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The landslides in this image are located in Aurorae Chaos on Mars as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA08485LandslidesThe landslides in this image are located in Aurorae Chaos.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -6.7N, Longitude 328.8E. 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. | |
Video taken by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover shows some of the terrain the rover had to negotiate during its drive to the delta at Jezero Crater in April 2022. | Click here for animationThis video shows NASA's Perseverance Mars rover using its auto-navigation, or AutoNav, technology to guide it during its drive to the delta. The video combines imagery taken on April 9, 2022, the 404th Martian day, or sol, of the mission, when Perseverance drove 841.7 feet (256.55 meters), with imagery taken on the following Martian day (sol 405), when it travelled 869.35 feet (264.98 meters).AutoNav allows the rover to autonomously re-plan its route around rocks or other obstacles on its way to a pre-established destination. The video was taken by the rover's navigation cameras; they are capable of color, but black-and-white images are better for navigation. The video has been sped up by roughly 200 times with about 30 seconds between frames.A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance:mars.nasa.gov/mars2020nasa.gov/perseverance | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows ome of the widely-varied terrain of the martian south polar residual cap. The landforms here are composed mainly of frozen carbon dioxide. | 23 July 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a view of some of the widely-varied terrain of the martian south polar residual cap. The landforms here are composed mainly of frozen carbon dioxide. Each year since MGS arrived in 1997, the scarps that bound each butte and mesa, or line the edges of each pit, in the south polar region, have changed a little bit as carbon dioxide is sublimed away. The scarps retreat at a rate of about 3 meters (~3 yards) per martian year. Most of the change occurs during each southern summer.Location near: 86.7°S, 9.8°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Spring | |
The triple tails of windstreaks behind these small craters in Arabia Terra indicate multiple wind directions in the area in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageThe triple tails of windstreaks behind these small craters in Arabia Terra indicate multiple wind directions in the area.Orbit Number: 39373 Latitude: 4.0891 Longitude: 10.5209 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-10-30 07:46Please 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. | |
A portion of a cored-rock sample is ejected from the rotary percussive drill on NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. The imagery was collected by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument on Jan. 15, 2022. | Click here for animationA portion of a cored-rock sample is ejected from the rotary percussive drill on NASA's Perseverance Mars rover. The imagery was collected by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument on Jan. 15, 2022, the 322nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission, during an experiment that oriented the drill and sample tube (unseen here) around 9 degrees below horizontal and then rotated and extended the drill's spindle.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 about Perseverance:mars.nasa.gov/mars2020nasa.gov/perseverance | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the complex collapse features on the southern flank of Ascraeus Mons. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows the complex collapse features on the southern flank of Ascraeus Mons.Orbit Number: 45293 Latitude: 8.26097 Longitude: 255.324 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-02-29 16:31Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the results of wind action on the floor of the giant martian impact basin, Huygens. The large crater in this image has a wind streak on its lee side. | 19 September 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the results of wind action on the floor of the giant martian impact basin, Huygens. The large crater in this image has a wind streak on its lee side, pointing toward the lower right (southeast). Usually, a light-toned wind streak behind a crater on Mars will be composed of a thin veneer of dust that the wind was not able to erode because it was protected by the presence of the crater's raised rims. In this case, the streak is caused by something different -- by the fact that dark, windblown sand has not been able to accumulate behind the crater.Location near: 13.0°S, 303.7°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Southern Spring | |
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover spotted this dust devil with one of its Navigation Cameras around 11:35 a.m. local Mars time on Aug. 9, 2020 (the 2,847th Martian day, or sol, of the mission). | Click here for animationNASA's Curiosity Mars rover spotted this dust devil with one of its Navigation Cameras around 11:35 a.m. local Mars time on Aug. 9, 2020 (the 2,847th Martian day, or sol, of the mission). The frames in this GIF were shot over 4 minutes and 15 seconds.Taken from the "Mary Anning" drill site, this dust devil appears to be passing through small hills just above Curiosity's present location on Mount Sharp. The dust devil is approximately one-third to a half-mile (half-a-kilometer to a kilometer) away and estimated to be about 16 feet (5 meters) wide. The dust plume disappears past the top of the frame, so an exact height can't be known, but it's estimated to be at least 164 feet (50 meters) tall.Contrast has been modified to make frame-to-frame changes easier to see.For more information about Curiosity, visit http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl or https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows an area of layered deposits in Candor Chasma. Sheets and dunes of dark-toned sand cover the light-toned, layered bedrock. | This image shows an area of layered deposits in Candor Chasma. Here, sheets and dunes of dark-toned sand cover the light-toned, layered bedrock. Accumulations of dark sand accentuate bedding within the light-toned bedrock, giving some areas a zebra striped pattern.In the Northern part of the scene, the bedrock has been eroded into steep, craggy cliffs. Some sections of these cliffs are covered by triangular-shaped debris fans that are intermediate in color between the dark-toned sand and light-toned bedrock.These fans may contain a mix of light-toned bedrock that has crumbled away from the surrounding cliffs and wind-blown sand and dust.The surfaces of some fans are dissected by gullies, which most likely formed through dry avalanching. The bottoms of the gully channels are often darker in tone than the surrounding fan surface. This may be due to accumulations of wind-blown sand in the gully floor. The subimage shows a clear example of a gullied fan from the northern portion of the scene.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 October 10, 2007 | |
This enhanced-color sample from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveals the incredible diversity of landforms on some Martian plains that appear bland and uniform at larger scales. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis enhanced-color sample reveals the incredible diversity of landforms on some Martian plains that appear bland and uniform at larger scales.Here we see layers, small channels suggesting water flow, craters, and indurated sand dunes. The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 25.7 centimeters (10.1 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 77 centimeters (30.3 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This false-color image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows one portion of the surface in the Meridiani region, taken during Mars' northern spring season. | The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the Martian surface using five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from using multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.This false color image shows one portion of the surface in the Meridiani region. The Opportunity rover landed west of this image. This image was collected during the Northern Spring season. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 1.6, Longitude 5.6 East (354.4 West). 35 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the ejecta around Yuty Crater. | Context image This VIS image shows part of the ejecta around Yuty Crater. The ejecta, with the raised outer margin, is called a rampart.Orbit Number: 65269 Latitude: 22.3058 Longitude: 325.442 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-08-31 02:31Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 17 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows frost-covered north polar dunes in early January 2004. When this picture was taken, the dunes were in twilight, just before the late winter dawn that would come a few days later. These dunes spent many of the last several months in complete darkness. In this image, they are illuminated only by sunlight that has been scattered over the horizon by the martian atmosphere. These dunes are located near 77.0°N, 246.2°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and has been expanded by 200% from its original 12 meters (39 ft.) per pixel scale. While the sun had not yet risen when the image was obtained, illumination is mostly from the lower left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a dune field located on the floor of Russell Crater on Mars. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAToday's VIS image show the same region of dunes in Russell Crater as yesterday's IR image. The images were acquired at the same time.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -54.4N, Longitude 12.4E. 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a plain covered by flow material that surrounded and banked against three older, rounded hills in the Zephyria region of Mars. | 21 April 2005 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a plain covered by flow material that surrounded and banked against three older, rounded hills in the Zephyria region. Although some investigators have proposed that the flows covering plains in this region are the remains of an ice-covered lake, others have found considerable evidence, including small volcanoes, to suggest that the flows are volcanic. The textures on these flows resemble that of some of the lava flows in the volcanic Tharsis region of Mars.Location near: 2.7°S, 195.7°WImage width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Winter | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 15 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows some of the troughs of the Granicus Valles system, located west of the Elysium volcanic rise near 27.1°N, 224.0°W. The floors exhibit abundant large ripple-like features deposited and shaped by wind. The dark dots on the valley floors are large boulders. The image covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide; sunlight illuminates the scene from the left. | |
