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NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this image of tracks made by the Perseverance rover during its ninth flight, on July 5. A portion of the helicopter's landing gear can be seen at top left. | NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured this image of tracks made by the Perseverance rover during its ninth flight, on July 5, 2021, the 133rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission. A portion of the helicopter's landing gear can be seen at top 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 (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages the technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science, Aeronautics Research, and Space Technology mission directorates. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows northwestern edge of the summit caldera of Apollinaris Patera, an old volcano on Mars that has undergone extensive erosion. | Context image for PIA09987Final ApollinarisThe major Martian dust storm of 2007 filled the sky with dust and produced conditions that prevented the THEMIS VIS camera from being able to image the surface. With no new images being acquired, we've dug into the archive to highlight some interesting areas on Mars. The this week's region is Apollinaris Patera. Apollinaris Patera is an old volcano that has undergone extensive erosion. This volcano is located north of Gusev Crater, the home of the rover called Spirit. Today's image shows the northwestern edge of the summit caldera.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -8.3N, Longitude 173.6E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Opportunity rover captured this patch of rocky Martian ground on the floor of 'Perseverance Valley' on the inner slope of the western rim of Endurance Crater in October, 2017. | This patch of rocky Martian ground on the floor of "Perseverance Valley" on the inner slope of the western rim of Endurance Crater slopes steeply downhill from left to right. Some textures seen here, including striations just above and parallel to the edge of a solar panel at far left, may be due to abrasion by wind-driven sand. Researchers interpret them as possible signs of past winds blowing from right to left, up and out of the crater, which currently hosts sand dunes on its central floor.The view spans about 11.5 feet (3.5 meters) from left to right and is presented in enhanced color to make differences in surface materials easier to see. The Panoramic Camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took the component images of this scene during the period Oct. 13 through Oct. 20, 2017, corresponding to sols (Martian days) 4878 through 4884 of the rover's work on Mars. Opportunity entered the upper end of Perseverance Valley in July 2017 for several months of investigating how it formed. The valley is a system of shallow troughs extending about the length of two football fields down the crater rim's steep inner slope. Endurance Crater is about 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter. Opportunity has been exploring features on its western rim since 2011, after investigating a series of smaller craters beginning with the one it landed in on Jan. 25, 2004, Universal Time (Jan. 24, PST). The origin of Perseverance Valley is unknown, but some observed features suggest that water might have played a role in the past. Opportunity is descending the steep valley, making observations along the way that could help illuminate the origin of this feature.The bedrock target area in this view is called "La Bajada." The image combines exposures taken through three Pancam filters, centered at wavelengths of 753 nanometers (near-infrared), 535 nanometers (green) and 432 nanometers (violet).NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.For more information about Opportunity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rovers and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows retreating patches of frost on a field of large, dark sand dunes in the Noachis region of Mars. Large, windblown ripples of coarse sediment are also seen on some of the dunes. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-434, 27 July 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows retreating patches of frost on a field of large, dark sand dunes in the Noachis region of Mars. Large, windblown ripples of coarse sediment are also seen on some of the dunes. This dune field is located in a crater at 47.5°S, 326.3°W. The scene is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. | |
This 2001 Mars Odyssey image shows dunes in Aonia Terra on Mars. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis VIS image shows dunes in Aonia Terra.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -49.9N, Longitude 293.3E. 20 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a section of Mamers Valles, a complex channel nearly 1000 km long (600 miles). | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a section of Mamers Valles, a complex channel nearly 1000 km long (600 miles). Mamers Valles originates near Cerulli Crater in northern Arabia Terra, and after a short section near the crater where flow is to the south, flows northward to empty in Deuteronilus Mensae. This image is located where the channel is still flowing southward. On the left side of the image the channel cuts into a crater, one of several the valles will encounter. The steep walls of Mamers Valles can reach heights of 1200 m (4000 feet).Orbit Number: 88035 Latitude: 30.9168 Longitude: 19.6827 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-10-19 02:43Please 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. | |
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam) on Mar. 7, 2021 (Sol 16). | NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover's mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on March 7, 2021 (Sol 16) at the local mean solar time of 15:04:10.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ | |
This image shows lava flows from Alba Mons as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows lava flows from Alba Mons.Orbit Number: 53834 Latitude: 35.6081 Longitude: 244.876 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-02-01 13:50Please 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 three different orbits over the north polar cap in April 1999. Each shows a different part of the same ice-free trough. | These three images were taken on three different orbits over the north polar cap in April 1999. Each shows a different part of the same ice-free trough. The left and right images are separated by a distance of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles). Note the similar layers in each image. | |
On this image of the broken rock called 'Tintina,' color coding maps the amount of mineral hydration indicated by a ratio of near-infrared reflectance intensities measured by the Mastcam on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. | On this image of the broken rock called "Tintina," color coding maps the amount of mineral hydration indicated by a ratio of near-infrared reflectance intensities measured by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. The color scale on the right shows the assignment of colors for relative strength of the calculated signal for hydration. The map shows a strong signal for hydration is associated with the surface that was exposed when the rock was broken by the rover driving over it.That freshly exposed surface displays a bright material that may be the same as similarly bright material filling pale veins in the nearby bedrock of the "Yellowknife Bay" area. The size of the rock is roughly 1.2 inches by 1.6 inches (3 centimeters by 4 centimeters).This image is a Mastcam observation of Tintina during the 160th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (Jan. 17, 2013). The spectral data for assessing hydration come from Mastcam observations through a series of narrow-waveband filters on Sol 162 (Jan. 19, 2013).Curiosity's Mastcam was built and is operated by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project and the mission's Curiosity rover for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the eastern part of the Tharsis region on Mars; fractured materials on the right are embayed by younger volcanic flows originating to the west. | This VIS image of the eastern part of the Tharsis region illustrates how fractures can be used in relative dating of a surface. The fractured materials on the right side of the image are embayed by younger volcanic flows originating to the west of the image. Note how the younger flows cover the ends of the fractures, and are not at all fractured themselves.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 43.2, Longitude 269.4 East (90.6 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 NASA Mars Odyssey image shows a close-up view of the ridged plains in Hesperia Planum, a classic locality for Martian surfaces that formed in the 'middle ages' of the planet's history. | (Released 16 May 2002)The ScienceThis THEMIS visible image shows a close-up view of the ridged plains in Hesperia Planum. This region is the classic locality for martian surfaces that formed in the "middle ages" of martian history. The absolute age of these surfaces is not well known. However, using the abundance of impact craters, it is possible to determine that the Hesperian plains are younger than the ancient cratered terrains that dominate the southern hemisphere, and are older than low-lying plains of the northern hemisphere. In this image it is possible to see that this surface has a large number of 1-3 km diameter craters, indicating that this region is indeed very old and has subjected to a long period of bombardment. A large (80 km diameter) crater occurs just to the north (above) this image. The material that was thrown out onto the surface when the crater was formed ("crater ejecta") can be seen at the top of the THEMIS image. This ejecta material has been heavily eroded and modified since its formation, but there are hints of lobate flow features within the ejecta. Lobate ejecta deposits are thought to indicate that ice was present beneath the surface when the crater was formed, leading to these unusual lobate features. Many of the Hesperian plains are characterized by ridged surfaces. These ridges can be easily seen in the MOLA context image, and several can be seen cutting across the lower portion of the THEMIS image. These "wrinkle" ridges are thought to be the result of compression (squeezing) of the lavas that form these plains.The StoryThe rough-and-tumble terrain at the top of this image is made of material that was thrown out onto the surface when the massive, almost 50-mile-wide crater in the context image (see right) was blasted out of the surface. This ejected material shows longtime signs of erosion, but what's intriguing to geologists are residual signs of a curved, rounded flow pattern. Seeming to drip down the surface like a very thick, layered candle wax, the appearance of these lobes might mean that ice was present beneath the surface when the crater was formed. If dry dirt and rock alone had been ejected, we probably wouldn't see these flow-like features.Note how tiny craters polka-dot the surface below this ejecta blanket. Most of them have very ragged, eroded edges. This terrain is clearly very old, and has been subjected to a whole lot of bombardment in its time. How old is it? Well, to understand, you need to know a little about the way planets form and evolve.After a new star is formed, there's a lot of leftover dust and gas around it. Eventually, all of this material runs into each other and clumps together due to gravitational attraction. Eventually, these clumps of material grow so large that they become young planets. In a young solar system, there are many pieces of "stuff" still orbiting out there in space, and when they run into a rocky planet, they blast away at the surface, forming craters. Eventually, these leftover orbiting bodies have mostly all impacted. It's a good thing we're in an age where there's relatively little material left to run into our planet, though of course it still happens sometimes.By looking at this surface in the Hesperian plains of Mars, we can see that it's old, but maybe not so ancient as the heavily cratered terrain dominating the southern hemisphere of Mars. . . and yet not so young as the low-lying plains in the northern hemisphere, which were smoothed over at some point late enough in Martian history to be almost crater-free thereafter. That puts the terrain in this image in the so-called "middle ages" of Martian history. By comparing all of the differently aged surfaces they can observe, geologists can piece together a record of Mars' geologic history.Geologists can also make another comparison to understand how planets commonly form and evolve. You can see some ridges that cut across the bottom of the image (seen more clearly in the context image to the right). These "wrinkle" ridges are probably created when the lava that formed these plains was squeezed and compressed. Wrinkle ridges are found not only on Mars, but also on the moon, so that tells us it is not a unique process occurring in only one place in the solar system. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows two large and many small mesas composed of frozen carbon dioxide on the south polar cap of Mars. | 16 September 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows two large and many small mesas composed of frozen carbon dioxide on the south polar cap of Mars. MGS has observed the south polar cap through three whole summers, and MOC images have shown that the scarps on these mesas retreat an average of 3 meters--some retreat faster, some a bit slower--per martian summer. The south polar cap is the most rapidly-changing landscape on Mars. These mesas are located near 86.5°S, 358.5°W. The image covers an area approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the south pole of Mars featuring the edge of a front of clouds. These clouds are near enough to the surface to be affected by surface topography. | This VIS image of the south pole of Mars shows the edge of a front of clouds. These clouds are near enough to the surface to be affected by surface topography.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -73.7N, Longitude 133.0E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This picture of the rim of Eos Chasma in Valles Marineris, captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows active erosion of the Martian surface. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis picture of the rim of Eos Chasma in Valles Marineris shows active erosion of the Martian surface. Layered bedrock is exposed in a steep cliff on a spur of the canyon rim. Dark layers in this cliff are made up of large boulders up to 4 meters in diameter. The boulders are lined up along specific horizons, presumably individual lava flows, and are perched to descend down into the canyon upon the slightest disturbance. How long will the boulders remain poised to fall, and what will push them over the edge?Just as on Earth, the main factors that contribute to dry mass wasting erosion on Mars are frost heaving and thermal expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature. The temperature changes on Mars are extreme compared to Earth, because of the lack of humidity in the Martian atmosphere and the eccentricity of the Martian orbit. Each daily temperature cycle and each seasonal change from summer to winter produces a cycle of expansion and contraction that pushes the boulders gradually closer to the brink.Inevitably, the boulders fall from their precarious positions and plunge into the canyons below. Most simply slide down slope and collect just below the source layers. A few are launched along downward trajectories, travelling long distances before they settle on the slopes below. These trundling boulders left behind conspicuous tracks, up to a kilometer long. The tracks resemble dashed lines or perforations, indicating that the boulders bounced as they trundled down the slopes.The visibility of the boulder tracks suggests that this process may have taken place recently. The active Martian winds quickly erased the tracks of the rover Opportunity, for example. However, the gouges produced by trundling boulders probably go much deeper than the shallow compression of soil by the wheels of a relatively lightweight rover. The boulder tracks might persist for a much longer time span than the rover tracks for this reason. Nevertheless, the tracks of the boulders suggest that erosion of the rim of Eos Chasma is a process that continues today.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image is a 3-D view in front of NASA's Curiosity rover captured by the rover's front left Hazard-Avoidance camera. The image is cropped but part of Mount Sharp is still visible rising above the terrain. | This image is a 3-D view in front of NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The anaglyph was made from a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance Cameras on the front of the rover. The image is cropped but part of Mount Sharp, a peak that is about 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) high, is still visible rising above the terrain.
This image was captured by the rover's front left Hazard-Avoidance camera at full resolution shortly after it landed. It has been linearized to remove the distorted appearance that results from its fisheye lens. A single "eye" view of Mount Sharp is available at PIA15986. | |
Data graphed here are examples from the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) laboratory's detection of Martian organics in a sample of powder that the drill on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected from a rock target called 'Cumberland.' | Data graphed here are examples from the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) laboratory's detection of Martian organics in a sample of powder that the drill on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected from a rock target called "Cumberland."SAM's analysis of the Cumberland sample yielded the first definitive detection of any Martian organic chemicals in material on the surface of Mars. Organic chemicals, which contain carbon and usually hydrogen, are molecular building blocks of life, although they can be made without life's presence. Martian organics could have been produced on Mars or delivered to Mars aboard meteorites. The upper graph shows data from analysis of the Cumberland sample, drilled from mudstone bedrock in the Yellowknife Bay area of Mars' Gale Crater. The lower graph shows data from SAM's analysis of a blank containing no rock material. The differences, highlighted at positions labeled 1 through 8, indicate chemicals that were present in the sample but not in the blank. The vertical scale is thousands of counts per second in SAM's Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS), an instrument that identifies gases by their molecular weight and the characteristic pattern of fragment ions generated during the analysis. The horizontal axis is the retention time, in seconds, as the sample gas or blank gas passes through the QMS. The molecular diagrams at the top depict the chemical structures corresponding to the eight different molecules for which the Cumberland sample showed peaks and the blank did not. Green balls represent chlorine atoms. Smaller black balls represent carbon atoms. The bare sticks extending from carbon atoms represent bonds to hydrogen atoms. For example, peak number 1 corresponds to chloromethane, peak number 4 to carbon tetrachloride, peak number 6 to dichloropropane and peak 8 to chlorobenzene. The chlorine in these molecules may have resulted from reaction of Martian organic chemicals with Martian perchlorate during the process of heating the sample in SAM before the QMS step, so the identities of Martian precursor organic molecules remain to be determined.NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Project is using Curiosity to assess ancient habitable environments and major changes in Martian environmental conditions. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, built the rover and manages the project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, built and operates SAM.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
Channels dissect the complex region of Acheron Fossae, located north of Olympus Mons in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageChannels dissect the complex region of Acheron Fossae, located north of Olympus Mons.Orbit Number: 38929 Latitude: 38.7542 Longitude: 224.903 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-09-23 18:09Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This region of dark sand dunes is located on the floor of an unnamed crater south of Bosporos Planum on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA09130 Sand DunesThis region of dark sand dunes is located on the floor of an unnamed crater south of Bosporos Planum.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -41.1N, Longitude 297.7E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The eastern margin of Tharsis Tholus on Mars is visible on the left side of this image as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA03282Tharsis TholusThe eastern margin of Tharsis Tholus is visible on the left side of this image.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 12.8N, Longitude 270.3E. 18 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 view from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows a swath of bedrock called 'Alexander Hills,' which the rover approached for close-up inspection of selected targets. It is a mosaic of six frames taken on Nov. 23, 2014. | Figure 1High resolution TIFF fileClick on the image for larger browse versionThis view from the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows a swath of bedrock called "Alexander Hills," which the rover approached for close-up inspection of selected targets. The mosaic of six Mastcam frames covers an area about 6 feet (2 meters) across. It shows details within the workspace accessible using the rover's robotic arm from the rover's location when the view was acquired. The component exposures were taken on Nov. 23, 2014, during the 817th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars. The color has been approximately white-balanced to resemble how the scene would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. Figure 1 is an annotated version showing the location of three targets selected for study -- "Aztec," "Agate Hill" and "Cajon" -- and a 50-centimeter (20-inch) scale bar. The location of Alexander Hills within the "Pahrump Hills" outcrop at the base of Mount Sharp is indicated on an earlier Mastcam view at PIA19039. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates the rover's Mastcam.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows defrosting spots and patterns to the north polar dune fields in Mars' northern hemisphere. | 31 May 2004Springtime for the martian northern hemisphere brings defrosting spots and patterns to the north polar dune fields. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example located near 76.7°N, 250.4°W. In summer, these dunes would be darker than their surroundings. However, while they are still covered by frost, they are not any darker than the substrate across which the sand is slowly traveling. Dune movement in this case is dominated by winds that blow from the southwest (lower left) toward the northeast (upper right). The picure covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left. | |
