per million, by volume, in Mars' atmosphere. Note that green to yellow represents about 100 times as much water as purple does.The horizontal axis of the graph is time, from January 2006 to February 2008. It is labeled with numbers representing the 360 degrees of Mars' orbit around the Sun, from zero to 360 degrees and then further on to include the first 30 degrees of the following Martian year. (The zero point is autumnal equinox -- end of summer -- in Mars' northern hemisphere.)This graph, based on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter observations, was used in a January 2018 paper in Nature Astronomy by Nicholas Heavens of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, and co-authors. The paper presents Martian dust storms' uplifting effect on water vapor as a factor in seasonal patterns that other spacecraft have detected in the rate of hydrogen escaping from the top of Mars' atmosphere.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, and leads the Mars Climate Sounder investigation. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a section of Granicus Valles, one of several channel systems that originate near the western margin of the Elysium Mons volcanic complex. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a section of Granicus Valles, one of several channel systems that originate near the western margin of the Elysium Mons volcanic complex. The channel system is approximately 750 km (466 miles) long. It is likely that both water and lava played a part in creating the channel.Orbit Number: 80107 Latitude: 26.9142 Longitude: 133.873 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-01-05 08:02Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The windstreaks in this image are located on Tharsis volcanic flows northeast of Olympus Mons on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA09050WindstreakThe windstreaks in this image are located on Tharsis volcanic flows northeast of Olympus Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 32.0N, Longitude 234.5E. 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 set of images illustrates how the science filters of the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity can be used to investigate aspects of the composition and mineralogy of materials on Mars. | This set of images illustrates how the science filters of the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity can be used to investigate aspects of the composition and mineralogy of materials on Mars. On the left is a set of laboratory spectra of some iron oxide minerals (red and orange curves) and some relatively unoxidized minerals from typical basaltic volcanic rocks: pyroxenes (green and blue curves). On the right is the result of plotting the calibrated level of reflectance (the percentage of incident sunlight that is reflected off the surface) of several distinct regions from the Sol 183 (Feb. 9, 2013) Mastcam image of drill holes at rock target "John Klein" as a function of wavelength (color). The wavelengths correspond to the Mastcam science filters plus the red, green and blue wavelengths of the Mastcam Bayer filters, for a total of 12 unique wavelengths between the two Mastcam cameras. The six filters at the lower wavelengths are within the range of typical human color vision, while the six filters at the higher wavelengths represent infrared colors that our eyes are not sensitive to, but which the Mastcams can detect. See also PIA16805 for additional details.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and the mission's Curiosity rover for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image 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 – more than four times the size of Texas.Orbit Number: 89625 Latitude: -23.7327 Longitude: 235.755 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-02-27 00:33Please 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 taken on the morning of Sol 80 (September 23, 1997) shows NASA's Sojourner rover with its Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) deployed against the rock 'Chimp.' On the left horizon is the rim of 'Big Crater,' 2.2 km away. | This image taken on the morning of Sol 80 (September 23) shows the Sojourner rover with its Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) deployed against the rock "Chimp." On the left horizon is the rim of "Big Crater," 2.2 km away.This image and PIA00970 (left eye) make up a stereo pair.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows many lava flows, part of the extensive Tharsis volcanic complex. These flows appear to originate in the region of Alba Patera and flowed downhill towards Olympus Mons. | Context image for PIA10850Tharsis LavasThe many lava flows in this VIS image are part of the extensive Tharsis volcanic complex. These flows appear to originate in the region of Alba Patera and flowed downhill towards Olympus Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 25.1N, Longitude 236.4E. 19 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows layers exposed in a trough in the martian north polar region. At the time the picture was acquired, the entire scene was covered by seasonal carbon dioxide frost. | 29 August 2006This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 93° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 93° occurred in mid-August 2006. The picture shows the north polar region of Mars. Over the course of the month, additional faces of Mars as it appears at this time of year are being posted for MOC Picture of the Day. Ls, solar longitude, is a measure of the time of year on Mars. Mars travels 360° around the Sun in 1 Mars year. The year begins at Ls 0°, the start of northern spring and southern autumn.Season: Northern Summer/Southern Winter | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows fractures and graben in part of the highland called Claritas Rupes which extends southward from the western edge of Noctis Labyrinthus and divides the volcanic flows of Deadalia Planum and Solis Planum. | Context image for PIA09454Claritas RupesThe fractures and graben seen in the image are part of the highland called Claritas Rupes. Claritas Rupes extends southward from the western edge of Noctis Labyrinthus and divides the volcanic flows of Deadalia Planum and Solis Planum.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -21.3N, Longitude 251.4E. 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. | |
On Mars, alluvial fans are sometimes visible in impact crater basins, as material from the steep rims is transported radially inward to the relatively flat floor. This image is from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionOn Earth, alluvial fans form in desert regions when heavy but sporadic rainfall washes debris from upslope and deposits it in a wedge-shaped fan on the lower slopes below.On Mars, alluvial fans are sometimes visible in impact crater basins, as material from the steep rims is transported radially inward to the relatively flat floor. Because this is a water-driven process on Earth, and therefore might work the same way on Mars, scientists study Martian alluvial fans order to try to better understand the climate history and possible warmer, wetter past of Mars.This image, along with its stereo companion, displays an alluvial fan on the floor of a large, 60-kilometer (38 mile) diameter equatorial crater. It is one of several present in the crater (see ESP_017340_1565). This one looks particularly nice in the anaglyph, as there are well-delineated ridges in the fan that stand above the crater floor. These ridges are inverted channels, which form when the floor of a channel is more resistant to erosion than the surrounding surface. This can happen if the floor of the channel is cemented by minerals deposited from water, filled by lava, or simply covered by larger rocks which are hard for the wind to sweep away. HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
Channels are a common feature on the margin of Terra Cimmeria where the elevation changes from highland to northern lowlands in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageChannels are a common feature on the margin of Terra Cimmeria where the elevation changes from highland to northern lowlands.Orbit Number: 40106 Latitude: -4.7573 Longitude: 131.766 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-12-29 14:22Please 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 from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of northern Terra Sabaea, where hills are common. The blue tones are usually locations of basaltic sand. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of northern Terra Sabaea, where hills are common. The blue tones are usually locations of basaltic sand.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: 60587 Latitude: 34.6347 Longitude: 66.5714 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-08-11 11:50Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a martian gullied crater wall at southern mid-latitude. Formation of such gullies might have involved flowing liquid water. | 8 May 2004This March 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a gullied crater wall at southern mid-latitude near 35.5°S, 223.0°W. Formation of such gullies might have involved flowing liquid water. The Mars science community has been debating, since they were first reported in June 2000, whether such gullies were carved by water, carbon dioxide, or perhaps formed in completely dry, granular material without the influence of a fluid. The scientists have also debated whether the water--if it was water--started out in the form of ground ice, a snow pack, or liquid groundwater. Since June 2000, many hundreds of new gully locations--and tens of thousands of individual gullies--have been identified. Their relative youth suggests to some the possibility that Mars today has water or ice within less than 1 kilometer of the surface--a depth that may be readily accessible to future explorers. This picture is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. | |