The front cameras aboard NASA's rover Sojourner imaged several prominent rocks on Sol 44. The highly-textured rock at left is Wedge, and in the background from left to right are 'Shark,' 'Half-Dome,' and 'Moe.' Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | The front cameras aboard the rover Sojourner imaged several prominent rocks on Sol 44. The highly-textured rock at left is Wedge, and in the background from left to right are "Shark," "Half-Dome," and "Moe." The rectangular rock at right is Flat Top, which earlier close-up images revealed to be made up of elongated pits, possibly made by vesicles from volcanic outgassing or etches caused by weathering.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image, taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows a mesa within the 'Murray Buttes' area on Mars showing a complex fracture pattern (black arrow) protruding from the eroding rock. | This image, taken with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, shows a mesa within the "Murray Buttes" area on Mars showing a complex fracture pattern (black arrow) protruding from the eroding rock. This mesa, which likely represents a remnant of crater floor sediments, lies on top of the sedimentary rocks of the Murray Formation. NASA's Curiosity rover will be exploring this 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 and Mars Science Laboratory projects for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows several dune fields encircling the north polar cap. Hyperboreae Undae is one of them. | Context imageSeveral dune fields encircle the north polar cap. Hyperboreae Undae is one of them, located near Escorial Crater and Chasma Boreale. This VIS image was taken during the spring season, when the dunes still have some frost cover.Orbit Number: 77742 Latitude: 77.7492 Longitude: 309.689 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-06-24 14:29Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small part of the summit caldera of Uranius Patera on Mars. | Context image for PIA09999Uranius PateraThis VIS image shows a small part of the summit caldera of Uranius Patera.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 27.3N, Longitude 268.2E. 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 map shows the route on lower Mount Sharp that NASA's Curiosity followed in April and early May 2015, in the context of the surrounding terrain. Numbers along the route identify the sol, or Martian day, on which it completed the drive. | This map shows the route on lower Mount Sharp that NASA's Curiosity followed in April and early May 2015, in the context of the surrounding terrain. Numbers along the route identify the sol, or Martian day, on which it completed the drive reaching that point, as counted since its 2012 landing.The map covers an area about one-third of a mile (half a kilometer) across. North is up. The base image is from the High Resolution Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.Curiosity departed the "Pahrump Hills" outcrop -- mostly off the upper right corner of the map -- through "Artist's Drive" valley. The Sol 949 drive was completed on April 7, 2015. A HiRISE image actually showing Curiosity at that spot is at PIA19392. At that time, the rover's next planned science destination was "Logan Pass," an area where two geological units meet. At the Sol 951 location, Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) took component images for a sweeping panorama to the south and southwest, at PIA19397 and http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/deepzoom/PIA19397. At the Sol 956 location, the Mastcam took component images for a westward panorama, at PIA19398 and http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/deepzoom/PIA19398. From views such as these, Curiosity's science team selected an additional site for close inspection, at the base of a rise called "Mount Shields." The rover arrived there with the Sol 967 drive, completed on April 26, 2015.After the observations and measurements made by Curiosity's instruments at the base of Mount Shields, the rover resumed its approach to Logan Pass, on a route passing west of "Jocko Butte." The Sol 976 drive was completed on May 5, 2015.Wider-context maps are online at PIA19390 and PIA19067. Updated location maps for Curiosity are posted frequently at http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/whereistherovernow/.For more information about Curiosity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
Polygonal Ground with Seasonally Dark Edges | Image PSP_001434_2575 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 16, 2006. The complete image is centered at 77.2 degrees latitude, 155.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 321.2 km (200.7 miles). At this distance the image scale is 32.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~96 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 2:55 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 64 degrees, thus the sun was about 26 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 136.1 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 shows NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity sitting along the rim of 'Endurance Crater' on Mars on May 13, 2004. | This left eye in a stereo pair of views presented in a cylindrical-perspective projection was created from three navigation camera frames that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity acquired at about 4:05 p.m., local solar time on Mars, on sol 108, May 13, 2004. Opportunity is sitting along the rim of "Endurance Crater." NASA has not yet determined whether Opportunity will venture inside the crater, which is about 130 meters (about 430 feet) in diameter.See PIA05961 for 3-D view and PIA05963 for right eye view of this left eye cylindrical-perspective projection. | |
Faint clouds can be seen to the northeast of this crater on Mars. The bright and dark bands against the NE crater rim (interior and exterior) are bright clouds and their shadows as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey. | Context image for PIA08443CloudsFaint clouds can be seen to the northeast of this crater. The bright and dark bands against the NE crater rim (interior and exterior) are bright clouds and their shadows.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 67.1N, Longitude 47.7.0E. 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 shows a small portion of the Martian dichotomy near Lucus Planum. The ancient crater at the right center of the images has been extensively modified by the fracturing on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA09043Arcuate FracturesThis image shows a small portion of the Martian dichotomy near Lucus Planum. The ancient crater at the right center of the images has been extensively modified by the fracturing.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 1.4N, Longitude 177.1E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the eastern flank of Pavonis Mons on Mars with a large collapse feature and the initiation of a similar feature with small collapses to the east. | Context image for PIA10292Pavonis MonsThis image of the eastern flank of Pavonis Mons shows a large collapse feature and the initiation of a similar feature with small collapses to the east.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 0.3N, Longitude 249.4E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the floor of Rabe Crater. | Context image The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of the floor of Rabe Crater.Orbit Number: 52206 Latitude: -43.6573 Longitude: 34.9551 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-09-20 13:07Please 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 Sojourner rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is shown deployed against the rock 'Moe' on the afternoon of Sol 64 (September 7, 1977). The rocks to the left of Moe are 'Shark' (left of Sojourner) and 'Half Dome' (behind Sojourner). | The Sojourner rover's Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) is shown deployed against the rock "Moe" on the afternoon of Sol 64 (September 7). The rocks to the left of Moe are "Shark" (left of Sojourner) and "Half Dome" (behind Sojourner). They were previously measured by the APXS. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP).This image and PIA01560 (right 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 a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Kasei Valles. Kasei Valles is one of the largest outflow channel systems on Mars. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a portion of Kasei Valles. Kasei Valles is one of the largest outflow channel systems on Mars, in places up to 482 km (300 miles) wide and 1580 km (982 miles) long. For comparison, the Grand Canyon in Arizona is is only 29 km (18 miles) at its widest and only 446 km (277 miles) long. Kasei Valles flows eastward through Lunae Planum and empties into Chryse Planitia.Orbit Number: 85280 Latitude: 25.2042 Longitude: 299.095 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-03-06 06:28Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Data from the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity show an unusual enrichment of silicon in the rocks dubbed 'Wildrose' and 'Bonanza King,' relative to other rocks studied at Gale Crater on Mars. | Data from the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity show an unusual enrichment of silicon in the rocks dubbed "Wildrose" and "Bonanza King," relative to other rocks studied at Gale Crater on Mars, where the rover landed. This same enrichment had been seen by earlier missions to Mars (labeled in red), and even in Mars meteorites (black). The Bonanza King rock is most similar to "Fuzzy Smith" in silicon abundance. Fuzzy Smith, studied by the rover Spirit at Gusev Crater, indicated a past aqueous environment. 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. More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
