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This stereo anaglyph shows the parachute and back shell that helped guide NASA's Curiosity to the surface of Mars. You need 3-D glasses to view this image. | This 3D, or stereo anaglyph, view shows the parachute and back shell that helped guide NASA's Curiosity to the surface of Mars. The view was produced from images taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as the satellite flew overhead after landing. Viewing in 3D requires the traditional red-blue glasses, with red going over the left eye.The image pairs have large stereo-convergence angles, which means that height differences in the terrain appear exaggerated; for example, the slopes look about ten times steeper than they really are. This exaggeration is useful over very flat terrain such as landing sites. HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Sirenum Fossae. The linear depressions are tectonic graben. | 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 Sirenum Fossae. The linear depressions in this VIS image are tectonic graben. Graben are formed by extension of the crust and faulting. When large amounts of pressure or tension are applied to rocks on timescales that are fast enough that the rock cannot respond by deforming, the rock breaks along faults. In the case of a graben, two parallel faults are formed by extension of the crust and the rock in between the faults drops downward into the space created by the extension. Several graben are visible in this THEMIS VIS image, trending from north-northeast to south-southwest. Because the faults defining the graben are formed parallel to the direction of the applied stress, we know that extensional forces were pulling the crust apart in the west-northwest/east-southeast direction. The Sirenum Fossae graben are 2735km (1700 miles) long.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: 84903 Latitude: -30.8518 Longitude: 208.42 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-02-03 04:32Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image shows the nighttime temperatures measured by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument onboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor wrapped on to a globe. | This image shows the nighttime (2AM) temperatures measured by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument on the Mars Global Surveyor wrapped on to a globe. The coldest temperatures (shown in purple) are -120C and the warmest temperatures (white) are -65C. The view is centered at 15N, 45W, near the Pathfinder landing site. The large warm (red) region in the north is Acidalia Planitia, which forms a low basin into which flowed a series of large channels. The floors of these channels can be seen as a pattern of warm (red and yellow) lines, indicating that they are covered with sandy and rocky material. Valles Marineris visible south of the equator as a linear, warm feature that stretches 3500 km. At this season the north polar region is in full sunlight as is relatively warm at night. It is winter in the southern hemisphere and the temperatures are extremely low (~-120C). | |
This patch of Martian bedrock, about 2 feet (70 centimeters) across, is finely layered rock with some pea-size inclusions. It lies near the lowest point of the 'Pahrump Hills' outcrop, which forms part of the basal layer of Mount Sharp. | Figure 1Click on the image for larger versionThis patch of Martian bedrock, about 2 feet (70 centimeters) across, is finely layered rock with some pea-size inclusions. It lies near the lowest point of the "Pahrump Hills" outcrop, which forms part of the basal layer of Mount Sharp. Researchers used the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover to acquire this view on Nov. 9, 2014, the 803rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. The color has been approximately white-balanced to resemble how the scene would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. Figure 1 is a version with a scale bar overlaid on the image.This mosaic was acquired for a detailed view of the workspace accessible with the rover's robotic arm, in order to plan use of tools on the arm for investigating the rock. Targets in this area, including one called "Pelona," are among the sites that were selected for close-up inspection during Curiosity's second pass driving up the Pahrump Hills outcrop. A two-week first pass up the outcrop used the rover's Mastcam and laser-firing ChemCam for initial survey of targets ranging about 30 feet (9 meters) in elevation.An image showing the Pahrump Hills walkabout route is at PIA19039. An overhead map showing the walkabout drives, from Sol 780 (Oct. 16) to Sol 794 (Oct. 30) is at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/images/Curiosity_Location_Sol803-full.jpg.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates the rover's Mastcam.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows sand dunes within Proctor Crater. These dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected in the bottom of the crater. | Context imageThis image displays sand dunes within Proctor Crater. These dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected in the bottom of the crater. The topographic depression of the crater forms a sand trap that prevents the sand from escaping. Dune fields are common in the bottoms of craters on Mars and appear as dark splotches that lean up against the downwind walls of the craters. Dunes are useful for studying both the geology and meteorology of Mars. The sand forms by erosion of larger rocks, but it is unclear when and where this erosion took place on Mars or how such large volumes of sand could be formed. The dunes also indicate the local wind directions by their morphology. In this case, there are few clear slipfaces that would indicate the downwind direction. The crests of the dunes also typically run north-south in the image. This dune form indicates that there are probably two prevailing wind directions that run east and west (left to right and right to left). Proctor Crater is located in Noachis Terra and is 168 km (104 miles) in diameter.Orbit Number: 82719 Latitude: -47.5005 Longitude: 30.5331 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-08-07 09:19Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the Tharsis face of Mars in mid-November 2005. | 1 November 2005This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 324° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 324° occurs in mid-November 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 | |