Video from the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captures a closeup view of the 13th flight of the agency's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, on September 4, 2021. | Click here for movieVideo footage from the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captured this closeup view of the takeoff and landing of the 13th flight of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on Sept. 4, 2021. The 160.5-second reconnaissance sortie involved flying into challenging terrain and taking images of a specific outcrop from multiple angles. The closeup video of takeoff and landing was acquired as part of a science observation intended to measure the dust plumes generated by the helicopter.At the beginning of the video, Ingenuity is near the lower left of frame, at a distance of about 980 feet (300 meters) from the rover. It climbs to an altitude of to 26 feet (8 meters) before beginning its sideways translation. The helicopter leaves the camera's field of view on the right. Soon after, the helicopter returns into the field of view (the majority of frames that did not capture helicopter after it exited the camera's field of view were purposely not downlinked from Mars by the team) and lands at a location near its takeoff point.To obtain the footage, the two-camera Mastcam-Z's "right eye" was at its maximum zoom setting (110mm focal length). The video is shot at 6 frames per second. Another view (PIA24978) was taken at the same time by Mastcam-Z's "left eye" imager and provides a wider perspective of the same flight.The Mastcam-Z investigation is led and operated by Arizona State University in Tempe, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, California, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Neils Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more information about Perseverance:mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/nasa.gov/perseverance | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows eroded layered rock outcrops near the southwest rim of Juventae Chasma in the southern hemisphere of Mars. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-346, 30 April 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture obtained in April 2003 shows eroded layered rock outcrops near the southwest rim of Juventae Chasma in the southern hemisphere. This area is near 4.8°S, 63.7°W. Layers such as these record some fraction of the geologic history of Mars; however, that history cannot really be known from pictures alone. The erosional pattern of these layers suggests that they are sedimentary rocks. The area shown is about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this panoramic camera image showing the rock dubbed 'Route 66.' The rock is light-toned and has a scalloped surface. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this panoramic camera image on sol 91. It shows Spirit's current resting place at the base of a 60-centimeter-wide (23.6-inch-wide), 24-centimeter-high (9.4-inch-high) rock dubbed "Route 66." Found along Spirit's trek toward the Columbia Hills, this rock piqued scientist's interest because its light-toned and scalloped surface is very similar to the previously targeted rock called "Mazatzal." Scientists are debating whether to spend time analyzing Route 66, or to bank energy and keep driving toward its ultimate goal, the eastern-lying Columbia Hills. Scientists have some time to debate the issue because Spirit will remain at this location through the flight software update that will occur during sols 94 to 98. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows blocks of layered terrain within the Olympus Mons aureole. The aureole is a giant apron of chaotic material around the volcano. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) shows blocks of layered terrain within the Olympus Mons aureole. The aureole is a giant apron of chaotic material around the volcano, perhaps formed by enormous landslides off the flanks of the giant volcano.These blocks of layered material have been eroded by the wind into the scenic landscape we see here.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 28.3 centimeters (11.1 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 85 centimeters (33.5 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.This is a stereo pair with ESP_013049_1980.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This false color composite image from NASA's Mars Pathfinder (MPF) of the Rock Garden shows the rocks 'Shark' and 'Half Dome' at upper left and middle, respectively. | This false color composite image of the Rock Garden shows the rocks "Shark" and "Half Dome" at upper left and middle, respectively. Between these two large rocks is a smaller rock (about 0.20 m wide, 0.10 m high, and 6.33 m from the Lander) that was observed close-up with the Sojourner rover (see PIA00989).Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows outcrops of light-toned sedimentary rocks in west Candor Chasma on Mars. | 20 March 2005 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows outcrops of light-toned sedimentary rocks in west Candor Chasma.Location near: 6.6°S, 75.7°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Winter | |
Synthetic image of the Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover inside on 'Burns Cliff' produced using 'Virtual Presence in Space' technology. | This synthetic image of NASA's Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover inside Endurance Crater was produced using "Virtual Presence in Space" technology. Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., this technology combines visualization and image processing tools with Hollywood-style special effects. The image was created using a photorealistic model of the rover and an approximately full-color mosaic. The size of the rover in the image is approximately correct and was based on the size of the rover tracks in the mosaic.Because this synthesis provides viewers with a sense of their own "virtual presence" (as if they were there themselves), such views can be useful to mission teams by enhancing perspective and a sense of scale.Opportunity captured the underlying view of "Burns Cliff" after driving right to the base of this southeastern portion of the inner wall of "Endurance Crater." The view combines frames taken by Opportunity's panoramic camera between the rover's 287th and 294th martian days (Nov. 13 to 20, 2004).This is a composite of 46 different images, each acquired in seven different Pancam filters. It is an approximately true-color rendering generated from the panoramic camera's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 430-nanometer filters. The mosaic spans more than 180 degrees side to side. Because of this wide-angle view, the cliff walls appear to bulge out toward the camera. In reality the walls form a gently curving, continuous surface. See PIA07110. | |
This image shows lava flows that originated at Olympus Mons as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows lava flows that originated at Olympus Mons.Orbit Number: 53697 Latitude: 20.8278 Longitude: 232.261 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-01-21 07:21Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The network of channels in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Arda Valles. | Context imageThe network of channels in this VIS image are part of Arda Valles.Orbit Number: 49636 Latitude: -20.0135 Longitude: 328.071 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-02-21 01:27 Please 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. | |
Numerous dark slope streaks are located on the inner rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea. This image is from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageNumerous dark slope streaks are located on the inner rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea.Orbit Number: 52480 Latitude: 0.505546 Longitude: 34.1236 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-10-13 03:57Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, shows the lower reaches of 'Murray Ridge,' informally named to honor the late Bruce Murray, who led NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory through a period of great challenge and achievement. | This image shows the lower reaches of "Murray Ridge," on the rim of Endeavour Crater, Mars, as viewed by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity. The individual images that were used to create it were acquired on sol 3466 of Opportunity's mission (Oct. 24, 2013) using the rover's navigation camera (Navcam). The ridge is part of the rim of Endeavour Crater and has been identified by Opportunity's science team as an important site for scientific exploration. The ridge is informally named to honor the late Bruce Murray, who made fundamental advances in Mars science and who led NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory through a period of great challenge and achievement. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a very small portion of the extensive lava flows of the Tharsis volcanic complex. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a very small portion of the extensive lava flows of the Tharsis volcanic complex. These flows are located southeast of Ascraeus Mons.Orbit Number: 64473 Latitude: 5.06074 Longitude: 260.881 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-06-26 12:47Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a fantastic outcrop of alternating light and dark layers in the wall of a crater that impacted into the floor of one of the eastern Kasei Valles flood channels on Mars. | 17 June 2004This April 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a fantastic outcrop of alternating light and dark layers in the wall of a crater that impacted into the floor of one of the eastern Kasei Valles flood channels. The history recorded in these layers, while unknown, might include the history of ancient floods in the Kasei Valles system. This crater wall is located near 31.1°N, 54.1°W. The 500 meter scale bar is about 547 yards long. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper right. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows linear depressions, part of Sirenum Fossae. | Context imageThe linear depressions in this VIS image are part of Sirenum Fossae. These depressions are called graben, which form by the down drop of material between two parallel faults. The faults are caused by extensional tectonic stresses in the region. The fossae are 2735km long (1700 miles).Orbit Number: 83512 Latitude: -37.4693 Longitude: 191.543 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-10-11 16:26Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This view of the rock 'Chimp' was acquired by NASA's Sojourner rover's right front camera on Sol 74 (September 17). A large crack, oriented from lower left to upper right, is visible in the rock. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | This view of the rock "Chimp" was acquired by the Sojourner rover's right front camera on Sol 74 (September 17). A large crack, oriented from lower left to upper right, is visible in the rock. A dark crust appears to cover Chimp in some areas whereas other parts of the rock have a lighter shading. A boundary between the two regions is clearly seen in the upper left part of Chimp.This image and PIA01578 (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).