A 'real-time data translator' machine converted Mariner 4 digital image data into numbers printed on strips of paper. | Color KeyClose UpPIA14032Click on an individual image for larger viewA "real-time data translator" machine converted a Mariner 4 digital image data into numbers printed on strips of paper. Too anxious to wait for the official processed image, employees from the Telecommunications Section at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, attached these strips side by side to a display panel and hand colored the numbers like a paint-by-numbers picture. The completed image was framed and presented to JPL director, William H. Pickering. Mariner 4 was launched on November 28, 1964 and journeyed for 228 days to the Red Planet, providing the first close-range images of Mars. The spacecraft carried a television camera and six other science instruments to study the Martian atmosphere and surface. The 22 photographs taken by Mariner revealed the existence of lunar type craters upon a desert-like surface. After completing its mission, Mariner 4 continued past Mars to the far side of the Sun. On December 20, 1967, all operations of the spacecraft were ended.For more information about this story see www.directedplay.com/first-tv-image-of-mars.The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, managed the Mariner 4 mission for NASA, Washington, D.C. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the floor of Moreux Crater. Sand dunes are found in this region of the crater floor. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of the floor of Moreux Crater. Sand dunes are found in this region of the crater floor. Moreux Crater is located on the northern margin of Terra Sabaea.Orbit Number: 72774 Latitude: 42.2007 Longitude: 44.0537 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-05-11 10:12Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Olympia Undae during north polar spring. | Context imageThis VIS image of Olympia Undae was collected during north polar spring. The dunes are still partially covered by the winter frosts; as the region heats up the frost will dissipate to reveal the dark sand beneath. The density of dunes and the alignments of the dune crests varies with location, controlled by the amount of available sand and the predominant winds over time.Olympia Undae is a vast dune field in the north polar region of Mars. It consists of a broad sand sea or erg that partly rings the north polar cap from about 120° to 240°E longitude and 78° to 83°N latitude. The dune field covers an area of approximately 470,000 km2 (bigger than California, smaller than Texas). Olympia Undae is the largest continuous dune field on Mars. Olympia Undae is not the only dune field near the north polar cap, several other smaller fields exist in the same latitude, but in other ranges of longitude, e.g. Abolos and Siton Undae. Barchan and transverse dune forms are the most common. In regions with limited available sand individual barchan dunes will form, the surface beneath and between the dunes is visible. In regions with large sand supplies, the sand sheet covers the underlying surface, and dune forms are found modifying the surface of the sand sheet. In this case transverse dunes are more common. Barchan dunes "point" down wind, transverse dunes are more linear and form parallel to the wind direction. The "square" shaped transverse dunes in Olympia Undae are due to two prevailing wind directions.Orbit Number: 94436 Latitude: 80.4194 Longitude: 227.978 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-03-30 04:29Please 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 show part of the ejecta of Bacolor Crater. The ejecta is layered and grooved, all radial to the crater itself. Bacolor Crater is located in Utopia Planitia. | Context imageToday's VIS image show part of the ejecta of Bacolor Crater. The ejecta is layered and grooved, all radial to the crater itself. Bacolor Crater is located in Utopia Planitia.Orbit Number: 60710 Latitude: 33.4786 Longitude: 118.408 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-08-21 14:55Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea has two channels dissecting the rim which have formed deltas on the crater floor on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA09137 Double DeltaThis unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea has two channels dissecting the rim which have formed deltas on the crater floor.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 35.3N, Longitude 32.7E. 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. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple many ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Coprates Chasma. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Coprates Chasma.Orbit Number: 10201 Latitude: -15.2593 Longitude: 303.778 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-04-02 06:51Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The hills in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Nepenthes Mensae, which is located along the margin of Terra Cimmeria. | Context imageThe hills in this VIS image are part of Nepenthes Mensae, which is located along the margin of Terra Cimmeria.Orbit Number: 62582 Latitude: 10.8817 Longitude: 110.717 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-01-22 18:45Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE, with its high resolution and eight years in orbit about Mars, has shown that many dunes and ripples on the planet are active. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionHiRISE, with its high resolution and eight years in orbit about Mars, has shown that many dunes and ripples on the planet are active. This demonstrates that in some areas sand is loose enough and winds strong enough, that significant change can occur.Nevertheless, other Martian dunes are clearly *inactive*. This image in Arcadia Planitia shows dunes in a crater. Unlike active dunes on the planet, those here are bright, and, zooming in, there are several lines of evidence indicating that the dunes have become indurated, that is, hardened into cohesive sediment or even into sandstone rock. For example, the dune field at the southern edge is cut off by a step cliff, indicating erosion of hard material. Although fine scale ripples on the original dune surface are preserved, we also see large scale fluting from southwest to northeast, a common texture associated with wind-induced sand abrasion.How these dunes became indurated is unknown. One possibility is that this area of Mars was buried and then exhumed, a process that seems to have occurred many times in the Martian past over various areas of the planet. During burial, compaction and possibly ground water circulation would have indurated the dunes, leaving them as a hard sandstone that, when exhumed, was subsequently partially eroded.Note: a version of the cutout is with only the scale bar is here.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 small wind-eroded ridges, known to geologists as yardangs, in the Eumenides Dorsum region of Mars. | 12 March 2005 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows small wind-eroded ridges, known to geologists as yardangs, in the Eumenides Dorsum region.Location near: 3.6°N, 150.5°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Northern Summer | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Lunae Planum. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Lunae Planum.The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the Martian surface using five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from using multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Orbit Number: 95001 Latitude: 18.596 Longitude: 295.651 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-05-15 16:32Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Approaching an Overlook | The path of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit through the rover's 354th martian day, or sol (Dec. 31, 2004), plus some future travel options, are indicated on this map of the "Husband Hill" region of the "Columbia Hills" within Mars' Gusev Crater. The rover team plans to send Spirit to a vantage point dubbed "Larry's Lookout" for views to help in deciding whether to dip into "Tennessee Valley." The base image for the map was taken by the Mars Orbiter Camera aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. | |