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured evidence of layers that built up as windblown sand both accumulated and was scoured away at a location nicknamed Las Claritas. This image was captured using Curiosity's Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on May 19, 2022. | NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured evidence of rock layers that built up as windblown sand accumulated in some areas and was scoured away in others in the ancient past. This panorama, made up of nine individual images that were later stitched together, was captured at a location nicknamed "Las Claritas" using Curiosity's Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on May 19, 2022, the 3,478th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.Curiosity was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which leads the mission on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam.For more about Curiosity, visit http://mars.nasa.gov/msl or https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Mamers Valles. This section of the channel is in northern Arabia Terra downstream from Ismenius Cavus. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a portion of Mamers Valles. This section of the channel is in northern Arabia Terra downstream from Ismenius Cavus. Mamers Valles is a complex channel system.Orbit Number: 78414 Latitude: 35.5975 Longitude: 16.1528 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-08-18 22:21Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows two views of Olympus Mons on Mars featuring the volcano's scarp and massive aureole deposit that was produced by flank collapse. | Two views of Olympus Mons, shown as topography draped over a Viking image mosaic. MOLA's regional topography has shown that this volcano sits off to the west of the main Tharsis rise rather than on its western flank. The topography also clearly shows the relationship between the volcano's scarp and massive aureole deposit that was produced by flank collapse. The vertical exaggeration is 10:1. | |
Perseverance's first cored-rock sample of Mars rock is seen inside its titanium container tube in this image taken by the rover's Sampling and Caching System Camera (known as CacheCam). | Click here for animationThe first cored sample of Mars rock is visible (at center) inside a titanium sample collection tube in this from the Sampling and Caching System Camera (known as CacheCam) of NASA's Perseverance rover. The image was taken on Sept. 6, 2021 (the 194th sol, or Martian day, of the mission), prior to the system attaching and sealing a metal cap onto the tube. The image was taken so the cored-rock sample would be in focus. The seemingly dark ring surrounding the sample is a portion of the sample tube's inner wall. The bright gold-colored ring surrounding the tube and sample is the "bearing race," an asymmetrical flange that assists in shearing off a sample once the coring drill has bored into a rock. The outermost, mottled-brown disc in this image is a portion of the sample handling arm inside the rover's adaptive caching assembly. An additional set of images shows the tube and its cored sample during CacheCam imaging inspection. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020 | |
Context Camera Spots Dust Devils at Phoenix Landing Site | Larger Annotated VersionNASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is scheduled to land on the Martian northern plains near 68 degrees north latitude, 127 degrees west longitude on May 25, 2008. In preparation for the landing, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been monitoring weather in the region around the landing site. On April 20, 2008, the orbiter's Context Camera captured this view showing two active dust devils within the Phoenix landing ellipse. This is a subframe covering an area about 26 kilometers (16 miles) on each side, part of a larger image posted at PIA10632. It shows two dust devils and their shadows. Based on measurement of the shadows cast by the dust devils, one of the vortices towered about 590 meters (about 1,930 feet) with a dust plume extending 920 meters (about 3,020 feet) above the surface. The other reached about 390 meters (1,280 feet) high, with a dust plume extending to 790 meters (2,590 feet). The resolution here is 6 meters (19.7 feet) per pixel. When the Context Camera acquired this image, the season in Mars' northern hemisphere was late spring. A few weeks earlier, the Phoenix landing site was still covered with seasonal frost left over from the previous winter. White patches in small craters near the center of the picture are areas where the winter frost remained, even as late as April 20.As spring gives way to summer, dust devils are likely to occur more frequently, as local temperatures rise. These two dust devils observed in late April are among the first of the season. The cameras on the Phoenix lander might be able to spot additional dust devils after the spacecraft arrives, as the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has been able to do at its southern hemisphere landing site. Dust devils are whirling vortices that have picked up dust from the ground. Such vortices can occur even when no dust is present, but then they are not visible to the cameras onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Such vortices commonly form as hot air rises from the surface on an otherwise generally calm day with little or no breeze. Dust devils will travel across the surface on the gentle breezes that do occur. Sometimes, dust devils have been observed by cameras orbiting Mars to create streaks on the ground as they disrupt and pick up dust, though no streaks are observed in this image. The Mars Orbiter Camera onboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter observed dust devils—and streaks created by them—throughout its 1997 to 2006 mission. During that time, scientists at Malin Space Science Systems observed more than 12,000 active dust devils. They were seen over the full range of elevations and nearly all latitudes on Mars. Dust devil streaks were found in Mars Orbiter Camera images as far north as the edge of the north polar residual cap and the dune fields that surround the region. However, the northernmost active dust devil captured by that camera was at 62.2 degrees north latitude, which is further south than the Phoenix site. Another camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Color Imager, captured a simultaneous, wider-field, color view of the area included in this Context Camera image. That view can be seen at PIA10634.