This large dune field is located in a trough of the north polar ice cap on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA08682Polar Textures>This large dune field is located in a trough of the north polar ice cap.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 83.8N, Longitude 232.5E. 40 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the southern margin of Juventae Chasma. | Context imageToday's image shows part of the southern margin of Juventae Chasma. Also visible are sand dunes located on the floor of the canyon.Orbit Number: 64372 Latitude: -5.09577 Longitude: 297.061 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-06-18 05:03Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the northern margin of Arabia Terra. Numerous unnamed channels dissect this region of Arabia Terra, flowing downward into Acidalia Planitia. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows the northern margin of Arabia Terra. Numerous unnamed channels dissect this region of Arabia Terra, flowing downward into Acidalia Planitia.Orbit Number: 77367 Latitude: 31.0987 Longitude: 345.16 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-05-24 17:05Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This is the full-resolution, rotated perspective image of Nirgal Vallis, was taken on September 21, 1997, by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. Nirgal Vallis is one of a number of canyons called valley networks or runoff channels. | This is the full-resolution, rotated perspective image of Nirgal Vallis, a subset of PIA00942. Nirgal Vallis is one of a number of canyons called valley networks or runoff channels. Much of the debate concerning the origin of these valleys centers on whether they were formed by water flowing across the surface, or by collapse and upslope erosion associated with groundwater processes. At the resolution of this image, it is just barely possible to discern an interwoven pattern of lines on the highland surrounding the valley, but it is not possible to tell whether this is a pattern of surficial debris (sand or dust), as might be expected with the amount of crater burial seen, or a pattern of drainage channels. With 4X better resolution from its mapping orbit, MOC should easily be able to tell the difference between these two possibilities.Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The spacecraft has been using atmospheric drag to reduce the size of its orbit for the past three weeks, and will achieve a circular orbit only 400 km (248 mi) above the surface early next year. Mapping operations begin in March 1998. At that time, MOC narrow angle images will be 5-10 times higher resolution than these pictures.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. | |
One of the two forward cameras aboard NASA's Sojourner rover took this image of the Sagan Memorial Station on Sol 26. The angular resolution of the camera is about three milliradians per pixel, which is why the image appears grainy. | One of the two forward cameras aboard the Sojourner rover took this image of the Sagan Memorial Station on Sol 26. The angular resolution of the camera is about three milliradians (.018 degrees) per pixel, which is why the image appears grainy. The field of view of each rover camera is about 127 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees vertically.Features seen on the lander include (from left to right): the Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET) mast with windsocks; the low-gain antenna mast, the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on its mast at center; the disc-shaped high-gain antenna at right, and areas of deflated airbags. The dark circle on the lander body is a filtered vent that allowed air to escape during launch, and allowed the lander to repressurize upon landing. The high-gain antenna is pointed at Earth. The large rock "Yogi," which Sojourner has approached and studied, as at the far right of the image. "Mini Matterhorn" is the large rock situated in front of the lander at left.The horizontal line at the center of the image is due to differences in light-metering for different portions of the image. The shadow of Sojourner and its antenna are visible at the lower section of the image. The antenna's shadow falls across a light-colored rock.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages and Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor captured this dramatic view of a slope in the Amenthes Rupes region near the martian equator showing layered bedrock, smooth-surfaced debris at the slope base, and many small ripple-like dunes. | One of the highlights of the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera project thus far has been the realization that much of the upper crust--i.e., the bedrock--is layered. This dramatic view of a slope in the Amenthes Rupes region near the martian equator shows layered bedrock, smooth-surfaced debris at the slope base, and many small ripple-like dunes. The picture was taken during the second week of April 1999 and covers an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide. Illumination is from the lower right.Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a part of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria. The finger-like projection from the southern rim towards the central peak is a landslide deposit. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a part of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria. The finger-like projection from the southern rim towards the central peak is a landslide deposit.Orbit Number: 90663 Latitude: -21.8761 Longitude: 169.361 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-05-23 11:50Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found a rock that apparently is another meteorite, less than three weeks after driving away from a larger meteorite that the rover examined for six weeks. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found a rock that apparently is another meteorite, less than three weeks after driving away from a larger meteorite that the rover examined for six weeks. Opportunity used its navigation camera during the mission's 2,022nd Martian day, or sol, (Oct. 1, 2009) to take this image of the apparent meteorite dubbed "Shelter Island." The pitted rock is about 47 centimeter (18.5 inches) long. Opportunity had driven 28.5 meters (94 feet) that sol to approach the rock after it had been detected in images taken after a drive two sols earlier.Opportunity has driven about 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) since it finished studying the meteorite called "Block Island" on Sept. 11, 2009. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a number of unnamed channels located on the northeastern margin of Terra Sabaea. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a number of unnamed channels located on the northeastern margin of Terra Sabaea.Orbit Number: 61049 Latitude: 33.5036 Longitude: 58.6967 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-09-18 12:54Please 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. | |
Several landslides occurred on this steep cliff face in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageSeveral landslides occurred on this steep cliff face.Orbit Number: 51684 Latitude: -6.49984 Longitude: 328.126 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-08-08 14:05Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image acquired on December 31, 2022 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows Utopia Planitia, a vast plain in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionUtopia Planitia, a vast plain in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars, has an interesting and complex history. One of the intriguing features is a field of mounds showing circular depressions at their summits. The fact that many of these "craters" are on top of mounds argues against them being craters created by impacts, as is common on Mars and other planetary bodies across the solar system.There are many processes that can form such landforms, most notably hot lava. However, mud ejected from beneath the surface (through different geologic mechanisms) could also be a possibility. Being able to better understand how these features formed (aided by HiRISE stereo images) is crucial to our understanding of the geologic history of the region.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 30.4 centimeters [12.0 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 91 centimeters [35.8 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.This is a stereo pair with ESP_076891_2050.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. | |
Part of the summit caldera of Olympus Mons is visible at the bottom of this image as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Originally released on Oct. 10, 2013Context imagePart of the summit caldera of Olympus Mons is visible at the bottom of this image.Orbit Number: 51824 Latitude: 19.1853 Longitude: 227.243 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-08-20 04:22Please 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 from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows dust devil tracks in Aonia Terra. | Context image for PIA11873Dust Devil TracksThis VIS image shows dust devil tracks in Aonia Terra.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -55.7N, Longitude 268.9E. 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows rugged, wind-eroded material that once used to completely cover the upper flanks of the martian volcano, Apollinaris Patera. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-378, 1 June 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows rugged, wind-eroded material that once used to completely cover the upper flanks of the martian volcano, Apollinaris Patera. This material; perhaps ancient volcanic ash or more recent, cemented dust, has been partially removed by wind erosion, revealing a smoother surface beneath. This view is located near the summit of the volcano, around 9.3°S, 186.1°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