This panorama combining images taken on Feb. 10, 2014, by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover looks back to where the rover crossed a dune at 'Dingo Gap' four days earlier. The view is centered toward the east and spans about 225 degrees. | This scene looking back at where Curiosity crossed a dune at "Dingo Gap" combines several exposures taken by the Navigation Camera (Navcam) high on the rover's mast. The panorama is centered toward the east and spans about 225 degrees, from north-northwest at the left to west-southwest at the right. For scale, the distance between Curiosity's parallel wheel tracks is about 9 feet (2.7 meters). The panorama is presented here as a cylindrical projection.The component images were taken during the 539th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (Feb. 10, 2014) from a location reached by a drive the preceding sol. Curiosity crossed the dune at Dingo Gap, near the middle of the horizon of this scene, on Sol 535 (Feb. 6, 2014). The dune is about 3 feet (1 meter) tall.The high-mounted cylinder on the rear part of the vehicle is the rover's UHF (ultrahigh frequency) antenna. The set of disks mounted below it is part of the calibration target for Curiosity's Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument. The ball-on-a-stick device in the foreground is the calibration target, including a sundial, for Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam). To the right of the UHF antenna in this image are the radiator fins for Curiosity's power supply, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. 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 and the rover's Navcam.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander targeted landing area before the winter frost had entirely disappeared from the surface. The bright ice in shallow crevices accentuates the area's polygonal fracturing pattern. | Some high-latitude areas on Mars (left) and Earth (right) exhibit similarly patterned ground where shallow fracturing has drawn polygons on the surface. This patterning may result from cycles of contraction and expansion. The left image shows ground within the targeted landing area NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander before the winter frost had entirely disappeared from the surface. The bright ice in shallow crevices accentuates the area's polygonal fracturing pattern. The polygons are a few meters (several feet) across. The image is a small portion of an exposure taken in March 2008 by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The image on the right is an aerial view of similarly patterned ground in Antarctica. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems. 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 & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the western margin of Juventae Chasma and the dunes that occur at the base of the chasma cliff. | Context imageThis VIS image shows the western margin of Juventae Chasma and the dunes that occur at the base of the chasma cliff.Orbit Number: 48863 Latitude: -4.23348 Longitude: 297.286 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-12-19 10:35Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This view from July 25, 2008 by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the Robotic Arm scoop. The scoop was photographed to confirm it is empty in preparation for collecting a sample for analysis from a hard subsurface layer where soil may contain frozen water. | This view from the Robotic Arm Camera on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the Robotic Arm scoop. This image was taken on the 59th Martian day, or sol, of the mission (July 25, 2008). The scoop was photographed to confirm it is empty in preparation for collecting a sample for analysis from a hard subsurface layer where soil may contain frozen water.The width of the scoop is about 8.5 centimeters (3.3 inches).The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows dunes in the north polar region of Mars. In this springtime view, the dunes are largely covered by frozen carbon dioxide that was deposited during the winter months in the northern hemisphere. | 30 June 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dunes in the north polar region of Mars. In this springtime view, the dunes are largely covered by frozen carbon dioxide that was deposited during the winter months in the northern hemisphere. Dark spots indicate areas where the frost has begun to either sublime away, acquire a roughened texture, or both.Location near: 77.3°N, 95.4°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Northern Spring | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small portion of the extensive volcanic plains of Daedalia Planum. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a small portion of the extensive volcanic plains of Daedalia Planum. These lava flows originated from Arsia Mons, the southernmost of the three large Tharsis volcanoes.Orbit Number: 75250 Latitude: -13.305 Longitude: 234.502 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-01 08:41Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The first color panorama returned by NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after Mars Pathfinder's landing included several larger, gray rocks, bright red dust on a flat-topped rock and the ground between the rocks. | The first color panorama returned by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after Mars Pathfinder's landing included several larger, gray rocks, bright red dust on a flat-topped rock and the ground between the rocks, and darker red soil exposed where Pathfinder's landing dislodged a small rock. The rock dubbed "Flat Top" is at the low center of the images. The less red color and low reflectance of the rocks is consistent with the iron minerals found in igneous rocks, whereas the fine, bright drift has a spectrum indicative of a weathering product. The strength of the bend, or "kink," in the spectrum is related to the abundance and particle size of specific crustalline, ferric weathering products. In the false color image, the blue areas have a weak kink and are relatively unweathered, whereas the red areas' strong kink indicates an abundance of ferric iron minerals.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. 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. 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. | |
McLaughlin Crater (21.9 N, 337.6 E) is a large, approximately 95-kilometer diameter impact crater located north of Mawrth Vallis, in Arabia Terra, seen here by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionMcLaughlin Crater (21.9 N, 337.6 E) is a large, approximately 95-kilometer diameter impact crater located north of Mawrth Vallis, in Arabia Terra, a region that was made famous by the book and movie "The Martian" by Andy Weir.McLaughlin Crater straddles three major terrain types: the Northern lowlands, the Southern highlands and the Mawrth Vallis region. The crater floor is thought to be covered by clays and carbonates that were deposited in a deep lake at least 3.8 billion years ago perhaps by ground water upwelling from beneath the crater floor (Michalski et al., 2013, Nature Geoscience).McLaughlin Crater is listed as a candidate landing site for the 2020 Mars surface mission. Although it is described as a "flat, low-risk and low-elevation landing zone," the region in this image on the southern floor of the crater shows a complex surface of eroded layers that are rough in places. An unusual feature is a straight fracture cutting diagonally across the layered material at the bottom portion of the image that may be a fault line.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 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on April 13, 2004 shows the surface of Mars during the southern fall season in Kaiser Crater. | Released 13 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.This daytime VIS image was collected on May 7, 2002 during the southern fall season in Kaiser Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -46.9, Longitude 19.3 East (340.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The unusual surface texture seen in the image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft reflects the resistance of the surface rocks to erosion by the wind. This image shows part of the northern end of Gordii Dorsum. | Context imageThe unusual surface texture seen in the VIS image reflects the resistance of the surface rocks to erosion by the wind. This image shows part of the northern end of Gordii Dorsum.Orbit Number: 44508 Latitude: 12.3231 Longitude: 212.46 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-12-27 01:46Please 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. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows volcanic flows and fractures between Arsia Mons and Pavonis Mons in the Tharsis volcanic region. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows volcanic flows and fractures between Arsia Mons and Pavonis Mons in the Tharsis volcanic region. The fractures – termed graben – follow the northeast/southwest trend of the three large Tharsis volcanoes.Orbit Number: 89113 Latitude: -7.38183 Longitude: 244.754 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-01-15 20:50Please 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. | |