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. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, provided and operates the Context Camera and Mars Color Imager. | |
NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander acquired this view of the textured plain near the lander Sept. 29, 2008. The brighter patches are dustier than darker areas of the surface of Mars. | The Surface Stereo Imager on NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander acquired this view of the textured plain near the lander at about 11 a.m. local Mars solar time during the mission's 124th Martian day, or sol (Sept. 29, 2008).The image was taken through an infrared filter. The brighter patches are dustier than darker areas of the surface.The last signal from the lander came on Nov. 2, 2008.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the dune field found in a depression on the floor of Rabe Crater. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the dune field found in a depression on the floor of Rabe Crater.Orbit Number: 57843 Latitude: -43.347 Longitude: 34.6452 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-12-28 12:37Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a wind-streaked plain in Tharsis near the Pavonis Mons volcano on Mars. The lighter-toned surfaces show how the plain used to look, before strong winds removed much of a thin coating of dust. | 13 June 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a wind-streaked plain in Tharsis near the Pavonis Mons volcano. The lighter-toned surfaces show how the plain used to look, before strong winds removed much of a thin coating of dust. The light-toned tails behind several craters show that the winds blew from the southwest (lower left).Location near: 36.6°N, 88.9°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Autumn | |
This panoramic camera image was taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on after completing a two-location brushing on the rock dubbed 'Mazatzal.' A coating of fine, dust-like material was successfully removed from two targets. | This panoramic camera image was taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on sol 79 after completing a two-location brushing on the rock dubbed "Mazatzal." A coating of fine, dust-like material was successfully removed from targets named "Illinois" (right) and "New York" (left), revealing the weathered rock underneath. In this image, Spirit's panoramic camera mast assembly, or camera head, can be seen shadowing Mazatzal's surface. This approximate true color image was taken with the 601, 535 and 482 nanometer filters.The center of the two brushed spots are approximately 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) apart and will be aggressively analyzed by the instruments on the robotic arm on sol 80. Plans for sol 81 are to grind into the New York target to get past any weathered rock and expose the original, internal rock underneath. | |
The track left by an oblong boulder as it tumbled down a slope on Mars runs from upper left to right center of this image taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | A path resembling a dotted line from the upper left to middle right of this image is the track left by an irregularly shaped, oblong boulder as it tumbled down a slope on Mars before coming to rest in an upright attitude at the downhill end of the track. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recorded this view on July 3, 2014.The boulder's trail down the slope is about one-third of a mile (about 500 meters) long. The trail has an odd repeating pattern, suggesting the boulder could not roll straight due to its shape.Calculated from the length of the shadow cast by the rock and the known angle of sunlight during this afternoon exposure, the height of the boulder is about 20 feet (6 meters). Its width as seen from overhead is only about 11.5 feet (3.5 meters), so it indeed has an irregular shape. It came to rest with its long axis pointed up. The location is in a region of Mars with steep slopes at 3.31 degrees south latitude, 302 degrees east longitude. The image is an excerpt from HiRISE observation ESP_037190_1765. Other image products from this observation are available at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_037190_1765.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. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Cerunius Fossae. The linear depressions are fault bounded features called graben. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of Cerunius Fossae. The linear depressions are fault bounded features called graben. Graben are formed by extension of the crust and faulting. When large amounts of pressure or tension are applied to rocks on timescales that are fast enough that the rock cannot respond by deforming, the rock breaks along faults. In the case of a graben, two parallel faults are formed by extension of the crust and the rock in between the faults drops downward into the space created by the extension. The largest graben in this THEMIS image trends from almost north/south. Because the faults defining the graben are formed perpendicular to the direction of the applied stress, we know that extensional forces were pulling the crust apart in the east/west direction. Ceraunius Fossae is located on the southern part of Alba Mons and is 1166km (724 miles) long.Orbit Number: 94210 Latitude: 32.086 Longitude: 247.58 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-03-11 14:09Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This false-color view taken on March 8, 2006 by NASA's Mars Exploratiion Rover Spirit shows layered rocks at 'Home Plate' revealing the individual sand-sized grains that make up these rocks. | For the past several weeks, Spirit has been examining spectacular layered rocks exposed at "Home Plate." The rover has been driving around the northern and eastern edges of Home Plate, on the way to "McCool Hill." Before departing, Spirit took this image showing some of the most complex layering patterns seen so far at this location.The layered nature of these rocks presents new questions for the rover team. In addition to their chemical properties, which scientists can study using Spirit's spectrometers, these rocks record a detailed history of the physical properties that formed them. In the center of this image, one group of layers slopes downward to the right. The layers above and below this group are more nearly horizontal. Where layers of different orientations intersect, other layers are truncated. This indicates that there were complex patterns of alternating erosion and deposition occurring when these layers were being deposited. Similar patterns can be found in some sedimentary rocks on Earth. Physical relationships among the various layers exposed at Home Plate are crucial evidence in understanding how these Martian rocks formed. Scientists suspect that the rocks at Home Plate were formed in the aftermath of a volcanic explosion or impact event, and they are investigating the possibility that wind may also have played a role in redistributing materials after such an event.Images like this one from panoramic camera (Pancam), which shows larger-scale layering, as well as those from the microscopic imager, which reveal the individual sand-sized grains that make up these rocks, are essential to understanding the geologic history of Home Plate. This view is a false-color rendering that combines separate images taken through the Pancam's 753-nanometer, 535-namometer, and 432-nanometer filters, enhanced to emphasize color differences among the rocks and soils. It was taken during Spirit's 774th Martian day (March 8, 2006). | |
Near the bottom of this nighttime image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are several channels. The dusty channel floors are darker (colder) than the rocky walls. | Context imageNear the bottom of this nighttime IR image are several channels. The dusty channel floors are darker (colder) than the rocky walls.Orbit Number: 55224 Latitude: 4.19544 Longitude: 318.675 Instrument: IR Captured: 2014-05-26 22:27Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image of Rabe Crater and the region around it was collected using the IR (infrared) camera. The brighter the material, the warmer the surface is, as shown in this view captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image This image of Rabe Crater and the region around it was collected using the IR (infrared) camera. The brighter the material, the warmer the surface is. Most dunes on Mars are dark in visible wavelengths and bright in infrared. The majority of large craters in the southern hemisphere contain dunes on the crater floor.Orbit Number: 67144 Latitude: -46.329 Longitude: 34.079 Instrument: IR Captured: 2017-02-01 12:57Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the large dune field located on the floor of Proctor Crater in Noachis Terra. | Context image This VIS image shows the large dune field located on the floor of Proctor Crater in Noachis Terra.Orbit Number: 66982 Latitude: -47.5876 Longitude: 30.3392 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2017-01-19 04:39Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to record this view in the eastward driving direction after completing a drive on July 17, 2011, that took the rover's total driving distance on Mars beyond 20 miles. | NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to record this view in the eastward driving direction after completing a drive on July 17, 2011, that took the rover's total driving distance on Mars beyond 20 miles.Opportunity drove 407 feet (124 meters) during the 2,658th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's exploration of the Meridian Planum region of Mars. That drive brought Opportunity's total odometry to 20.01 miles (32.21 kilometers). It also brought Opportunity within about eight-tenths of a mile (about 1.3 kilometers) of the rim of Endeavour crater, which has been the rover team's long-term destination for Opportunity since mid-2008. Portions of the Endeavour rim are visible on the horizon in this image.Opportunity and its rover twin, Spirit, completed their original three-month prime missions on Mars in April 2004. Both rovers continued for years of bonus, extended missions. Spirit finished communicating with Earth in March 2010. Both rovers have made important discoveries about wet environments on ancient Mars that may have been favorable for supporting microbial life. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's first breathtaking views of the martian landscape after its successful landing at Meridiani Planum on Mars. On the left, the rover's mast can be seen in a stowed position. | This image shows one of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's first breathtaking views of the martian landscape after its successful landing at Meridiani Planum on Mars. On the left, the rover's mast can be seen in a stowed position. Opportunity landed Saturday night at approximately 9:05 PST. The image was taken by the rover's navigation camera. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part part of Aureum Chaos. | 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 Aureum Chaos.Orbit Number: 11760 Latitude: -4.42933 Longitude: 333.1 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-08-08 15:22Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image acquired on August 24, 2022 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a large lava flow passed through the Athabasca Valles region of Mars long ago. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionLong ago, a large lava flow passed through the Athabasca Valles region of Mars. We can tell which direction it was flowing by examining the surface of the flow and the remaining "lava wakes."Although you can't sail a boat on a sea of lava, hills and craters that stick up higher than the lava flow act like barriers. When a boat is driven through the water, there is a bow wave at the front of the boat, and a wake that trails off behind that indicates which way the boat is moving. In a lava flow, when a hill sticks up, the lava piles up on the upstream side (just like a bow wave) and can leave a wake on the downstream side, so we can tell which way the lava was moving against the stationary hill.This image has a large crater and some nearby smaller hills. The large crater has a pile up of lava on one side, but is so big that it doesn't really have a clear wake. However, there are smaller hills with lava pileup that have beautiful linear features trailing off in the same direction. These lava wakes show us which direction the lava was moving against these hills.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 54.5 centimeters [21.5 inches] per pixel [with 2 x 2 binning]; objects on the order of 163 centimeters [64.2 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 23 March 2004Craters of the martian northern plains tend to be somewhat shallow because material has filled them in. Their ejecta blankets, too, are often covered by younger materials. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example--a crater in Utopia Planitia near 43.7°N, 227.3°W. Erosion has roughened some of the surfaces of the material that filled the crater and covered its ejecta deposit. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. | |
This image, taken on Aug. 4, 2014, from the Navigation Camera on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows wheel tracks printed by the rover as it drove on the sandy floor of a lowland called 'Hidden Valley' on the route toward Mount Sharp. | This image from the Navigation Camera on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows wheel tracks printed by the rover as it drove on the sandy floor of a lowland called "Hidden Valley" on the route toward Mount Sharp. The image was taken during the 709th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (Aug. 4, 2014). That was one day before the second anniversary, in Earth years, of Curiosity's landing on Mars.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 Mars Global Surveyor shows the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum face of Mars in mid-August 2005. | 9 August 2005This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 269° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 269° occurs in mid-August 2005. The picture shows the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum 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: last days of Northern Autumn/Southern Spring | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a complex streak formed by deposition and erosion of sediment by wind in the lee of an impact crater in western Daedalia Planum on Mars. | MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-332, 16 April 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a complex streak formed by deposition and erosion of sediment by wind in the lee of an impact crater in western Daedalia Planum. The winds needed to create this feature blew from the southeast (from the lower right). The picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide near 10.1°S, 133.7°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
As the last step in a series of inspections of the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) aboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, this camera's reclosable dust cover was opened for the first time on Sept. 8, 2012. | As the last step in a series of inspections of the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) aboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, this camera's reclosable dust cover was opened for the first time during the 33rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission on Mars (Sept. 8, 2012), enabling MAHLI to take the center image of this set. The other two images presented here for comparison were taken before the cover was opened (left) and after the cover was closed again (right).All three images here are thumbnails, approximately one-eighth the resolution of the full-size MAHLI images. The full-size images corresponding to the two cover-closed thumbnails were not yet received on Sept. 8. All three images were taken from the same position: about 5 feet (1.5 meters) above the ground, facing down. The patch of ground shown in each image is about 34 inches (86 centimeters) across.Comparison of these cover-closed and cover-open images shows that haziness in MAHLI images taken on previous sols was due to a thin film of dust that settled on the dust cover during Curiosity's landing. The main purpose of Curiosity's MAHLI camera is to acquire close-up, high-resolution views of rocks and soil at the rover's Gale Crater field site. The camera is capable of focusing on any target at distances of about 0.8 inch (2.1 centimeters) to infinity. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows part of the northeastern flank of Ascraeus Mons, one of the large Tharsis volcanoes. The channels were carved by lava, not by water. | Context image