This image, part of an images as art series from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on Feb 19, 2004 shows a cracked, chaotic terrain bearing a striking similarity to reptile skin, perhaps a very large alligator. | Released 19 February 2004Humanity is a very visual species. We rely on our eyes to tell us what is going on in the world around us. Put any image in front of a person and that person will examine the picture looking for anything familiar. Even if the examiner has no idea what he/she is looking at in a picture, he/she will still be able to make a statement about the picture, usually preceded by the words "it looks like..." The image above is part of the surface of Mars, but is presented for its artistic value rather than its scientific value. When first viewed, this image solicited a statement that "it looks like..." something seen in everyday life.This cracked, chaotic terrain bears a striking similarity to reptile skin - perhaps a very large alligator.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 distinctively fluted surface and elongated hills in Medusae Fossae are caused by wind erosion of a soft fine-grained rock, as seen by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe distinctively fluted surface and elongated hills in this image in Medusae Fossae are caused by wind erosion of a soft fine-grained rock. Called yardangs, these features are aligned with the prevailing wind direction. This wind direction would have dominated for a very long time to carve these large-scale features into the exposed rock we see today.Yardangs not only reveal the strength and direction of historic winds, but also reveal something of the host rock itself. Close inspection by HiRISE shows an absence of boulders or rubble, especially along steep yardang cliffs and buttresses. The absence of rubble and the scale of the yardangs tells us that the host rock consists only of weakly cemented fine granules in tens of meters or more thick deposits. Such deposits could have come from extended settling of volcanic ash, atmospheric dust, or accumulations of wind deposited fine sands. After a time these deposits became cemented and cohesive, illustrated by the high standing relief and exposed cliffs. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
The amount of sand in this region of Juventae Chasma has coalesced into a sand sheet, rather than individual dune forms. Wind continues to sculpt the sand around high standing hills in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageThe amount of sand in this region of Juventae Chasma has coalesced into a sand sheet, rather than individual dune forms. Wind continues to sculpt the sand around high standing hills.Orbit Number: 38765 Latitude: -4.18755 Longitude: 298.942 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-09-10 04:18Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small field of dunes and associated dust devil tracks located on the floor of this unnamed crater on the rim of Roddenberry Crater. | Context imageA small field of dunes and associated dust devil tracks on located on the floor of this unnamed crater on the rim of Roddenberry Crater.Orbit Number: 49922 Latitude: -49.4328 Longitude: 357.598 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-03-16 14:29Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This is one of the first images NASA's Perseverance rover sent back after touching down on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. The view, from one of Perseverance's Hazard Cameras, is partially obscured by a dust cover. The rover's shadow can be seen at left. | This is one of the first images NASA's Perseverance rover sent back after touching down on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. The view, from one of Perseverance's Hazard Cameras, is partially obscured by a dust cover. The rover's shadow can be seen at left.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.Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and manages operations of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover for NASA.For more information about the mission, go to https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/. | |
This image captured during March 1999 by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows summertime in the northern hemisphere of Mars with the northern plains clearly in view. The image is located near Lomonosov Crater on the Vastitas Borealis plain. | Until now, the vast northern plains of Mars have largely eluded the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) because these plains were obscured by winter and springtime clouds during most of the 1997 and 1998 Aerobraking and Science Phasing portions of the MGS Mission. However, now in March 1999 it is summertime in the northern hemisphere of Mars, and the northern plains are clearly in view. This image was taken at a resolution of 3 meters (10 feet) per pixel in order to characterize the nature of these plains. The image is located near Lomonosov Crater on the Vastitas Borealis plain. The image shows a patterned surface with two distinct rings that are suspected to be the locations of buried impact craters. The larger such ring (right) has dark spots clustered in several patches along its margins--these are fields boulders and rocks. The image covers an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) across and is illuminated from the lower left.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 observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is an oblique view of gully deposits from the steep slope of an impact crater. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is an oblique view of gully deposits from the steep slope of an impact crater.The deposits with anomalous (bluish) colors may reveal very recent activity, not yet homogenized by dust deposition, or there may be sand preferentially trapped in some places to give this appearance. This is a stereo pair with This is a stereo pair with ESP_013667_1345.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 28.5 centimeters (11.2 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 86 centimeters (33.9 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a hole drilled by the rover's rock abrasion tool located on its robotic arm in the rock dubbed 'Humphrey.' | This image taken by the navigation camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a hole drilled by the rover in the rock dubbed "Humphrey." Spirit ground into the rock with the rock abrasion tool located on its robotic arm on the 60th martian day, or sol, of its mission. Scientists are investigating the freshly exposed rock with the rover's suite of scientific instruments, also located on the rover's arm. Spirit is on its way to a large crater nicknamed "Bonneville." | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows landslides, a common feature of Valles Marineris. | Context image for PIA10252LandslidesLandslides are a common feature of Valles Marineris.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -13.2N, Longitude 301.3E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
These three versions of the same image taken by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity illustrate different choices that scientists can make in presenting the colors recorded by the camera. | These three versions of the same image taken by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity illustrate different choices that scientists can make in presenting the colors recorded by the camera. The left image is the raw, unprocessed color, as it is received directly from Mars (and as available on the MSL Raw Images Web site: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/). The center rendering was produced after calibration of the image to show an estimate of "natural" color, or approximately what the colors would look like if we were to view the scene ourselves on Mars. The right image shows the result of then applying a processing method called white-balancing, which shows an estimate of the colors of the terrain as if illuminated under Earth-like, rather than Martian, lighting.The image was taken by the Mastcam on Sol 19 of Curiosity's mission on Mars (Aug. 23, 2012), using only the camera's red-green-blue Bayer filters. It looks south-southwest from the rover's landing site toward Mount Sharp.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and the mission's Curiosity rover for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image from July 4, 1997, shows that NASA's Mars Pathfinder airbags have been successfully retracted, allowing safe deployment of the rover ramps. | This image shows that the Mars Pathfinder airbags have been successfully retracted, allowing safe deployment of the rover ramps. The Sojourner rover, still in its deployed position, is at center image, and rocks are visible in the background. Mars Pathfinder landed successfully on the surface of Mars today at 10:07 a.m. PDT.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