Energetic particles from a large solar storm in September 2017 were seen both in Mars orbit by NASA's MAVEN orbiter, and on the surface of Mars by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. | Energetic particles from a large solar storm in September 2017 were seen both in Mars orbit and on the surface of Mars by NASA missions to the Red Planet.The horizontal axis for both parts of this graphic is the time from Sept. 10 to Sept. 15, 2017. The upper portion of this graphic shows the increase in protons in two ranges of energy levels (15- to-100 million electron volts and 80-to-220 million electron volts), as recorded by the Solar Energetic Particle instrument on NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution orbiter, or MAVEN. The lower portion shows the radiation dose on the Martian surface, in micrograys per day, as measured by the Radiation Assessment Monitor instrument on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. Micrograys are unit of measurement for absorbed radiation dose.Note that only protons in the higher bracket of energy levels penetrate the atmosphere enough to be detected on the surface.NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. MAVEN's principal investigator is based at the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, where the mission's IUVS team is also based. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built and operates the spacecraft. For more information about MAVEN, visit http://www.nasa.gov/maven and http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows dark streaks marking the inner rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea. | Context imageDark streaks mark the inner rim of this unnamed crater in Terra Sabaea. There are several suggested mechanisms to form these features. Two of the mechanisms are that the dusty surface has been altered to reveal darker rock beneath from motion of downward moving dust avalanches, or the surface is darkening by fluid or other surface staining.Orbit Number: 87336 Latitude: 14.6769 Longitude: 27.535 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-08-22 13:18Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows plains and craters in Terra Cimmeria. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's VIS image shows plains and craters in Terra Cimmeria.Orbit Number: 59979 Latitude: -39.2993 Longitude: 159.815 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-06-22 09:17Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft had been targeted on the dunes on the floor of Charlier Crater. Unfortunately, clouds are obscuring the view of the surface. | Context imageThis VIS image had been targeted on the dunes on the floor of Charlier Crater. Unfortunately, clouds are obscuring the view of the surface.Orbit Number: 43473 Latitude: -68.057 Longitude: 190.213 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-10-02 19:45Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Part of Mawrth Vallis | A portion of the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars is seen in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The Mawrth Vallis region holds special interest because of the presence of phyllosilicate (clay) minerals which form only if water is available, first identified in data from the OMEGA spectrometer on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars has identified aluminum-rich and iron-rich clays, each with a unique distribution. On Earth such clays occur in (among other environments) weathered volcanic rocks and hydrothermal systems, where volcanic activity and water interact.Besides acquiring monochromatic images of 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) swath width and variable length, HiRISE can also image the central 20 percent of the swath width in color. Color images can help resolve ambiguities in image interpretation and will enable researchers to place compositional data from other experiments into more specific geologic context. HiRISE can "see" color in the visible range (the red, green, and blue portions of the spectrum) and beyond (in the near infrared).Image TRA_000847_2055 was taken by HiRISE on Oct. 1, 2006. The image is centered at 25.3 degrees latitude, 340.7 degrees east longitude. The range to the target site was 284 kilometers (178 miles). At this distance the image scale is 28 centimeters (11 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects about 84 centimeters (33 inches) across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 centimeters (10 inches) per pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:23 p.m. and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 46.2 degrees, thus the sun was about 43.8 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 114.4 degrees, the season on Mars is northern summer.The full-resolution TIFF file (HiRISE number TRA_000847_2055) can be viewed or downloaded here PIA01921-hi-res.tif; the full-resolution JPEG can be viewed or downloaded here PIA01921-hi-res.jpg. [Photojournal note: due to the large sizes of the high-resolution TIFF and JPEG files, some systems may experience extremely slow downlink time while viewing or downloading these images; some systems may be incapable of handling the download entirely.] | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity continues to cut southward across a plain marked by large sand ripples and a pavement of outcrop rock. This image was taken on Opportunity's sol 795, April 19, 2006. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity continues to cut southward across a plain marked by large sand ripples and a pavement of outcrop rock. The ripple in the center of the image shows a distinct pattern of banding, which the science team hopes to investigate more closely during the trek through this terrain. The banding and other features have inspired a hypothesis that Meridiani ripples are old features that are currently being eroded, and not transported, by wind. This navigation camera image was taken on Opportunity's sol 795, April 19, 2006. | |
This image shows an artist concept of NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission. | This image shows an artist concept of NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission.NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., manages the MAVEN project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, and built some of the science instruments for the mission. MAVEN's principal investigator is based at the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder. The university provided science instruments and leads science operations, as well as education and public outreach, for the mission. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built and operates the spacecraft. The University of California at Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory provided instruments for the mission. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, provides navigation support and Deep Space Network support, in addition to the Electra hardware and operations.For more information about MAVEN, visit http://www.nasa.gov/maven and http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/. For more information about NASA's Mars Exploration Program, see http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows the region of Terra Sabaea on Mars containing areas with high densities of small craters. | Context image for PIA08623Lot of CratersThis region of Terra Sabaea contains areas with high densities of small craters.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 36.8N, Longitude 42.7E. 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the latest MOLA topographic map of Mars' from latitude 55° S to the south pole. | The context image shows the latest MOLA topographic map of Mars' from latitude 55° S to the south pole. Values of elevation on the color scale are in meters. The along-track resolution of MOLA profiles is 330 m. Vertical precision of individual elevations approaches 37 cm. Absolute accuracy of the grid with respect to Mars' center of mass is <10 m. Note that there is a gap in data within 2.8° of the south pole due to the inclination of the MGS orbit. This gap will be filled in later this month by tilting the MGS spacecraft to an off-nadir ranging configuration. The MPL landing site region is between latitudes 72° and 78° S and longitudes 130° to 190° E. | |
This image shows where NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter will take its test flights. | This image shows where NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter team will attempt its test flights. Helicopter engineers added the locations for the rover landing site (also known as "Octavia E. Butler Landing"), the airfield (the area where the helicopter will take off and return), and the flight zone (the area within which it will fly) on an image taken by the High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Some small rainbow-like color distortions (which do not actually appear on the terrain of Mars) are seen in this image near the landing location because of the way pre- and post-landing color images were merged.The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter technology demonstration activity is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate, the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory built and manages operations of Perseverance and Ingenuity for the agency. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows multiple dune fields cover the floor of Hooke Crater, located on the northern margin of Argyre Planitia. | Context imageMultiple dune fields cover the floor of Hooke Crater, located on the northern margin of Argyre Planitia.Orbit Number: 58008 Latitude: -44.8922 Longitude: 315.418 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-01-11 02:40Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