This VIS image shows part of the northeastern flank of Ascraeus Mons, one of the large Tharsis volcanoes. The channels were carved by lava, not by water.Orbit Number: 36407 Latitude: 14.0804 Longitude: 258.21 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-02-28 02:27Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter (above center to the right) is viewed by one of the hazard cameras aboard the Perseverance rover during the helicopter's fourth flight on April 30, 2021. | NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is viewed by one of the hazard cameras aboard the Perseverance rover during the helicopter's fourth flight on April 30, 2021.The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages this technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center and Langley Research Center provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, Snapdragon, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. The Mars Helicopter Delivery System was designed and manufactured by Lockheed Space Systems in Denver.More About the MissionA key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ and nasa.gov/perseverance | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows dust devil tracks located in Terra Sirenum. | Context image for PIA10059Dust Devil TracksThese dust devil tracks are located in Terra Sirenum.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -54.3N, Longitude 192.5E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Angustus Labyrinthus. Angustus Labyrinthus is a unique region near the south polar cap. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of Angustus Labyrinthus. Angustus Labyrinthus is a unique region near the south polar cap. In the center of this image squares formed by intersecting ridges are visible. The feature earned the informal name of the Inca City when it was discovered in Mariner 9 images in 1972.The linear ridges are believed to have formed by volcanic and tectonic forces, where magma filled fractures in the subsurface and then erosion revealed the magmatic material.Orbit Number: 85024 Latitude: -81.1964 Longitude: 296.058 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-02-13 03:55Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a portion of Samara Valles. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a portion of Samara Valles.Orbit Number: 58650 Latitude: -23.4231 Longitude: 340.621 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-03-04 22:45Please 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 Perseverance Mars rover captured this image of Bettys Rock using one of the rover navigation cameras on June 20, 2022, the 474th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. | NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captured this image of "Bettys Rock" using one of the rover navigation cameras on June 20, 2022, the 474th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rock is named after Bettys Rock in Shenandoah National Park.A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows small, isolated dunes located near the northeast margin of Copernicus Crater on Mars. | Context image for PIA10261Copernicus DunesThese small, isolated dunes are located near the northeast margin of Copernicus Crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -47.9N, Longitude 193.1E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a portion of Dao Vallis on Mars. The channel of Dao Vallis is very complex and contains regions of chaos. | Context image for PIA09452Dao VallisThe right margin and bottom of this image shows a portion of Dao Vallis. The channel of Dao Vallis is very complex and contains regions of chaos.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -36.1N, Longitude 91.1E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
One of the Cerberus Fossae fractures cuts through the plains and highlands on Mars in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA08609Cerberus FossaeOne of the Cerberus Fossae fractures cuts through the plains and highlands in this image.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 8.5N, Longitude 159.7E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This orbital image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is of the western rim of Mars' Endeavour Crater where the Opportunity rover will investigate whethere the valley was carved by water, wind, or debris flow. | This orbital image of the western rim of Mars' Endeavour Crater covers an area about 5 miles (8 kilometers) east-west by about 9 miles (14 kilometers) north-south and indicates the names of some of the raised segments of the rim.NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity arrived at Endeavour in 2011 after exploring smaller craters to the northwest during its first six years on Mars. It initially explored the "Cape York" segment, then headed south. It reached the northern end of "Cape Tribulation" in late 2014 and the southern tip of that segment in April 2017. A key destination in the "Cape Byron" segment is "Perseverance Valley," where the rover team plans to investigate whether the valley was carved by water, wind or a debris flow initiated by water.This image is from the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, California, built and operates that camera. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and operates Opportunity.For more information about Spirit and Opportunity, visit http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov. | |
Topographic map of NASA's Mars Pathfinder landing site in 1997. | Topographic map of the landing site, to a distance of 60 meters from the lander in the LSC coordinate system. The lander is shown schematically in the center; 2.5 meter radius circle (black) centered on the camera was not mapped. Gentle relief [root mean square (rms) elevation variation 0.5 m; rms a directional slope 40] and organization of topography into northwest and northeast-trending ridges about 20 meters apart are apparent. Roughly 30% of the illustrated area is hidden from the camera behind these ridges. Contours (0.2 m interval) and color coding of elevations were generated from a digital terrain model, which was interpolated by kriging from approximately 700 measured points. Angular and parallax point coordinates were measured manually on a large (5 m length) anaglyphic uncontrolled mosaic and used to calculate Cartesian (LSC) coordinates. Errors in azimuth on the order of 10 are therefore likely; elevation errors were minimized by referencing elevations to the local horizon. The uncertainty in range measurements increases quadratically with range. Given a measurement error of 1/2 pixel, the expected precision in range is ~ 0.3 meter at 10 