After a finishing an in-and-out maneuver to check wheel slippage near the rim of Victoria Crater, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity re-entered the crater during the rover's 1,293rd Martian day, or sol, (Sept. 13, 2007). | After a finishing an in-and-out maneuver to check wheel slippage near the rim of Victoria Crater, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity re-entered the crater during the rover's 1,293rd Martian day, or sol, (Sept. 13, 2007) to begin a weeks-long exploration of the inner slope.Opportunity's front hazard-identification camera recorded this wide-angle view looking down into and across the crater at the end of the day's drive. The rover's position was about six meters (20 feet) inside the rim, in the "Duck Bay" alcove of the crater. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small unnamed channel entering and running along the rim of this unnamed crater in Arabia Terra. | Context imageA small unnamed channel enters and runs along the rim of this unnamed crater in Arabia Terra.Orbit Number: 39249 Latitude: 35.7861 Longitude: 352.381 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-10-20 02:33 07:33Please 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 is the first color image of the Martian surface taken by an aerial vehicle while it was aloft. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured it with its color camera during its second successful flight test on April 22, 2021. | Figure 1This is the first color image of the Martian surface taken by an aerial vehicle while it was aloft. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured it with its color camera during its second successful flight test on April 22, 2021. At the time this image, Ingenuity was 17 feet (5.2 meters) above the surface and pitching (moving the camera's field of view upward) so the helicopter could begin its 7-foot (2-meter) translation to the west — away from the rover. The image, as well as the inset showing a closeup of a portion of the tracks the Perseverance Mars rover and Mars surface features, demonstrates the utility of scouting Martian terrain from an aerial perspective. The winding parallel discolorations in the surface reveal the tread of the six-wheeled rover. Perseverance itself is located top center, just out frame. "Wright Brothers Field" is in the vicinity of the helicopter's shadow, bottom center, with the actual point of takeoff of the helicopter just below the image. A portion of the landing pads on two of the helicopter's four landing legs can be seen in on the left and right sides of the image, and a small portion of the horizon can be seen at the upper right and left corners.Mounted in the helicopter's fuselage and pointed approximately 22 degree below the horizon, Ingenuity's high-resolution color camera contains a 4208-by-3120-pixel sensor. 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. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, Snapdragon, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. The Mars Helicopter Delivery System was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Space Systems, Denver. | |
Proposed MSL Site in Southwest Arabia Terra | Click on image for larger versionHiRISE image (PSP_002812_1855) of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in Southwest Arabia Terra.Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 3 March 2007Local Mars time: 3:39 PMDegrees latitude (centered): 5.6°Degrees longitude (East): 355.6°Range to target site: 274.5 km (171.5 miles)Original image scale range: 27.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~82 cm across are resolvedMap-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is upMap-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAREmission angle: 6.0°Phase angle: 62.0°Solar incidence angle: 56°, with the Sun about 34° above the horizonSolar longitude: 193.7°, Northern SummerNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-578, 18 December 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an ancient, unnamed, martian valley in the Xanthe Terra region, located near 3.3°S, 54.9°W. This valley might have been a conduit for flowing water, but there is no way to be certain because it is so old that none of its original features have been preserved. Bright, windblown ripples are now found on the valley floor. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide; sunlight illuminates the scene from the left. | |
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope images of Mars, taken on June 27, 1997, reveal a significant dust storm which fills much of the Valles Marineris canyon system and extends into Xanthe Terra. | NASA's Hubble Space Telescope images of Mars, taken on June 27, 1997, reveal a significant dust storm which fills much of the Valles Marineris canyon system and extends into Xanthe Terra, about 600 miles (1000 kilometers) south of the landing site.It is difficult to predict the evolution of this storm and whether it will affect the Pathfinder observations.The pictures were taken in order to monitor the site in Ares Vallis where the Pathfinder spacecraft will land on July 4.The two images of Mars at the top of the figure are Hubble observations from June 27 (right) and May 17 (left). Visual comparison of these two images clearly shows the dust storm between 5 and 7 o'clock and about 2/3 of the way from the center of the planet's disk to the southern edge of the June image.The digital data were projected to form the map of the equatorial portion of the planet which is shown in the bottom portion of the figure. The green cross marks the location of the Pathfinder landing site, and the yellowish ribbon of dust which runs horizontally across the bottom of the map traces the location of Valles Marineris, a system of canyons which would stretch from Los Angeles to New York if placed on Earth.Most of the dust is confined within the canyons, which are up to 5-8 kilometers deep. The thickness of the dust cloud near the eastern end of the storm is similar to that observed by Viking lander 1 during the first of the two 1977 global dust storms which it studied.Other interesting features appear in this image. The northwestern portions of the planet are enveloped in unusually thick water ice clouds, similar to cirrus clouds on Earth; some clouds extend as far as Lunae Planum, the slightly darker region about halfway from the center to the left side of the map. The dark spot near the terminator (boundary between day and night) at about 9:00 in the June 27 planet image is Ascraeus Mons, a 27 kilometer high volcano, protruding through the clouds.The remnant north polar cap, composed of water ice, is at the top of the May and June images, and a bluish south polar hood, composed of water ice clouds, is seen along the southern edge. Because the planet's axis is tipped towards us during this season, we cannot see the south polar cap, which is in winter darkness.This image and other images and data received from the Hubble Space Telescope are posted on the World Wide Web on the Space Telescope Science Institute home page at URL http://oposite.stsci.edu/. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows an outcropping of ancient, sedimentary rock in a crater in western Arabia Terra on Mars. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-469, 31 August 2003The terraced area in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image is an outcropping of ancient, sedimentary rock. It occurs in a crater in western Arabia Terra near 10.8°N, 4.5°W. Sedimentary rocks provide a record of past environments on Mars. Field work will likely be required to begin to get a good understanding of the nature of the record these rocks contain. Their generally uniform thickness and repeated character suggests that deposition of fine sediment in this crater was episodic, if not cyclic. These rocks might be indicators of an ancient lake, or they might have been deposited from grains settling out of an earlier, thicker, martian atmosphere. This image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated from the lower left. | |
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 navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is the first look inside "Endurance Crater." The view is a cylindrical projection constructed from four images. The crater is about 130 meters (about 430 feet) in diameter. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a summer scene from the south polar region of Mars. The circular feature in the northeast (upper right) corner of the image is an old meteor impact crater that has been partially filled and buried. | 28 January 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a summer scene from the south polar region of Mars. The circular feature in the northeast (upper right) corner of the image is an old meteor impact crater that has been partially filled and buried. The cone-shaped hill that occurs within the crater on its east (right) side is a remnant of material that once covered and completely buried the crater. Perhaps beneath the surfaces in the rest of the image there are other craters that have been filled and buried such that we cannot know, from an image, that they ever existed. The theme of filled, buried, and exhumed craters is one that repeats itself -- over and over again -- all over Mars.Location near: 80.3°S, 286.1°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer | |
This image from the Navigation Camera (Navcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the position in which the rover held its arm for several days. | This image from the Navigation Camera (Navcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the position in which the rover held its arm for several days after a transient short circuit triggered onboard fault-protection programming to halt arm activities on Feb. 27, 2015, the 911th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars.The rover team chose to hold the arm in the same position for several days of tests to diagnose the underlying cause of the Sol 911 event. Observations with instruments on the rover's mast continued during this period. The Navcam took this image on March 4, 2015, during Sol 915.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover and the rover's Navcam.