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 Perseverance rover was able to use its new Terrain-Relative Navigation technology to avoid hazards and find a safe place to land in Jezero Crater on Mars. | Figure 1NASA's Perseverance rover was able to use its new Terrain-Relative Navigation technology to avoid hazards and find a safe place to land in Jezero Crater on Mars. In this graphic, the blue areas are considered safe zones and red are considered more dangerous. Perseverance's landing spot is marked with a green dot. A version with an arrow makes the landing site easier to see.A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 mission is part of a larger program that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows 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 (about 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: 83991 Latitude: -22.4242 Longitude: 239.034 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-11-20 02:20Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image shows a different portion of the collapse features located on the northern flank of Ascraeus Mons as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageToday's image shows a different portion of the collapse features located on the northern flank of Ascraeus Mons.Orbit Number: 53309 Latitude: 13.6999 Longitude: 256.956 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-12-20 09:06Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a dust devil making a streak in Mars' Promethei Terra. Dust devils are spinning, columnar vortices of wind that move across the landscape, pick up dust, and look somewhat like miniature tornadoes. | PIA02376PIA02377Dark streaks, everywhere! Many Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images of the middle latitudes of the northern and southern hemispheres of Mars show wild patterns of criss-crossing dark streaks. Many of these streaks are straight and narrow, others exhibit curly arcs, twists, and loops. They often cross over hills, run straight across dunes and ripples, and go through fields of house-sized boulders. The two examples shown above were acquired in the last three months. Both pictures are illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. The first picture (left), showing dark streaks on the rippled flats of Argyre Planitia, covers an area 3 km by 5 km (1.9 by 3.1 miles) at a latitude of 51°S. The second picture (right) shows an area approximately 3 km by 5 km in Promethei Terra at a latitude of 58°S.For many months the MOC science team was seeing streaks such as these, but were uncertain how they formed. One speculation was that they might result from the passage of dust devils. Each dust devil would leave a dark streak by removing bright dust from the terrain in its path, revealing a darker surface underneath. An image described by the MOC team in July 1998 showed examples of streaks that were, at the time, speculated to be caused by dust devils. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of eastern Candor Chasma. At the top of the image is the steep cliff between the upper surface elevation and the depths of Candor Chasma. | Context image This image shows part of eastern Candor Chasma. At the top of the image is the steep cliff between the upper surface elevation and the depths of Candor Chasma. The bottom of the image is the cliff side of a large mesa. The two cliff faces have very different appearances. The cliff face between the top of the canyon and the bottom is likely layers of volcanic flows from the nearby Tharsis volcanoes. The mesa, however, is probably layers of sediments deposited in the canyon from wind, water and gravity driven erosion and deposition. These layered materials are much more easily eroded than the solid rock of the canyon sides. There is a landslide that originate from the northern cliff face and ran out into the canyon floor, visible as the lobate "tongue" at the right near the center of the image.Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. It is approximately 810 km long (503 miles) and has is divided into two regions - eastern and western Candor. Candor is located south of Ophir Chasma and north of Melas Chasma. The border with Melas Chasma contains many large landslide deposits. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas. Many forms of erosion have shaped Chandor Chasma. There is evidence of wind and water erosion, as well as significant gravity driven mass wasting (landslides).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: 36232 Latitude: -6.78692 Longitude: 292.732 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-02-13 14:46Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft spies what looks like a little beetle at the top of this image. | Context image Do you see what I see? Is that a little beetle at the top of the image?Orbit Number: 51233 Latitude: -10.9694 Longitude: 8.55358 Instrument: IR Captured: 2013-07-02 11:26Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the 'El Capitan' region of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars. On the bottom is the view obtained from the 'Alpha' waypoint station. | This image from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera shows the "El Capitan" region of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars. On the bottom is the view obtained from the "Alpha" waypoint station on Sol 18 of Opportunity's mission. On the top is the view obtained after the rover had moved to "Bravo" waypoint station on Sol 19. This image is a false-color composite using the red, green and blue filters. | |
This image from InSight's robotic-arm mounted Instrument Deployment Camera shows the instruments on the spacecraft's deck, with the Martian surface of Elysium Planitia in the background. | This image from InSight's robotic-arm mounted Instrument Deployment Camera shows the instruments on the spacecraft's deck, with the Martian surface of Elysium Planitia in the background.The color-calibrated picture was acquired on Dec. 4, 2018 (Sol 8). In the foreground, a copper-colored hexagonal cover protects the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure instrument (SEIS), a seismometer that will measure marsquakes. The gray dome behind SEIS is the wind and thermal shield, which will be placed over SEIS. To the left is a black cylindrical instrument, the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe (HP3). HP3 will drill up to 16 feet (5 meters) below the Martian surface, measuring heat released from the interior of the planet. Above the deck is InSight's robotic arm, with the stowed grapple directly facing the camera.To the right can be seen a small portion of one of the two solar panels that help power InSight and part of the UHF communication antenna.JPL manages InSight for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.A number of European partners, including France's Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), are supporting the InSight mission. CNES, and the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), provided the SEIS instrument, with significant contributions from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany, the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) in Switzerland, Imperial College and Oxford University in the United Kingdom, and JPL. DLR provided the HP3 instrument, with significant contributions from the Space Research Center (CBK) of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland. Spain's Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) supplied the wind sensors.For more information about the mission, go to https://mars.nasa.gov/insight. | |
This image acquired on January 31, 2021 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows Protonilus Mensae, a site of extensive glaciation. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionDuring periods in Mars' history when the planet had greater axial tilt, shifts in atmospheric circulation may have favored the extensive accumulation of snow in some locations. Protonilus Mensae is just such a site of extensive glaciation. We can see a flow of material through the valleys between a complex of small mesas. Streamlines and flow fronts appear as subtle ridges. Some ridges appear perpendicular to the mesas indicating flow direction. Others appear concentric to the mesas and parallel to the valleys, where debris and now-underlying ice bunched up and moved down valley.Deflation of the ice has led to a rich collection of small-scale features. Polygonal patterns of fractures and fissures may be related to a combination of thermal contraction cycles and overall subsidence of the surface. Larger fractures may be glacial crevasses, caused by differential flow rates in the underlying ice. Other more complex patterns of swirled pits and hummocks may result from the continual loss of unstable ice in the present-day dry climate. The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 30.0 centimeters [11.8 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 90 centimeters [35.4 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a crater in the Memnonia region of Mars, around which has formed a wind streak. | 20 June 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a crater in the Memnonia region of Mars, around which has formed a wind streak. The bright streak is in the lee of the crater -- that is, it is on the crater's down-wind side. Thus, the winds responsible for the streak blew from the southeast (lower right).Location near: 6.7°S, 141.4°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Spring | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Bahram Vallis where it enters Waspam Crater. Bahram Vallis exits the crater to the north a short distance from this location along the rim of Waspam Crater. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows Bahram Vallis where it enters Waspam Crater. Bahram Vallis exits the crater to the north a short distance from this location along the rim of Waspam Crater.Orbit Number: 39912 Latitude: 20.5847 Longitude: 302.972 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-12-13 16:50Please 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. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Mars' south polar region featuring some of the unusual surface textures found on the cap. It is the heating of the surface during spring and summer that have produced these interesting textures. | Context image for PIA11865Solar PowerThis VIS image of the south polar region shows some of the unusual surface textures found on the cap. It is the heating of the surface during spring and summer that have produced these interesting textures.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -87.1N, Longitude 355.7E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This view covers an area within the planned landing area for NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. It was taken by the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | This view covers an area about 27 kilometers (17 miles) wide within the planned landing area for NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. It was taken by the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and catalogued as image P02_001893_2485_XI_68N126W_061221 from that instrument. Note the crater near the top (north) of the image. The red box indicates the position of a higher-resolution image PIA09948 of ground texture in this area. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The spacecraft's Context Camera is operated by and was provided by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