These side by side craters on Mars look like the perfect snowman as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA09161THEMIS ART #79These side by side craters look like the perfect snowman.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 70.4N, Longitude 341.3E. 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 part of Arabia Terra near Mawrth Vallis and Oyama Crater. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Arabia Terra near Mawrth Vallis and Oyama Crater.Orbit Number: 77205 Latitude: 24.7753 Longitude: 340.276 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-05-11 08:52Please 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. MOC2-565, 5 December 2003Exposures of light-toned, layered, sedimentary rocks are common in the deep troughs of the Valles Marineris system. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example from western Tithonium Chasma. The banding seen here is an eroded expression of layered rock. Sedimentary rocks can be composed of (1) the detritus of older, eroded and weathered rocks, (2) grains produced by explosive volcanism (tephra, also known as volcanic ash), or (3) minerals that were chemically precipitated out of a body of liquid such as water. These outcrops are located near 4.8°S, 89.7°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the lower left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of a large landslide deposit in Ius Chasma. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a portion of a large landslide deposit in Ius Chasma.Orbit Number: 39664 Latitude: -8.10549 Longitude: 282.541 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-11-23 04:56Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This false-color image released on May 21, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey of ejecta (top-left) from a rampart crater on Mars was acquired March 3, 2003, during northern summer. | Released 21 May 2004This image of ejecta (top-left) from a rampart crater was acquired March 3, 2003, during northern summer.The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the martian surface using its five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from the use of multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 25.9, Longitude 322 East (38 West). 38 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 6 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows sand dunes in southern Galle Crater, east of Argyre Planitia. The sand that comprises these dunes, like other dunes on Mars, is dark, but at the time this picture was acquired during early southern summer, the dunes were covered with a coating of bright dust. Occasional, passing dust devils or wind gusts created the dark streaks seen on a few of the dunes. The dunes are located near 51.9°S, 31.2°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide; sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
This false-color image from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity panoramic camera shows a downward view from the rover as it sits at the edge of 'Endurance' crater. The gradual, 'blueberry'-strewn slope contains an exposed dark layer of rock. | This false-color image from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity panoramic camera shows a downward view from the rover as it sits at the edge of "Endurance" crater. The gradual, "blueberry"-strewn slope before the rover contains an exposed dark layer of rock that wraps around the upper section of the crater. Scientists suspect that this rock layer will provide clues about Mars' distant past. This mosaic image comprises images taken from 10 rover positions using 750, 530 and 430 nanometer filters, acquired on sol 131 (June 6, 2004). | |
Craters are most often the site of gully formation on Mars. Mega-gullies are also found on the southwestern parts of Vallis Marineris, and in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, on hills east of Argyre Planitia. | Context imageWhile craters are most often the site of gully formation on Mars, other topography supports gully formation. Mega-gullies are found on the southwestern parts of Vallis Marineris, and here, on hills east of Argyre Planitia.Orbit Number: 42133 Latitude: -47.1054 Longitude: 330.081 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-06-14 12:10 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 captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of the lava flows that make up Daedalia Planum. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a small portion of the lava flows that make up Daedalia Planum.Orbit Number: 52124 Latitude: -20.41 Longitude: 242.544 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-09-13 19:03Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Opportunity had driven 62.5 meters (205 feet) that sol, southward away from an outcrop called 'Penrhyn,' which the rover had been examining for a few sols, and toward a crater called 'Adventure.' This is a polar projection. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on the 1,850th Martian day, or sol, of its surface mission (April 7, 2009). Opportunity had driven 62.5 meters (205 feet) that sol, southward away from an outcrop called "Penrhyn," which the rover had been examining for a few sols, and toward a crater called "Adventure." In preceding drives, the drive motor for the right-front wheel had been drawing more current than usual, so engineers drove Opportunuity backward on Sol 1950, a strategy to redistribute lubricant and reduce friction in the wheel.North is at the top of the image; south at the bottom. Opportunity's position on Sol 1850 was about 1.3 kilometers (0.8 mile) south-southwest of Victoria Crater. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches).This view is presented as a polar projection with geometric seam correction. | |
This view of the rock on Mars dubbed 'Couch' was taken by NASA's deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on July 7, 1997. | This new [sic] view of the rock dubbed "Couch" was taken by the deployed Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. Earlier images, taken by the undeployed IMP, hinted that Couch was balanced upon the rectangular rock approximately three-quarters of the way up from the bottom of the image. The deployed IMP, standing 1.8 meters above the Martian surface, has now revealed Couch to be a free-standing object positioned at the Martian horizon.The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) after its deployment on Sol 3. Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The IMP was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the western rim of Bamberg Crater. The complex nature of the rim is one indication of the relative youth of this crater in relation to it's surrounding. | Context image Today's VIS image shows the western rim of Bamberg Crater. The complex nature of the rim is one indication of the relative youth of this crater in relation to it's surrounding. Many gullies dissect this rim.Orbit Number: 71254 Latitude: 39.6224 Longitude: 356.451 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-01-06 05:00Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a roundish crater with three channels breaching the rim and extending to the south. The crater has been filled by sediments and may have been an ancient lake. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a roundish crater with three channels breaching the rim and extending to the south. The crater has been filled by sediments and may have been an ancient lake.When the water began to overtop the crater rim, it would rapidly erode a channel and, at least, partially drain the lake.Be sure to look at the stereo anaglyph.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 60.3 centimeters (23.7 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 181 centimeters (71.3 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image, acquired on October 1, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows yet another stunning image of an active dust devil on Mars. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThe HiRISE camera has done it again: here is yet another stunning image of an active dust devil on Mars.Dust devils are rotating columns of dust that form around low-pressure air pockets, and are common on both Earth and Mars. This Martian dust devil formed on the dust-covered, volcanic plains of Amazonis Planitia. The dust devil is bright, and its core is roughly 50 meters across. The dark streak on the ground behind the dust devil is its shadow. The length of the shadow suggests the plume of rotating dust rises about 650 meters into the atmosphere! There are several HiRISE images of tracks left behind by dust devils, but it is rare to catch one in motion. Check out this amazing image of a nearby dust devil.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 29.4 centimeters [11.6 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 88 centimeters [34.6 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on May 3, 2004 shows the martian surface during the northern summer season near the North Polar Troughs. | Released 3 May 2004This nighttime visible color image was collected on January 1, 2003 during the Northern Summer season near the North Polar Troughs.This daytime visible color image was collected on September 4, 2002 during the Northern Spring season in Vastitas Borealis. The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the martian surface using its five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from the use of multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 79, Longitude 346 East (14 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 covers a large area over the summit of Ulysses Patera, one of the many volcanoes that make up the giant Tharsis volcanic province, although Ulysses itself is fairly small in comparison to the other volcanoes in this area. | (Released 18 July 2002)It is helpful to look at the context for this THEMIS image, which covers a large area over the summit of Ulysses Patera. Ulysses Patera is one of the many volcanoes that make up the giant Tharsis volcanic province, although Ulysses itself is fairly small in comparison to the other volcanoes in this area. In the context image, there are 3 circular features near the top of the volcano. The large, central feature is called a "caldera," and is the result of volcanic activity at Ulysses. The other two circular features are impact craters. The THEMIS image primarily spans across the central caldera, but also covers a portion of the northernmost impact crater. We