More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows individual dunes on the floor of Russell Crater, as well as larger dunes created by individual dunes coalescing. | Context image This image shows individual dunes on the floor of Russell Crater, as well as larger dunes created by individual dunes coalescing . These dunes are in the western part of the dune field. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging.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: 26372 Latitude: -54.372 Longitude: 12.5481 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2007-11-24 17:16Please 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. | |
Smaller than a penny, the flower-like rock artifact on the left was imaged by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on the end of its robotic arm. | Figure 1Smaller than a penny, the flower-like rock artifact on the left was imaged by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on the end of its robotic arm. The image was taken on Feb. 24, 2022, the 3,396th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The "flower," along with the spherical rock artifacts seen to the right, were made in the ancient past when minerals carried by water cemented the rock. Figure 1 shows a tighter view of the flower-like feature.Curiosity has in the past discovered a diverse assortment of similar small features that formed when mineralizing fluids traveled through conduits in the rock. Images of such features are helping scientists understand more about the prolonged history of liquid water in Gale Crater.Curiosity was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA. JPL manages Curiosity's mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego.For more about Curiosity, visit mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/ or nasa.gov/msl. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows buttes and mesas surrounded by sand dunes on the floor of Rabe Crater, Mars. Gullies of uncertain origin cut sand dune surfaces in the top (north) quarter of the scene. | 29 June 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows buttes and mesas surrounded by sand dunes on the floor of Rabe Crater, Mars. Gullies of uncertain origin cut sand dune surfaces in the top (north) quarter of the scene.Location near: 44.1°S, 325.8°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Winter | |
This graphic maps locations of the sites where NASA's Curiosity collected its first 19 rock or soil samples for analysis by laboratory instruments inside the vehicle. It also presents images of the drilled holes where 15 rock-powder samples were acquired. | This graphic maps locations of the sites where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected its first 19 rock or soil samples for analysis by laboratory instruments inside the vehicle. It also presents images of the drilled holes where 15 rock-powder samples were acquired. Curiosity scooped two soil samples at each of the other two sites: Rocknest and Gobabeb.The diameter of each drill hole is about 0.6 inch (1.6 centimeters), slightly smaller than a U.S. dime. The images used here are raw color, as recorded by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera. Notice the differences in color of the material at different drilling sites.For the map, north is toward the upper left corner. The scale bar represents 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). The base map is from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.The latest sample site included is "Sebina,"where Curiosity drilled into bedrock of the Murray formation on Oct. 20, 2016, during the 1,495th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Curiosity landed in August 2012 on the plain (named Aeolis Palus) near Mount Sharp (or Aeolis Mons).The drilling dates for the first 13 rock samples collected are, by location: "John Klein" on Feb. 8, 2013 (Sol 182); "Cumberland" on May 19, 2013 (Sol 279); "Windjana" on May 5, 2014 (Sol 621); "Confidence Hills" on Sept. 24, 2014 (Sol 759); "Mojave" on Jan. 29, 2015 (Sol 882); "Telegraph Peak" on Feb. 24, 2015 (Sol 908); "Buckskin" on July 30, 2015 (Sol 1060); "Big Sky" on Sept. 29, 2015 (Sol 1119); "Greenhorn" on Oct. 18, 2015 (Sol 1137); "Lubango" on April 23, 2016 (Sol 1320); "Okoruso" on May 5, 2016 (Sol 1332); "Oudam" on June 4, 2016 (Sol 1361); "Quela" on Sept. 18, 2016 (Sol 1464).MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.For more information about Curiosity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows dark dunes superposed on the rippled floor of Proctor Crater in Noachis Terra. Winds blowing predominantly from east (right) to west (left) were responsible for the formation of these dunes on Mars. | 24 February 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark dunes superposed on the rippled floor of Proctor Crater in Noachis Terra. Winds blowing predominantly from east (right) to west (left) were responsible for the formation of these dunes.Location near: 47.3°S, 329.4°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer | |
This map shows the traverse of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity through the rover's 205th martian day, or sol on Aug. 21, 2004. Opportunity began its exploration inside 'Eagle' crater near the left edge of the map. | This map shows the traverse of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity through the rover's 205th martian day, or sol (Aug. 21, 2004). The background image is from the rover's descent imaging camera. Images inset along the route are from Opportunity's navigation camera. Opportunity began its exploration inside "Eagle" crater near the left edge of the map. Following completion of its study of the outcrop there, it traversed eastward to a small crater ("Fram" crater) before driving southeastward to the rim of "Endurance" crater. After a survey partly around the south rim of Endurance crater, Opportunity drove inside the southwest rim of Endurance crater and began a systematic study of outcrops exposed on the crater's inner slope. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows gullies and dunes in a crater near Gorgonum Chaos was acquired in late May 2004. | 2 June 2004This 1.5 meters (5 ft.) per pixel Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image of gullies and dunes in a crater near Gorgonum Chaos was acquired in late May 2004. The gullies may have formed by a combination of processes. Many middle- and polar-latitude gullies such as these are thought to form both by mass movement of dry materials and action of liquid water. Some investigators suggest alternative fluids such as carbon dioxide. Still others make a case that no fluid was involved at all. Some gullies on Mars show clear association with subsurface layering and undermining of those layers; they also show banked channels; these kinds of observations are usually taken in support of the water hypothesis. The crater in which the landforms shown here occur is located at 37.5°S, 169.3°W. This image covers an area about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) across. The scene is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. | |
This anaglyph view of 'Flat Top,' due south of the lander, was produced by NASA's Mars Pathfinder's Imager camera. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail. | This view of "Flat Top," southwest of the lander, was produced by combining the "Super Panorama" frames from the IMP camera. Super resolution was applied to help to address questions about the texture of this rock and what it might tell us about its mode of origin.The composite color frames that make up this anaglyph were produced for both the right and left eye of the IMP. These composites consist of 7 frames in the right eye and 8 frames in the left eye, taken with different color filters that were enlarged by 500% and then co-added using Adobe Photoshop to produce, in effect, a super-resolution panchromatic frame that is sharper than an individual frame would be. These panchromatic frames were then colorized with the red, green, and blue filtered images from the same sequence. The color balance was adjusted to approximate the true color of Mars.The anaglyph view was produced by combining the left with the right eye color composite frames by assigning the left eye composite view to the red color plane and the right eye composite view to the green and blue color planes (cyan), to produce a stereo anaglyph mosaic. This mosaic can be viewed in 3-D on your computer monitor or in color print form by wearing red-blue 3-D glasses.