This map shows NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's travels since arriving on the red planet Jan. 3, 2004 PST. Spirit was on its way to a large crater nicknamed 'Bonneville.' | This map shows the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's travels since arriving on the red planet Jan. 3, 2004 PST. Spirit is on its way to a large crater nicknamed "Bonneville." On the 52nd day, or sol, of its mission (Feb. 25, 2004), it stopped off at a region nicknamed "Middle Ground" to investigate rocks and soil. The rover is facing northeast and is 98 meters (322 feet) away from the rim of "Bonneville." Data within the yellow box represent a digital map made of images taken by the rover's panoramic and navigation cameras. Data outside this box are a composite of images from the rover's descent image motion estimation system camera and NASA's orbiter Mars Global Surveyor. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the south polar cap. The cap is comprised of layers of ice and dust deposited over millions of years. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the south polar cap. The cap is comprised of layers of ice and dust deposited over millions of years. The bottom half of the image is part of a polar chasma, revealing the surface beneath the ice cap. This image was collected near the end of summer.Orbit Number: 92237 Latitude: -80.95 Longitude: 142.672 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-09-30 01:59Please 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 Lasswitz Crater on Mars as it appeared on July 9, 1999, | It seems like only yesterday. Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) first reached the red planet two years ago on September 11, 1997 (Pacific Daylight Time). The very first high resolution picture acquired by the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) was obtained on the spacecraft's third orbit on September 15, 1997. This first picture was also the first twilight image obtained by MOC -- the sun had already set and was about 1°below the local horizon. Scattering of sunlight reflected off airborne dust allowed a small portion of the floor of Lasswitz Crater -- a 122 km (76 mi) diameter basin located at 9.4°S, 221.6°W -- to be seen by the MOC on this first of many thousands of images that were to be obtained. The MGS spacecraft flew over Lasswitz Crater again on July 9, 1999 -- almost 1 martian year later. The new image taken by MOC had much better viewing conditions -- the sun was in a 2 p.m. configuration, the camera was in focus, and the spacecraft altitude was low enough that the picture obtained has a resolution of about 1.8 meters (6 feet) per pixel.Figure 177-A (left) shows Lasswitz Crater as it appeared on July 9, 1999. Sunlight illuminated the scene from the upper left. The two white boxes indicate the locations of the very first MOC narrow angle image taken from orbit around Mars(15 SEPT 97) and a higher-resolution view taken during a recent Mapping Phase orbit (09 JULY 99). The picture was taken by the MOC red wide angle camera at the same time that the 09 JULY 99 narrow angle frame was acquired. The picture has been map-projected so that north is up.Figure 177-E (right) shows the September 1997 image overlain by the July 1999 image (darker inset) to show where the more recent image is located within the earlier view. North is up and illumination is from the left. The larger image covers an area approximately 5.5 km (3.4 miles) wide and 12 km (7.5 miles) long. The smaller view is 1.5 km (0.9 mi) wide.For more information click here.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 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is of the south pole and shows a surface with numerous oval depressions. This texture has been described as looking like swiss cheese. | Context imageThis VIS image of the south pole shows a surface with numerous oval depressions. This texture has been described as looking like swiss cheese.Orbit Number: 56300 Latitude: -86.7211 Longitude: 355.028 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-08-23 11:26Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Interesting textures on lava flows in Daedalia Planum, southwest of the Tharsis volcanoes, can by observed in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Interesting textures on lava flows in Daedalia Planum, southwest of the Tharsis volcanoes.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -20.3, Longitude 226.1 East (133.9 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a complex portion of the Dao Vallis channel on Mars. | Context image for PIA10068Dao VallisThis VIS image shows a complex portion of the Dao Vallis channel.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -35.9N, Longitude 91.9E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the eastern part of the complex caldera at the summit of Ascraeus Mons. | Context imageThis VIS image shows the eastern part of the complex caldera at the summit of Ascraeus Mons.Orbit Number: 53334 Latitude: 11.2295 Longitude: 255.908 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-12-22 10:29Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows dust devil tracks in Aonia Terra. As the dust devil moves along the surface it scours the dust and fine materials away, revealing the darker rocky surface below the dust. | Context image This VIS image show dust devil tracks in Aonia Terra. As the dust devil moves along the surface it scours the dust and fine materials away, revealing the darker rocky surface below the dust.Orbit Number: 66962 Latitude: -68.8221 Longitude: 241.346 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-01-17 13:13Please 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. | |
Low lying areas in the Hellas region, which is the largest impact basin on Mars, often show complex groups of banded ridges, furrows, and pits as seen in this observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | Low lying areas in the Hellas region -- which is the largest impact basin on Mars -- often show complex groups of banded ridges, furrows, and pits. These sorts of bands suggest that the surface material has flowed and twisted viscously like taffy. The orientation of the ridges and groups of ridges would then point in the direction of the flow, called stream lines.Making this landscape even more complex is when we see that the ridges are sometimes disconnected. They stop abruptly, break up into blocky segments that sometimes appear offset. Such mixed up fragments give an initial sense that parts of the flow have been rafted apart from one another. Alternatively, the entire region may be substantially eroded since the time when the taffy-like ridges actually formed. In that case, the flow may have been far more complex and three dimensional, such that the disconnected portions are actually areas where the flow transitioned up and down relative to the current plane of the eroded surface. In this way we only see a slice through a far more complex series of twists and bends, some of which is still buried beneath the ground.What this taffy-like material is made of is currently unknown. Hard and soft rocks, as well as ice and ice-rich rocky debris, can deform and flow given time under the force of gravity and the pressures found deep beneath the surface. Afterwards, differential erosion of hard and soft rock or icy materials mixed in bands and layers might give rise to the ridges, furrows and pits which we observe today.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the western flank of Ceraunius Tholus. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows the western flank of Ceraunius Tholus. At only 128 km (79 miles) across, it is one of the smaller Tharsis volcanoes. It is 8,500 meters (27,887 feet) high, close to the height of Mount Everest (29,031 feet). The slopes are relatively steep, and there are several very large channels dissecting the western flank. The volcano is surrounded by younger flows from the larger Tharsis volcanoes. The eastern rim of Paros Crater is visible at the bottom of the image.Orbit Number: 94790 Latitude: 22.939 Longitude: 262.156 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-04-28 07:36Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Layers in Gale Crater Central Mound | This image shows a portion of the central mound in the impact crater Gale that is of interest to scientists because it is composed of light-toned layered deposits. The layered deposits could have formed in a water environment if a lake once filled the crater. Alternatively, particles suspended in the atmosphere, such as dust or volcanic ash, could have built up the layers over time. By using HiRISE images to see details in the layers, such as how their thicknesses vary horizontally and vertically, scientists can narrow down the potential origins. The paucity of impact craters on the layered deposits indicates that either the deposits are very young, or more likely that they are being eroded to remove these craters. Wind erosion has modified the layers after they formed, creating both sharp corners and rounded depressions along the surface. Meter-size boulders can be seen at the base of steep cliffs, but the scarcity of boulders elsewhere suggests most of the erosion is occurring by the wind rather than downslope movement of material.Image PSP_001422_1750 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 15, 2006. The complete image is centered at -5.0 degrees latitude, 137.7 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 262.1 km (163.8 miles). At this distance the image scale is 26.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~79 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:31 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 57 degrees, thus the sun was about 33 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 135.6 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
The objective of this observation by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was to examine the edge of impact ejecta from a crater to the north-west of this area (north is up, west is to the left). | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe objective of this observation was to examine the edge of impact ejecta from a crater to the north-west of this area (north is up, west is to the left). The ejecta visible in the top left of this image seems to be lower than the surrounding surface.This is unusual because impact ejecta is laid down on top of existing ground. The ejecta also seems to have pits. Perhaps the hot ejecta fell on frozen ground and melted the underlying ice?HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on April 1, 2004 shows a channel near the martian feature called Alba Patera on Mars. The image shows multiple possibly liquid formed channels. | Released 1 April 2004The Odyssey spacecraft has completed a full Mars year of observations of the red planet. For the next several weeks the Image of the Day will look back over this first mars year. It will focus on four themes: 1) the poles - with the seasonal changes seen in the retreat and expansion of the caps; 2) craters - with a variety of morphologies relating to impact materials and later alteration, both infilling and exhumation; 3) channels - the clues to liquid surface flow; and 4) volcanic flow features. While some images have helped answer questions about the history of Mars, many have raised new questions that are still being investigated as Odyssey continues collecting data as it orbits Mars.The channel shown on the image is near the feature called Alba Patera. It was collected August 22, 2002 during northern spring season. The local time is 4:30pm. The image shows multiple possibly liquid formed channels.