know that the large central caldera must have formed earlier than the two craters, because its circular form has been cut by the smaller crater rims.In the THEMIS image, there are stair-stepping plateaus in the northern portion of the image. These are part of the rim of the northern crater, and are caused by collapse or subsidence after the impact event. Just to the south of this crater, "rayed" patterns can be seen on part of the caldera floor. The rayed pattern is most likely due to a landslide of material down the crater rim slope. Another possibility is that the impact that formed the northern crater caused material to be ejected radially, and then parts of the ejecta have either been buried or eroded away. Other signs of mass movement events in this image are dark streaks, caused by dust avalanches, visible in the caldera's northern wall. In the central portion of the image, there are two lobe-shaped features-one overlaps the other-that appear to have flowed westward. It is likely that these features are ejecta lobes, because they are located adjacent to the southeastern crater (see context image). The fluidized appearance of these ejecta lobes is probably due to a significant amount of ice or water being present in the soil at the time of impact. We know that the southeastern crater must have formed after the northern crater, because the fluidized ejecta lobe overlies the rayed pattern. A close-up look at the fluidized ejecta lobes reveals a different surface "texture" than the surrounding caldera floor. This could be due to compressional features that formed during the lobe emplacement, or to contrasting surface properties that cause the flows to be eroded differently than the caldera floor. In the lower portion of the image, there is a cluster of small circular features in the southernmost part of the central caldera. These features may be layered material that has since been eroded into circular plateaus, or they may be degraded volcanic cones, which would indicate a later stage of smaller-scale volcanism within the caldera. Volcanic cones are common in many calderas on Earth, and are formed after the initial stage of volcanic activity in that caldera. Finally, in the southern wall of the caldera, there is classic "spur-and-gully" morphology. This type of morphology is often formed on steep slopes, where variations in wall resistance cause the surface to be eroded more easily in some areas. | |
This area of rocky terrain near the Sagan Memorial Station was taken by NASA's Mars Pathfinder. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail. | An area of rocky terrain near the landing site of the Sagan Memorial Station can be seen in this image, taken in stereo by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 3. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail. This image is part of a 3D "monster" panorama of the area surrounding the landing site.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.Click below to see the left and right views individually.LeftRight
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows erosional features formed by seasonal frost near the south pole of Mars. During the winter, high latitudes on Mars build up deposits of carbon dioxide frost that can be several feet thick. | This HiRISE image shows erosional features formed by seasonal frost near the south pole of Mars.During the winter, high latitudes (near the pole) on Mars build up deposits of carbon dioxide frost that can be several feet thick. In the spring these sublimate and turn back into gas. The gas sublimating at the bottom of the frost can move the underlying dust and even erode channels in it.These channels form a variety of structures; examples like those at this site have been nicknamed "spiders" because many channels converge, giving a many-armed, spidery appearance.See PIA14460 for an anaglyph of this image.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo.Originally released July 13, 2011 | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small section of Samara Valles. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a small section of Samara Valles.Orbit Number: 42607 Latitude: -21.6849 Longitude: 340.143 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-07-23 12:36Please 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 29 June 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a suite of small yardangs -- wind eroded hills -- on the plains immediately west of Meridiani Planum. These yardangs are the remains of layered, sedimentary rock that once covered this area. The few craters visible in this 3 km (1.9 mi) -wide scene are all exhumed from beneath the rocks that comprise the yardang hills. The image is located near 0.4°S, 7.2°W. Sunlight illuminates the picture from the lower left. | |
This Imager for Mars Pathfinder image shows NASA's Sojourner latch spring before (left image) and after (right image) deployment. This is how visual confirmation was made that at least one side of the rover had stood up and locked in place as planned. | This Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) image shows the Sojourner latch spring before (left image) and after (right image) deployment. This is how visual confirmation was made that at least one side of the rover had stood up and locked in place as planned.
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 Exploration Rover Opportunity took images combined into this vertical full-circle view of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and small exposures of lighter-toned bedrock during March 7-9, 2009. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,820th to 1,822nd Martian days, or sols, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 7 to 9, 2009).This view is presented as a vertical projection with geometric seam correction. North is at the top.The rover had driven 20.6 meters toward the northwest on Sol 1820 before beginning to take the frames in this view. Tracks from that drive recede southwestward. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches).The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and small exposures of lighter-toned bedrock. | |
The channel in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located in Terra Sirenum. | Context image The channel in this VIS image is located in Terra Sirenum.Orbit Number: 65935 Latitude: -34.327 Longitude: 190.432 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-10-24 22:57Please 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. | |
NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey image shows a field of dark dunes on the floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis VIS image shows a field of dark dunes on the floor of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -13.8N, Longitude 124.7E. 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the Tharsis face of Mars in mid-October 2005. | 4 October 2005This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 306° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 306° occurs in mid-October 2005. The picture shows the Tharsis face of Mars. Over the course of the month, additional faces of Mars as it appears at this time of year are being posted for MOC Picture of the Day. Ls, solar longitude, is a measure of the time of year on Mars. Mars travels 360° around the Sun in 1 Mars year. The year begins at Ls 0°, the start of northern spring and southern autumn.Season: Northern Winter/Southern Summer | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the eastern flank of Arsia Mons, the southernmost aligned volcano in the Tharsis region. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows the eastern flank of Arsia Mons, the southernmost aligned volcano in the Tharsis region. The volcano is 435 kilometres (270 mi) in diameter, and almost 20 kilometres (12 mi) high. Arsia Mons is one of the youngest volcanoes on Mars.Orbit Number: 80952 Latitude: -9.8557 Longitude: 241.487 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-03-14 21:40Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows ejecta pattern around this northern plains crater on Mars, termed 'butterfly' for its similarity to butterfly wings. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows the same crater as yesterday's IR image.Orbit Number: 21257 Latitude: 72.3992 Longitude: 125.999 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-09-29 14:49Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows buttes and two eroded impact craters on the plains west of Sinus Meridiani on Mars. The layers can be seen in the walls of the two large, dark-floored craters. | 3 April 2005 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows buttes and two eroded impact craters on the plains west of Sinus Meridiani. The buttes and bedrock here are composed of light-toned, layered, sedimentary rock similar to the bedrock at the Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, site. The layers can be seen in the walls of the two large, dark-floored craters.Location near: 0.5°N, 8.0°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Northern Summer | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small part of Daedalia Planum. The lava flows originate from Arsia Mons, one of the large volcanoes in the Tharsis region. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a small part of Daedalia Planum. The lava flows originate from Arsia Mons, one of the large volcanoes in the Tharsis region. 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.Orbit Number: 82038 Latitude: -14.622 Longitude: 231.902 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-06-12 07:44Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This cylindrical-projection mosaic was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 100 (April 14, 2004). It reveals Spirit's view after a century of sols on the martian surface. | This right eye cylindrical-perspective mosaic was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 100 (April 14, 2004). It reveals Spirit's view after a century of sols on the martian surface. See PIA05771 for 3-D view and PIA05772 for left eye view of this right eye cylindrical-perspective mosaic. | |