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).The left eye and right eye panoramas from which this anaglyph was created is available atPIA02405 andPIA02406.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey showing large, tilted blocks of chaotic terrain in Masursky Crater on Mars. Chaotic terrain is thought to occur when subsurface water is suddenly released to the surface. | Released 9 June 2003The large, tilted blocks in this THEMIS visible image are chaotic terrain in Masursky Crater. Chaotic terrain is thought to occur when subsurface water is suddenly released to the surface, and the resulting loss of ground support causes the surface material to slump and break into blocks. Most of the chaotic terrain on Mars is seen in the vicinity of the large catastrophic outflow channels. Many of the outflow channels actually have chaotic terrain as their source. This chaotic terrain is the source of a small channel that connects to the much larger Tiu Valles.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 12, Longitude 327.6 East (32.4 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 360-degree image mosaic was constructed from a sequence of images taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity showing its position along the edge of the large trough dubbed 'Anatolia.' | Click on the image for At the Edge of 'Anatolia' (QTVR)This 360-degree image mosaic was constructed from a sequence of images taken by the navigation camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The mosaic was created from 10 images.The images were acquired on the 72nd martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's mission to Meridiani Planum. The camera acquired the images at approximately 16:00 local solar time, or just before midnight Pacific Daylight Time on April 6, 2004.The image was taken from the rover's current position along the edge of the large trough dubbed "Anatolia," located some 150 meters (492 feet) away from "Eagle Crater." Scientists will likely investigate the rocks contained here in coming sols. They are also interested in the area's soil, which -- as evident from the rover's shallow tracks -- appears stronger than that of Eagle Crater. The dark crater behind the trough can be seen from orbit.Anatolia was named after the Anatolian fault system in Turkey. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a circular feature on the martian northern plains. It was once a crater formed by meteoritic impact. It was completely filled and buried by and within layered material. | 4 June 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a circular feature on the martian northern plains. It was once a crater formed by meteoritic impact. It was completely filled and buried by and within layered material. Later, the layered materials have begun to be eroded away, re-exposing the old crater rims in the process.Location near: 44.9°N, 264.7°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Autumn | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows an unusual layer of smooth material covering the flanks of the volcano Peneus Patera, located south of the Hellas Basin. | Context imageAn unusual layer of smooth material covers the flanks of the volcano Peneus Patera, located south of the Hellas Basin. Though smooth on its upper surface, the layer is pitted by a process of erosion that produces steep scarps facing the south pole and more gentle slopes in the direction of the equator. The style of erosion of the smooth layer suggests that ice of some form plays a role in shaping this terrain.Orbit Number: 91366 Latitude: -57.1932 Longitude: 54.3735 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-07-20 08:53Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This 360-degree mosaic of images from the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the view from the western rim of 'Santa Maria' crater is presented as a polar projection, with north at the top. | This 360-degree mosaic of images from the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the view from the western rim of "Santa Maria" crater on the 2,454th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's work on Mars (Dec. 19, 2010).The crater is about 90 meters (295 feet) in diameter. This view is presented as a polar projection, with north at the top. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a chain of elliptical pits on the lower east flank of Pavonis Mons on Mars. The pits follow the trend of these faults, and indicate the locus of collapse. | Pavonis Mons is the middle of the three large Tharsis Montes volcanoes in the martian western hemisphere. Located on the equator at about 113°W longitude, Pavonis Mons stands as much as 7 kilometers (4 miles) above the surrounding plain. The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) recently spied the above chain of elliptical pits on the lower east flank of Pavonis Mons. The picture covers an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide by 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) in length. The pits are aligned down the center of a 485 meters-(530 yards)-wide, shallow trough. The straight trough and the pits were both formed by collapse associated with faulting. The scarp on each side of the trough is a fault line--troughs of this type are known to geologists as graben. Such features are typically formed when the ground is being moved apart by tectonic forces, or when the ground is uplifted by molten rock injected into the near sub-surface from deeper underground. Both processes may be contributing to the features seen on Pavonis Mons. The pits follow the trend of these faults, and indicate the locus of collapse. Illumination is from the upper left in this image.Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the Tharsis region containing both large volcanoes and extensive lava plains. Most of the channel features in this region were formed by the flow of lava rather than the flow of water. | The Tharsis region contains both large volcanoes and extensive lava plains. Most of the channel features in this region were formed by the flow of lava rather than the flow of water. Tectonic processes are also common and many linear depressions were created due to stresses in the Tharsis area as the surface expanded and lava forced its way to the surface to form volcanoes. This VIS image is located north of Jovis Tholus.Orbit Number: 73129 Latitude: 20.4782 Longitude: 241.464 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-06-09 15:55Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from the MAHLI camera on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows details of rock texture and color in an area where the rover's Dust Removal Tool (DRT) brushed away dust that was on the rock. | This image from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity shows details of rock texture and color in an area where the rover's Dust Removal Tool (DRT) brushed away dust that was on the rock. This rock target, "Ekwir_1" was brushed and this image was recorded on the same Martian day, or sol, Sol 150 of Curiosity's mission on Mars (Jan. 6, 2013.)The image, one of the highest resolution images returned so far by MAHLI, was taken from a distance of about 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) from the rock's surface. Fractures, white veins, pits and tiny dark grains in the rock are visible, as well as remaining clumps and specks of dust. The scale bar at lower left is 2 millimeters (0.08 inches). Honeybee Robotics, New York, N.Y., built the DRT for Curiosity. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built the MAHLI.