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 43.7, Longitude 241.5 East (118.5 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows two channels. The channel in the center of the image ends in a crater, where it has created a delta deposit. These craters and channels are located on the northeastern margin of Icaria Planum. | Context imageThis VIS image shows two channels. The channel in the center of the image ends in a crater, where it has created a delta deposit. These unnamed craters and channels are located on the northeastern margin of Icaria Planum.Orbit Number: 59152 Latitude: -38.9394 Longitude: 256.97 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-04-15 06:54Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, working on Mars since January 2004, passed marathon distance in total driving on March 24, 2015. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, working on Mars since January 2004, passed marathon distance in total driving on March 24, 2015, during the mission's 3,968th Martian day, or sol. A drive of 153 feet (46.5 meters) on Sol 3968 brought Opportunity's total odometry to 26.221 miles (42.198 kilometers).Olympic marathon distance is 26.219 miles (42.195 kilometers).The gold line on this image shows Opportunity's route from the landing site inside Eagle Crater, in upper left, to its location after the Sol 3968 drive. The mission has been investigating on the western rim of Endeavour Crater since August 2011. This crater spans about 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter. The mapped area is all within the Meridiani Planum region of equatorial Mars, which was chosen as Opportunity's landing area because of earlier detection of the mineral hematite from orbit. North is up.The base image for the map is a mosaic of images taken by the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Earlier versions of this map, with other features labeled, are at PIA17758 and PIA18404. Opportunity completed its three-month prime mission in April 2004 and has continued operations in bonus extended missions. It has found several types of evidence of ancient environments with abundant liquid water. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached Mars in 2006, completed its prime mission in 2010, and is also working in an extended mission.This traverse map was made at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, Albuquerque. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates the orbiter's Context Camera. JPL manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about Spirit and Opportunity, visit http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov. | |
These small hills and surrounding debris aprons are called Phlegra Montes on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA08743 Phlegra MontesThese small hills and surrounding debris aprons are called Phlegra Montes.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 45.6N, Longitude 168.7E. 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 captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows dust devil tracks in Noachis Terra. The dark tracks show where the whirlwind was in contact with the surface and removed dust to expose the darker rocky surface. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows dust devil tracks in Noachis Terra. The dark tracks show where the whirlwind was in contact with the surface and removed dust to expose the darker rocky surface.Orbit Number: 58911 Latitude: -68.7531 Longitude: 1.20627 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-03-26 10:47Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows higher elevations on Mars look resemble a dragon. It is facing to the left, and the small crater IS NOT the eye. The large plateau on the right is the wing of the dragon. | Context imageDo you see what I see? The higher elevations in this VIS image look like a dragon. It is facing to the left, and the small crater IS NOT the eye - but is on it's chest. The large plateau on the right is the wing of the dragon. Do you see it?Orbit Number: 48011 Latitude: 6.37355 Longitude: 355.288 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-10-10 09:38 Please 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 was taken by NASA's Viking Lander 1 at Chryse Planitia on Mars. The lander can be seen in the foreground looking toward the rugged martian terrain. | During the Viking Mission, the Viking Lander Camera System acquired many high-resolution images of the scene at Chryse Planitia. Using individual camera events, which occurred on many days throughout the mission, computer mosaics have been created for the site as viewed by each of the two cameras on the spacecraft. Two sets of mosaics were produced of Chryse Planitia; one pair for camera 1 and 2 images acquired in the early morning and one pair for camera 1 and 2 images acquired in the mid-afternoon.Each complete mosaiced scene extends 342.5 degrees in azimuth, and from approximately 5 degrees above the horizon to 60 degrees below. A complete mosaic incorporated approximately 15 million picture elements (pixels).This mosaic was produced in the early morning (7:00-8:00) by the Camera 2 system on Viking Lander 1. See PIA03163 for the morning Camera 1 mosaic and PIA03165 and PIA03166 for the afternoon mosaics. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-542, 12 November 2003Outcrops of layered rock abound in the "grand canyon of Mars," the Valles Marineris. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image provides an example from the upper northeast wall of Ius Chasma. This picture is located near 7.7°S, 76.1°W. The picture is 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and illuminated by sunlight from the lower right. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the channel floor of Mawrth Vallis. | 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 channel floor of Mawrth Vallis. Of all the channels carved by flowing water on Mars, one of the more unusual is Mawrth Vallis, whose name comes from the Welsh word for Mars. Mawrth Vallis winds through northwest Arabia Terra for some 640 kilometers (400 miles) before emptying into Acidalia Planitia on the edge of the vast northern lowlands. Unlike many outflow channels that start in regions of chaotic terrain, Mawrth Vallis just appears and then grows deeper as it heads downstream, holding a width of approximately 15 km (9 mi) until it widens near its mouth at Chryse Planitia.Orbit Number: 71080 Latitude: 22.9484 Longitude: 341.466 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-12-22 20:52Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-532, 2 November 2003
As seasonal polar frosts sublime away each spring, winds may re-distribute some of the frost or move sediment exposed from beneath the frost. This action creates ephemeral wind streaks that can be used by scientists seeking to study the local circulation of the martian atmosphere. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a suite of wind streaks created in subliming carbon dioxide frost. These dark streaks appear to conform to the shape of the slopes on which they occur, suggesting that slope winds play a dominant role in creating and orienting these streaks. This picture is located near 73.8°S, 305.7°W. The image is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Winds responsible for the streaks generally blew from the bottom/right (south/southeast) toward the top/upper left (north/northwest). | |
This observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows Becquerel Crater, one of several impact craters in Arabia Terra that have light-toned layered deposits along the crater floor. The layers appear to be only a few meters thick. | Becquerel Crater is one of several impact craters in Arabia Terra that have light-toned layered deposits along the crater floor. The light-toned deposits are particularly striking to look at in this HiRISE image because they are stacked together to produce a thick sequence of layered beds. The layers appear to be only a few meters thick and show little variations in thickness.On Earth, layered beds with these characteristics are typically formed in water environments, although aeolian (wind blown) deposition on Mars through a cyclic process is also possible. Volcanic eruptions would not be expected to produce ash or volcanic flows of such regular thickness, and there are no nearby volcanic vents.Some of the layering in the image appears dark, probably due to deposition of basalt sand along flatter surfaces rather than any compositional variations in the layer beds themselves. Faults can also be seen displacing portions of the layered beds. The surface of the light-toned deposit is not smooth but instead appears disrupted into polygonal cracks and blocks.Relative to most surfaces on Mars, there are almost no impact craters seen in this image. This is not due to a young age but rather to the friable (easily eroded) nature of the light-toned layered deposits that enable wind easily to erode the unit, thereby removing any impact craters. Evidence of erosion by the wind is most apparent in the bottom of the image where linear ridges most likely formed by wind scouring away material in a North-South direction and creating the ridges.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.Originally released Oct. 10, 2007. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the southern margin of Pavonis Mons. | Context imageThis VIS image shows the southern margin of Pavonis Mons.Orbit Number: 49102 Latitude: -1.69816 Longitude: 246.882 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-01-08 02:37Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The Athabasca region contains some of the youngest lava flows on Mars. This looks like a circular island surrounded by a 'sea' of smooth-looking lava flows. This image was observed by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionWhat is this enigmatic landform?The circular feature is nearly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide. It looks like a circular island surrounded by a "sea" of smooth-looking lava flows. The Athabasca region contains some of the youngest lava flows on Mars. Therefore, it is highly possible that volcanism played a role in creating this feature.Perhaps lava has intruded underneath this mound and pushed it up from beneath. It looks as if material is missing from the mound, so it is also possible that there was a significant amount of ice in the mound that was driven out by the heat of the lava. There are an array of features like this in the region that continue to puzzle scientists.We hope that close inspection of this HiRISE image, and others around it, will provide some clues regarding its formation.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 23 December 2003West Candor Chasma, a part of the vast Valles Marineris trough system, is known for its layered sedimentary rock outcrops. It is less known for dark fields of windblown sand, but that is what occurs in the north-central part of the chasm. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image, obtained in December 2003, shows the interplay of dark, wind-blown sand with buttes and mesas of layered rock in west Candor Chasma. Dark streamers of sand point toward the east/southeast (right/lower right), indicating that dominant winds blow from the west. This picture is located near 5.2°S, 75.7°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of a depression (or trough) on the polar cap. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of a depression (or trough) on the polar cap.Orbit Number: 64851 Latitude: -86.359 Longitude: 285.853 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-07-27 15:31Please 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. | |