This image is a 360-degree view from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's position outside the small crater 'Eagle Crater.' Plentiful ripples are seen on the plains and two depressions featuring bright spots. | This is the left-eye version of the first 360-degree view from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's new position outside "Eagle Crater," the small crater where the rover landed about two months ago. Scientists are busy analyzing Opportunity's new view of the plains of Meridiani Planum. The plentiful ripples are a clear indication that wind is the primary geologic process currently in effect on the plains. The rover's tracks can be seen leading away from Eagle Crater. At the far left are two depressions--each about a meter (about 3.3 feet) across---that feature bright spots in their centers. One possibility is that the bright material is similar in composition to the rocks in Eagle Crater's outcrop and the surrounding darker material is what's referred to as "lag deposit," or erosional remnants, which are much harder and more difficult to wear away. These twin dimples might be revealing pieces of a larger outcrop that lies beneath. The depression closest to Opportunity is whimsically referred to as "Homeplate" and the one behind it as "First Base." The rover's panoramic camera is set to take detailed images of the depressions today, on Opportunity's 58th sol. The backshell and parachute that helped protect the rover and deliver it safely to the surface of Mars are also visible near the horizon, at the left of the image. This image was taken by the rover's navigation camera. | |
This mosaic of NASA's Mars Pathfinder lander and Martian terrain was taken by the front camera on the Sojourner rover on Sol 39. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | This mosaic of the Mars Pathfinder lander and Martian terrain was taken by the front camera on the Sojourner rover on Sol 39. The rover, positioned near the rock "Wedge" at left, has imaged the letters "JPL" and the American flag mounted on the side of the lander's electronics box. A large spread of deflated airbags are strewn around the lander's periphery, and the large rock Yogi, studied earlier in the mission by Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer instrument, lies behind the airbags in the background. The front rover deployment ramp is at right, while the Imager for Mars Pathfinder mounted on its mast stands high at the top of the lander's electronics box.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the surroundings at the completion of the day's drive in January, 2007.The drive continued Opportunity's clockwise progress around the rim of Victoria Crater, which is visible near the horizon. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity extended its cumulative Martian driving record to more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) by crossing 50.51 meters (165.7 feet) of flat ground during the 1,080th Martian day since arriving on Mars. This view shows the surroundings at the completion of the day's drive. It is a mosaic of frames taken by Opportunity's navigation camera.The drive continued Opportunity's clockwise progress around the rim of "Victoria Crater," which is visible near the horizon.Opportunity began its fourth year of exploring Mars in January 2007. Its mission was originally planned for three months, with a driving-distance goal of 600 meters (1,969 feet). | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of the slope just inside the south rim of Schiaparelli Basin near the martian equator. Boulders that apparently broke off the steep, dark cliff and rolled down the slope to the basin floor are evident. | The above Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the slope just inside the south rim of the approximately 400 kilometer-(250 mile)-wide Schiaparelli Basin near the martian equator. The large white arrow points to a steep cliff exposure of dark-toned rock. The small white arrow points to one of several ~18 meter (59 feet) diameter boulders that apparently broke off the steep, dark cliff and rolled down the slope to the basin floor. Each boulder left behind a trail on the relatively soft, dusty slope. In addition, some of the boulders exhibit a bright wind streak pointing toward the lower left/center, indicating that these boulders have been sitting there long enough to influence local wind distribution of sediment.Before the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission, boulder tracks such as these had never been seen on Mars before, but in the 1960s and 1970s several examples on the Moon and Earth were documented. The picture shown here covers an area approximately 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) by 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles). Illumination is from the lower left. The picture was acquired in January 1998 during the MGS Aerobrake-1 Orbits imaging campaign, and was presented at the 30th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas, March 1999.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 3-D cylindrical-perspective mosaic was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured on on sol 127. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | This three-dimensional view in a cylindrical-perspective projection was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 127 (May 12, 2004). Spirit is sitting at site 48. The tracks show the path the rover has traveled so far on its way to the base of the "Columbia Hills." In this image, the hills can be seen silhouetted against the horizon on the far left side. Spirit will reach the base of the hills by sol 160.See PIA05924 for left eye view and PIA05925 for right eye view of this 3-D cylindrical-perspective projection. | |
This image taken by NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on the morning of Sol 80 (September 23) shows the Sojourner rover with its Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) deployed against the rock 'Chimp.' Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | This image taken on the morning of Sol 80 (September 23) shows the Sojourner rover with its Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) deployed against the rock "Chimp." On the left horizon is the rim of "Big Crater," 2.2 km away.This image and PIA01585 (right 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 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 Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rock nicknamed Last Chance, which lies within the outcrop near the rover's landing site at Meridiani Planum, Mars. At the base of the rock, layers can be seen dipping downward to the right. | This image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera shows the rock nicknamed "Last Chance," which lies within the outcrop near the rover's landing site at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The image provides evidence for a geologic feature known as ripple cross-stratification. At the base of the rock, layers can be seen dipping downward to the right. The bedding that contains these dipping layers is only one to two centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) thick. In the upper right corner of the rock, layers also dip to the right, but exhibit a weak "concave-up" geometry. These two features -- the thin, cross-stratified bedding combined with the possible concave geometry -- suggest small ripples with sinuous crest lines. Although wind can produce ripples, they rarely have sinuous crest lines and never form steep, dipping layers at this small scale. The most probable explanation for these ripples is that they were formed in the presence of moving water.Crossbedding Evidence for Underwater OriginInterpretations of cross-lamination patterns presented as clues to this martian rock's origin under flowing water are marked on images taken by the panoramic camera and microscopic imager on NASA's Opportunity.Figure 1Figure 2The red arrows (Figure 1) point to features suggesting cross-lamination within the rock called "Last Chance" taken at a distance of 4.5 meters (15 feet) during Opportunity's 17th sol (February 10, 2004). The inferred sets of fine layers at angles to each other (cross-laminae) are up to 1.4 centimeters (half an inch) thick. For scale, the distance between two vertical cracks in the rock is about 7 centimeters (2.8 inches). The feature indicated by the middle red arrow suggests a pattern called trough cross-lamination, likely produced when flowing water shaped sinuous ripples in underwater sediment and pushed the ripples to migrate in one direction. The direction of the ancient flow would have been either toward or away from the line of sight from this perspective. The lower and upper red arrows point to cross-lamina sets that are consistent with underwater ripples in the sediment having moved in water that was flowing left to right from this perspective.The yellow arrows (Figure 2) indicate places in the panoramic camera view that correlate with places in the microscope's view of the same rock.Figure 3The microscopic view (Figure 3) is a mosaic of some of the 152 microscopic imager frames of "Last Chance" that Opportunity took on sols 39 and 40 (March 3 and 4, 2004).Figure 4Figure 4 shows cross-lamination expressed by lines that trend downward from left to right, traced with black lines in the interpretive overlay. These cross-lamination lines are consistent with dipping planes that would have formed surfaces on the down-current side of migrating ripples. Interpretive blue lines indicate boundaries between possible sets of cross-laminae. |
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