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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows light-toned surfaces of residual water ice in summer on Mars' north polar cap. | In the middle of January 2001, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) completed one Mars year in its ~380 km-high (236 mi) mapping orbit. The mapping orbit was originally achieved in late February 1999. In March of that year, MGS conducted a series of operations in preparation for full-up mapping, first calibrating its scientific instruments and then operating in a mode in which the high gain antenna was held fixed against the body of the spacecraft. During this Fixed High Gain Antenna period, "contingency science" observations were made in case the high gain antenna failed to properly deploy. The wide angle view of the martian north polar cap shown on the left was acquired on March 13, 1999, during early northern summer. The image on the right was acquired almost exactly one Mars year later, on January 26, 2001. The light-toned surfaces are residual water ice that remains through the summer season. The nearly circular band of dark material surrounding the cap consists mainly of sand dunes formed and shaped by wind. The north polar cap is roughly 1100 kilometers (680 miles) across. Close inspection will show that there are differences in the frost cover between the two images (for example, in the upper center of each image, and on the left edge center). Although these changes appear small, they are in fact quite large--the change in frost covering is equivalent to the amount of frost that would be evaporated (in the case of areas that are darker) or deposited (in areas where frost is still on the ground) in almost 5 months. What gives rise to such large changes in the heat budget for the polar caps from one year to the next is not known. Changes in the coloration and brightness of the polar cap suggest dust, deposited perhaps by dust storms during critical periods of the year, may play an important role. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows Hyperborei Cavi - the low regions on the right side of the image. Dunes are found both in the lows and on the higher region on the left side of the image. | Context imageThis VIS image shows Hyperborei Cavi - the low regions on the right side of the image. Dunes are found both in the lows and on the higher region on the left side of the image. The higher region is part of Hyperborea Lingula.Orbit Number: 54719 Latitude: 80.2492 Longitude: 310.232 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-04-15 09:33Please 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. | |
The left-front wheel of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows dents and holes in this image taken by the MAHLI camera, which is mounted at the end of Curiosity's robotic arm. | The left-front wheel of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows dents and holes in this image taken during the 469th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (Nov. 30, 2013). The image was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera, which is mounted at the end of Curiosity's robotic arm. By that sol, Curiosity had driven 2.78 miles (4.47 kilometers). An uptick in the pace of wear and tear on the rover's wheels in the preceding few weeks appears to be correlated with driving over rougher terrain than during earlier months of the mission. Routes to future destinations for the mission may be charted to lessen the amount of travel over such rough terrain.Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, developed, built and operates MAHLI. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and the mission's Curiosity rover for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft of Gale Crater shows the region of the crater that is 'home' to the Curiosity Rover. | Context imageThis VIS image of Gale Crater shows the region of the crater that is "home" to the Curiosity Rover.Orbit Number: 52340 Latitude: -4.58873 Longitude: 137.411 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-10-01 13:32Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a pedestal crater in the Eumenides Dorsum region of Mars. | 30 July 2006 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a pedestal crater in the Eumenides Dorsum region of Mars. The rocky ejecta from this crater protected the underlying material from being eroded away by wind, leaving the crater standing high above the surrounding plains.Location near: 11.9°N, 156.5°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Northern Spring | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-515, 16 October 2003The bright feature near the center-left in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture is a plume of dust being raised by wind on a slope in far eastern Arabia Terra on February 18, 2001, near 2 p.m. (14:00) local time. The dark feature immediately below and to the right of the bright plume is the shadow being cast by this brief, dust-raising event. The picture is located near 3.5°N, 306.6°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The shadow indicates that this scene is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a large, circular bright region called Arabia Terra. Syrtis Major is the dark region toward the lower right. The north polar cap is visible at the top, and the bright feature lower right is the Hellas Basin. | The Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has, in fact, three cameras. The narrow angle system obtains monochrome (black-and-white) super-high resolution views of the red planet, while the wide angle system obtains regional and global views in both the red and blue portions of the visible spectrum (to make a color image, the red and blue are averaged to obtain the green channel). The picture shown here is a composite of 9 color strips taken by the MOC on 9 successive orbits from pole-to-pole over the planet during the calibration phase of the mission in March 1999. The large, circular bright region that dominates the scene is Arabia Terra. Syrtis Major is the dark region toward the lower right. The north polar cap is visible at the top, and the bright feature at the lower right is the Hellas Basin. The color in this picture is computer-enhanced and is not shown as it would actually appear to the human eye.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. | |
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover took this selfie on May 12, 2019 (the 2,405th Martian day, or sol, of the mission). To the lower-left of the rover are its two recent drill holes, at targets called Aberlady and Kilmarie. | NASA's Curiosity Mars rover took this selfie on May 12, 2019 (the 2,405th Martian day, or sol, of the mission). To the lower-left of the rover are its two recent drill holes, at targets called "Aberlady" and "Kilmarie."These are Curiosity's 20th and 21st drill sites.The selfie is composed of 57 individual images taken by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a camera on the end of the rover's robotic arm. The images are stitched together into a panorama, and the robotic arm is digitally removed.MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover.More information about Curiosity is at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This false-color image released on May 18, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey of Syrtis Major on Mars was acquired August 20, 2002, during northern spring. | Released 18 May 2004This image of Syrtis Major was acquired August 20, 2002, during northern spring.The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the martian surface using its five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from the use of multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 12.8, Longitude 79.5 East (280.5 West). 38 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the margin of Chryse Planitia. | Context image The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of the margin of Chryse Planitia. Dark blue in this false color combination is mostly likely basaltic material/dunes.Orbit Number: 44280 Latitude: 33.0423 Longitude: 309.853 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-12-08 07:16Please 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 THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows an unnamed crater located on the floor of Schiaparelli Crater. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows an unnamed crater located on the floor of the much larger Schiaparelli Crater. The dark blue material located in the topographic lows is basaltic sand.Orbit Number: 19495 Latitude: -0.402445 Longitude: 14.3131 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-05-07 13:43Please 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 interesting surface texture covers the ejecta of Mie Crater on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA09147 Surface TextureThis interesting surface texture covers the ejecta of Mie Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 48.7N, Longitude 138.2E. 19 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Angustus Labyrinthus, a unique region near the south polar cap. | Context imageAngustus Labyrinthus is a unique region near the south polar cap. The squares formed by intersecting ridges 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: 76102 Latitude: -81.5722 Longitude: 295.757 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-02-09 12:13Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on Spirit's 409th martian day, or sol (Feb. 26, 2005). | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on Spirit's 409th martian day, or sol (Feb. 26, 2005). Spirit had driven 2 meters (7 feet) on this sol to get in position on "Cumberland Ridge" for looking into "Tennessee Valley" to the east. This location is catalogued as Spirit's Site 108. Rover-wheel tracks from climbing the ridge are visible on the right. The summit of "Husband Hill" is at the center, to the south. This view is presented in a vertical projection with geometric and brightness seam correction. | |