This image is an anaglyph version of the last 360-degree panorama taken by the Opportunity rover's Pancam from May 13 through June 10, 2018. The panorama appears in 3D when seen through blue-red glasses with the red lens on the left. | Photojournal Note: Also available is the original source, full resolution TIFF file, PIA22910_full.tif (23123 x 5163 pixels). This file may be too large to view from a browser; it can be downloaded onto your desktop by right-clicking on the previous link and viewed with image viewing software.This image is a shortened version of a 360-degree panorama taken by the Opportunity rover's Panoramic Camera (Pancam) from May 13 through June 10, 2018, or sols (Martian days) 5,084 through 5,111. This is the last panorama Opportunity acquired before the solar-powered rover succumbed to a global Martian dust storm on the same June 10. The panorama appears in 3D when seen through blue-red glasses with the red lens on the left.To the right of center and near the top of the frame, the rim of Endeavour Crater rises in the distance. Just to the left of that, rover tracks begin their descent from over the horizon towards the location that would become Opportunity's final resting spot in Perseverance Valley, where the panorama was taken. At the bottom, just left of center, is the rocky outcrop Opportunity was investigating with the instruments on its robotic arm. To the right of center and halfway down the of the frame is another rocky outcrop about 23 feet (7 meters) distant from the camera called "Ysleta del Sur" that Opportunity investigated from March 3 through 29, 2018, or sols 5,015 through 5,038. In the far right and left of the frame are the bottom of Perseverance Valley and the floor of Endeavour Crater. Located on the inner slope of the western rim of Endeavour Crater, Perseverance Valley is a system of shallow troughs descending eastward about the length of two football fields from the crest of Endeavour's rim to its floor.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about Opportunity, visit https://www.nasa.gov/rovers and https://mars.nasa.gov/mer. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows channels carved by catastrophic floods in the Tharsis region of Mars. The terrain is presently mantled with fine dust. | 17 July 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows channels carved by catastrophic floods in the Tharsis region of Mars. This area is located northwest of the volcano, Jovis Tholus, and east of the large martian volcano, Olympus Mons. The terrain is presently mantled with fine dust.Location near: 20.8°N, 118.8°WImage width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Autumn | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft contains the margin of the south polar cap (bottom half) and dunes in an unnamed crater (top half). Part of the crater is covered by ice, which may affect the winds creating these dunes. | Context imageThis image contains the margin of the south polar cap (bottom half) and dunes in an unnamed crater (top half). Part of the crater is covered by ice, which may affect the winds creating these dunes.Orbit Number: 57658 Latitude: -71.7659 Longitude: 143.146 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-12-13 06:43Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located in Noachis Terra. The unnamed crater at the bottom of the image contains a central pit. | Context image Today's VIS image is located in Noachis Terra. The unnamed crater at the bottom of the image contains a central pit. Central features such as pits and peaks can provide information about both the impacted surface and the size of the meteorite.Orbit Number: 65680 Latitude: -28.4965 Longitude: 349.805 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-10-03 22:49Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The CRISM, a mineral mapping instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, began observing Mars after its lens cover was opened on Sept. 27, 2006. | The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, a mineral mapping instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (CRISM), began observing Mars after its lens cover was opened on Sept. 27, 2006.This image shows one of the first regions of Mars measured after CRISM's cover was opened.CRISM takes images in two basic formats. The first format is a "targeted image" about 10 kilometers by 10 kilometers (about 6 miles by 6 miles), at about 18 meters (60 feet) per pixel, in 544 colors covering wavelengths of 0.36 to 3.92 micrometers. The second format is a lower-resolution strip 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide and thousands of kilometers long, at 200 meters (660 feet) per pixel, in 72 colors. Many thousands of these "multispectral survey" strips are used to build a global map.The image is part of the second multispectral survey strip, taken at 22:36 UTC (6:36 p.m. EDT) on Sept. 27, 2006. Only minimal processing of the data has been done at this early point in the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's mission. The strip crosses part of the north polar region named Olympia Undae, and stretches between 76.7 north latitude, 141.9 east longitude and 85.5 north, 115.8 east. From the top, the northern end of the image crosses layers of dusty and clean ice in the north polar cap. Moving south the image covers dusty sedimentary deposits, dark sand dunes, and outlying polar ice deposits. The full-resolution TIFF file can be viewed or downloaded here PIA08788.tif; the full-resolution JPEG can be viewed or downloaded here PIA08788.jpg.This image shows three representations of the 72 colors. The left panel is a nearly true-color composite in which the blue, green, and red planes are 0.44, 0.53, and 0.60 micrometer light -- nearly as the human eye would see. The contrast between the bright ice and dark dunes is so large that the dunes are barely seen. The middle panel is false color constructed from infrared wavelengths just beyond the range of the human eye. The blue, green, and red planes cover 0.80, 0.95, and 1.06 micrometer light. In this rendering of the data the differences between ice- and soil-rich regions are not as apparent because the colors of ice and dust are similar in this wavelength region. The right panel uses 1.15, 1.8, and 2.25 micrometer light in the blue, green and red planes and provides a dramatically different view of the scene. The areas of highest ice content appear in blue, and those with a mix of dust and ice -- most of the scene -- appear yellowish. The dunes are now visible against the ice because of their higher brightness at longer infrared wavelengths, and appear ruddy brown.The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars is one of six science instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Led by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., the CRISM team includes expertise from universities, government agencies and small businesses in the United States and abroad. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.CRISM's mission: Find the spectral fingerprints of aqueous and hydrothermal deposits and map the geology, composition and stratigraphy of surface features. The instrument will also watch the seasonal variations in Martian dust and ice aerosols, and water content in surface materials -- leading to new understanding of the climate. | |
This false-color view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit taken on Oct 7, 2005 looked back at the long and winding trail of twin wheel tracks the rover created to get to the top of 'Husband Hill' perched on a lofty, rock-strewn incline. | Before moving on to explore more of Mars, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit looked back at the long and winding trail of twin wheel tracks the rover created to get to the top of "Husband Hill." Spirit spent several days in October 2005 at this location, perched on a lofty, rock-strewn incline next to a precarious outcrop nicknamed "Hillary." Researchers helped the rover make several wheel adjustments to get solid footing before conducting scientific analysis of the rock outcrop. The rock turned out to be similar in appearance and composition to a rock target called "Jibsheet" PIA07979 that the rover had studied several months earlier and hundreds of meters away.To the west are the slopes of the "Columbia Hills," so named for the astronauts of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Beyond the hills are the flat plains and rim of Gusev Crater.Spirit took this 360-degree panorama of images with its navigation camera on the 627th Martian day, or sol, (Oct. 7, 2005) of its exploration of Gusev Crater on Mars. This view is presented in a polar projection with geometric seam correction. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows an area on Mars that appears to be smooth, with rough texture probably cause by wind erosion. | One of the original objectives of the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) when it was proposed to NASA in 1985 was to take pictures that would be used to assess future spacecraft landing sites. Images obtained by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) MOC since March 1999 provide the highest resolution views (1.5 to 4.5 meters (5-15 ft) per pixel) of the planet ever seen. Over the past several months, MOC science personnel have been examining these new data to develop a general view of what Mars is like at the meter-scale within the general latitude and elevation range that will be accessible to the Mars Surveyor 2001 lander. (i.e., about 5°N to 15°S latitude and lower than 2.5 km (1.6 mi) elevation).Because MOC images only cover a tiny fraction of one percent of the surface of Mars, we have been seeking general correlations that exist between what is seen in a MOC high-resolution image and what can be seen in the lower-resolution Viking and Mariner 9 images taken in 1972 and 1976-1980.The most important results thus far are illustrated in the four pictures above. Nearly 70% of the terrain examined follows two very simple, but unexpected "rules" -- (1) If the terrain appears rugged at the hundreds of meters to kilometers scale in a Viking or Mariner image, then it will appear smooth at the meter-scale in a MOC image. (2) If the terrain appears to be smooth in the Viking or Mariner image, it will be rough in the meter-scale MOC image.The image pair above illustrates the second "rule." Areas that appear to be smooth in the Viking and Mariner images--as in MOC2-138a (left)--tend to look quite rough at the meter scale in MOC images like MOC2-138b (right). The rough texture in this particular case was probably cause by wind erosion.The Viking image shown here is illuminated from the upper right, while the MOC image is illuminated from the upper left. The MOC image was taken in April 1999, while the Viking image was obtained in the late 1970s. More details about this work are provided in an extended abstract (in Acrobat® PDF format) by M.C. Malin, K. S. Edgett, and T. J. Parker, "Characterization of terrain in the Mars Surveyor 2001 landing site latitude and elevation region using Mapping Phase Mars Global Surveyor MOC images," presented at the Second Mars Surveyor Landing Site Workshop, held June 22-23, 1999, in Buffalo, New York.Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Arabia Terra. There is an impact crater just out of the frame to the right and a larger one south of the frame; layering can be seen in the ejecta of both craters. | Context image for PIA10296Small Scale Features This VIS image shows a portion of Arabia Terra. There is an impact crater just out of the frame to the right and a larger one south of the frame. If one looks closely layering can be seen in the ejecta of both craters. There is also a region of orthogonal ridges.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 15.6N, Longitude 20.7E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The volcanic flows that comprise Daedalia Planum arose from Arsia Mons. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of Daedalia Planum, including a channel-fed lava flow. | Context imageThe volcanic flows that comprise Daedalia Planum arose from Arsia Mons. This VIS image shows a small portion of Daedalia Planum, including a channel-fed lava flow.Orbit Number: 42648 Latitude: -23.1696 Longitude: 237.316 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-07-26 21:37Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a region located near Amazonis Mensa with considerable erosion due to blowing winds. | Context image for PIA10302Windblown RegionLocated near Amazonis Mensa, this region show in this VIS image has undergone considerable erosion due to blowing winds.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -3.5N, Longitude 218.9E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows two craters in Terra Cimmeria just north of Kepler Crater. The small crater in the middle of the image is a relatively new crater. | Context image Today's VIS image shows two craters in Terra Cimmeria just north of Kepler Crater. The small crater in the middle of the image is a relatively new crater. The interior rim has gullies, but the bowl shape shows that there has been very little deposition of materials. Additionally, the radial emplacement of thin ejecta is still identifiable, and can be seen in the larger crater in the top of the image. With time the crater floor will flatten due to influx of materials and the subtle radial ejecta will be hidden by dust. While the actual age of the small crater is not known, it is relatively younger than the larger crater.Orbit Number: 66523 Latitude: -44.3019 Longitude: 139.301 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-12-12 09:31Please 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. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows sand dunes covering part of the floor of this unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. | Context imageSand dunes cover part of the floor of this unnamed crater in Noachis Terra.Orbit Number: 75357 Latitude: -52.1099 Longitude: 33.1768 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-10 03:58Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a landslide located in an unnamed crater on the northern margin of Terra Sirenum. | Context image for PIA11333LandslideThis landslide is located in an unnamed crater on the northern margin of Terra Sirenum.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -11.6N, Longitude 186.9E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows defrosting sand dunes durting the late southern winter on Mars. | As winter gives way to spring in the martian southern hemisphere, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) is observing the retreat of the south polar frost cap as sunlight falls upon it for the first time in several months. One of the most aesthetically-pleasing aspects of the spring defrosting process is the pattern that is created on the martian sand dune fields. Dunes are usually among the first surfaces to begin showing signs of change in late winter when temperatures are just beginning to creep above -125° C (-193° F; 148 K). The pattern of spots on the dunes in the above MOC picture was observed on June 8, 2001. The location of the dune field is near 62°S, 155°W. Dark spots and streaks on defrosting sand dunes were first observed by MOC in the northern hemisphere in 1998. Similar dark-spotted dunes in the southern hemisphere were described at a NASA/Mars Global Surveyor Space Science Update media briefing in 1999. Despite the "sensation" one gets when looking at pictures of spotted, defrosting martian dunes (i.e., the sensation that these images show some form of life, like vegetation, growing on Mars) these features are a normal, common manifestation of the springtime defrosting process on Mars. The ices involved--because of the low temperatures at these locations--are probably both frozen water and carbon dioxide, though it is unclear as to whether one type of ice dominates over the other in controlling the appearance and coalescence of the dark spots. It is known from the first martian year of MOC operations that by summer all of the frost--and thus all of the spots--on the dunes will be gone. North is up and sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left in both pictures. The color context view covers an area approximately 115 km (72 miles) across; the high resolution image covers 3 km by 22 km (1.9by 13.6 mi). | |
The different layers of material in this occur in Aram Chaos as seen in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageThe different layers of material in this VIS image occur in Aram Chaos.Orbit Number: 49847 Latitude: 3.33589 Longitude: 339.094 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-03-10 12:03Please 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 acquired on January 31, 2021 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows a sinuous ridge that gives the appearance of a stream channel, but stays raised above the surface rather than incised into it. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionA sinuous ridge is a thin and meandering formation that gives the appearance of a stream channel, but stays raised above the surface rather than incised into it. It is believed that these ridges were once stream channels that cut down into the surface.Flowing water can have a number of effects on a channel bed, such as sorting grains and depositing rocks, all while removing loose material. The water can also carry a number of dissolved minerals that become deposited and cement the remaining grains together. The result is a stream bed that has become "armored."Once the stream stops flowing and dries up, this armored layer can resist future erosion. Over the millions of years that follow, forces such as wind can gradually remove the original material of the surrounding terrain, but the stream bed can remain. Examining the characteristics of the ridge can reveal clues about the amount of water and the flow speed that existed long ago. The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 27.2 centimeters [10.7 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 82 centimeters [32.3 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows collapse pits on the lower east flank of Ascraeus Mons, a larger volcano in the Tharsis region of Mars. | 13 November 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows collapse pits on the lower east flank of Ascraeus Mons, a larger volcano in the Tharsis region of Mars.Location near: 11.5°N, 102.2°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Autumn | |
Layered Terrain near Mawrth Valles | Image PSP_001454_2030 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 17, 2006. The complete image is centered at 22.8 degrees latitude, 341.7 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 284.2 km (177.6 miles). At this distance the image scale is 28.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~85 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:27 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 49 degrees, thus the sun was about 41 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 136.9 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft resembles a face staring back at the spacecraft. | Context image Do you see what I see? Is that a face staring out at me?Orbit Number: 65345 Latitude: 34.4675 Longitude: 105.179 Instrument: IR Captured: 2016-09-06 09:27Please 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. | |
Windstreaks in this image indicate winds from the east to west in this region of Meridiani Planum captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageWindstreaks in this VIS image indicate winds from the east to west in this region of Meridiani Planum.Orbit Number: 51332 Latitude: 4.18759 Longitude: 7.94561 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-07-10 16:51Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Marte Vallis, a large, complex lava channel on Mars. The lava is able to create features, such as streamlined islands, that are more commonly seen in water carved channels. | Context image for PIA10888Marte VallisMarte Vallis is a large, complex lava channel. This VIS image shows how the lava is able to create features, such as streamlined islands, that are more commonly seen in water carved channels.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 15.8N, Longitude 184.2E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows thin 'streams' of clouds during Mars' southern hemisphere dust storm season. | A common feature in spring dust storms in the southern hemisphere is thin 'streams' of clouds. This feature is typically located at or near the storm front.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -67.6N, Longitude 44.8E. 34 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 Exploration Rover Opportunity shows an area just above the top of 'Perseverance Valley,' in preparation for driving down the valley. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took the component images of this enhanced-color scene during the mission's "walkabout" survey of an area just above the top of "Perseverance Valley," in preparation for driving down the valley.The location is just outside the crest line of the western rim of Endeavour Crater, looking toward the northwest. The rim crest at the top of Perseverance Valley is off the scene to the right. A swath across the top half of the image is lined with dark rocks, especially on the far side. The swath runs east-west, and one possible history under investigation is that it was a channel into a lake perched against the edge of the crater billions of years ago. Another hypothesis is that the linear pattern of the rock piles is related to radial fractures from the impact that excavated Endeavour Crater. One goal of the walkabout is to determine whether a close look at the rocks will provide clues to the history of the site.For scale, the width of the swath near the center of the image is roughly 30 feet (9 meters). Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam) recorded this scene on June 3, 2017, during the 4,749th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. The enhanced color helps make differences in surface materials visible. The view merges exposures taken through three of the Pancam's color filters, centered on wavelengths of 753 nanometers (near-infrared), 535 nanometers (green) and 432 nanometers (violet).Opportunity and the next-generation Mars rover, Curiosity, plus three active NASA Mars orbiters are part of ambitious robotic exploration to understand Mars, which will continue with NASA missions to be launched in 2018 and 2020. The robotic missions help lead the way for sending humans to Mars in the 2030s. JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, built Opportunity and manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.For more information about Opportunity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rovers and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov. |
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