The numerous dust devil tracks in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located in Utopia Planitia. | Context imageThe numerous dust devil tracks in this VIS image are located in Utopia Planitia.Orbit Number: 54464 Latitude: 54.2732 Longitude: 85.5458 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-03-25 10:02Please 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows light-toned, somewhat layered rock outcrops on the north wall of Columbus Crater on Mars. Remnants are found all around the walls of the crater, and at least one small remnant has been spotted on the crater floor. | 25 April 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows light-toned, somewhat layered rock outcrops on the north wall of Columbus Crater, located near 28.7°S, 166.3°W. This material is a remnant of a formerly more extensive light-toned unit that extended across the floor of Columbus. Today, remnants are found all around the walls of the crater, and at least one small remnant has been spotted on the crater floor. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a group of craters in Terra Sirenum. The apparent youngest one is the center crater with the scalloped rim. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a group of craters in Terra Sirenum. The apparent youngest one is the center crater with the scalloped rim. Subsurface tectonic features like faults can interfere with crater formation and lead to craters that are not completely circular. The linear fault features towards the bottom of the image are good indications that tectonic faults interacted with the impact event, resulting in the crater shape seen in the image.Orbit Number: 74934 Latitude: -29.081 Longitude: 181.756 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-11-05 07:19Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Elysium Planitia. The linear depressions at the top of the image are created by tectonic faults. | Context imageToday's VIS image is located in Elysium Planitia. The linear depressions at the top of the image are created by tectonic faults, where the center block of material has dropped downward between two parallel faults. Blue tones, like those at the bottom of the image, are indicative of basaltic sands.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: 61919 Latitude: 14.9167 Longitude: 161.38 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-11-29 04:17Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
These images captured by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor show a ridged and cratered plain in southern Hesperia Planum on left, and a layered northeastern wall of a meteor impact crater in Noachis Terra on right. | PIA01043PIA01044Many aspects of our studies of Mars from Earth are dictated by the different rates at which the two planets orbit the Sun. This difference allows Earth to pass Mars in its orbit, continue to lead Mars around the Sun, and then eventually overtake Mars again, every 26 months. This cycle governs opportunities to send rockets to Mars when the closest approaches between the two planets occur (opposition). The cycle also dictates when Mars will pass behind the Sun relative to Earth (conjunction). A Solar Conjunction period has just ended. During this time radio communications from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, operating at Mars, were interrupted for a few weeks. Because it would not be able to send pictures back to Earth during this time, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) was turned off on June 21, 2000, and turned back on again July 13, 2000. The two pictures shown here are among the very first high resolution views of the martian surface that were received following the resumed operation of the MOC. Both pictures arrived on Earth via radio downlink on Saturday, July 15, 2000.The first picture (above left) shows a ridged and cratered plain in southern Hesperia Planum around 32.8°S, 243.2°W. The second image (above right) shows the layered northeastern wall of a meteor impact crater in Noachis Terra at 32.9°S, 357.6°W. Both pictures cover an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide at a resolution of 6 meters per pixel. Both are illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the sunrise shadow of the crater rim on the crater floor. | Context image Over the course of the Odyssey mission, the spacecraft has flown covering the surface at many different times of local day. Right now Odyssey is looking down along the day/night terminator, seeing dawn and dusk. One of the benefits from imaging at these times of day (and lower sun angles) is seeing shadows. This VIS image shows the sunrise shadow of the crater rim on the crater floor.Orbit Number: 66810 Latitude: -32.1248 Longitude: 132.667 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-01-05 01:05Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the floor of Orson Welles Crater. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of the floor of Orson Welles Crater. This region of the crater contains chaos. Chaos is formed where tectonic forces break the surface into blocks. Erosion along the breaks widens and deepens the valleys between creating mesas. There is evidence that this crater may once have held a lake.Orbit Number: 80625 Latitude: 0.001628 Longitude: 313.86 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-02-16 23:31Please 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. | |
Alluvial Fan Along a Crater Wall | Click on image for larger versionThis HiRISE image (PSP_003269_1600) covers an alluvial fan along the wall of a large crater in the mid latitudes of the southern hemisphere of Mars. The fan was formed when water and sediments drained down the steep wall of the crater creating a cone-shaped pile of debris at the base. As the fan grew with time, the channels carrying water and sediment across the fan surface changed locations, producing a layered deposit capped by channels radiating from the fan apex along the crater wall.Subsequent stripping of the fan surface by the wind has left the coarser channel deposits in relief and exposed the fine scale layering within the fan in many locations. While is it is not known whether the source of the water responsible for creating the fan was related runoff from precipitation or groundwater or perhaps both, alluvial fans of broadly similar form are observed in many locations on Earth and are usually formed by runoff from precipitation. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 4 April 2007Local Mars time: 3:42 PMDegrees latitude (centered): -19.9°Degrees longitude (East): 123.2°Range to target site: 258.6 km (161.6 miles)Original image scale range: 25.9 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~78 cm across are resolvedMap-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is upMap-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAREmission angle: 4.7°Phase angle: 48.6°Solar incidence angle: 53°, with the Sun about 37° above the horizonSolar longitude: 215.1°, Northern AutumnNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows more of the variety of textures on the south polar cap. | Context image This VIS image shows more of the variety of textures on the south polar cap.Orbit Number: 68068 Latitude: -86.1964 Longitude: 308.717 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-04-18 16:22Please 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. |
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