meter range, and ~ 10 meters at 60 meter range. Repeated measurements were made, compared, and edited for consistency to improve the range precision. Systematic errors undoubtedly remain and will be corrected in future maps compiled digitally from geometrically controlled images. Cartographic processing by U.S. Geological Survey.NOTE: original caption as published in Science magazineMars 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 from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the ridge forms that are typical of Lycus Sulci, a low lying area of ridges and valleys found to the northwest of Olympus Mons. | Context imageLycus Sulci is a low lying area of ridges and valleys found to the northwest of Olympus Mons. It is not yet understood how this feature formed or how it relates to the formation of Olympus Mons itself. This VIS image shows the ridge forms that are typical of this region. Dark slope streaks are common on the cliff faces. 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: 94804 Latitude: 15.0303 Longitude: 219.406 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-04-29 11:14Please 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. | |
Rocks and soils on the surface of Mars are thought to be composed of minerals similar to those found on Earth's surface. NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) foundthe most important coloring materials in the Martian surface are iron minerals. | Rocks and soils on the surface are thought to be composed of minerals similar to those found on Earth's surface. One of the most important tools for recognizing these minerals is the spectrum of sunlight reflected by them. At the visible and near-infrared light wavelengths measured by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP), the most important coloring materials in the Martian surface are iron minerals. There are two broad classes of iron minerals. Minerals which occur in igneous rocks (such as pyroxene) have a relatively flat spectrum and they reflect only a small amount of light; they are said to have a low reflectance. Ferric iron minerals, which occur as weathering products, reflect longer-wavelength light and absorb short-wavelength light, hence their very red color. The relative brightnesses of Martian surface materials in IMP's different wavelength filter is a powerful tool for recognizing the iron minerals present.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. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on Dec 23, 2003 shows an unnamed crater west of Icaria Planum hosts an even smaller crater with interesting features both inside and out. A strange pattern of light-toned surfaces appears. | Released 23 December 2003An unnamed crater west of Icaria Planum hosts an even smaller crater with interesting features both inside and out. A strange pattern of light-toned surfaces appears to be associated with the ejecta of this crater. Within the crater, the ubiquitous high latitude "pasted on terrain" is evident along with gullies, a combination of features that tends to support the idea that the pasted-on material is dirty snow whose melting leads to the formation of gullies. Completing the ensemble of features are accumulations of dark sand within the rugged topography of the crater floor.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -45.4, Longitude 248.2 East (111.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Two images of the night sky were combined to show Earth and Venus as seen by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on June 5, 2020. The planets appear as pinpoints of light owing to a combination of distance and dust in the air. | Annotated ImageClick on the image for larger versionTwo images of the night sky were combined to show Earth and Venus as seen by the Mast Camera aboard NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on June 5, 2020, the 2,784th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Both planets appear as mere pinpoints of light owing to a combination of distance and dust in the air; they would normally look like bright stars.A feature called Tower Butte is just visible at the bottom of the image, part of the clay-bearing region that Curiosity has been exploring since early 2019.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
The windstreaks in this image are located in Daedalia Planum as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageThe windstreaks in this VIS image are located in Daedalia Planum.Orbit Number: 47592 Latitude: -15.5883 Longitude: 222.266 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-09-05 20:09Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The tropics of Mars are commonly littered with small bright ripples that were somehow shaped by the wind. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter might provide a valuable clue to the formation of transverse aeolian ridges (TARs) elsewhere on Mars. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe tropics of Mars are commonly littered with small bright ripples that were somehow shaped by the wind. Called "transverse aeolian ridges," or TARs, the features stand up to 6 meters tall and are spaced a few tens of meters apart. They are typically oriented transverse to modern day wind directions, and often found in channels and crater interiors. The physical process that produces these features is still mysterious. Most TARs display no evidence of internal structure, so it is difficult to discern exactly how they were formed.While validating a HiRISE digital terrain model of the area, Sarah Mattson of the University of Arizona discovered these rare banded TARs in Iapygia, south of Syrtis Major. These features resemble TARs elsewhere on Mars, except that they show bands or layers on their northwest faces but fewer or none on the southeast sides.One possible interpretation of this strange layering is that these particular TARs are made up of wedge-shaped layers, as shown in the schematic cross-section illustrating the inferred structure of the TARs. If this hypothesis is correct, it implies that the ripples grew vertically over time, as material accreted at the crests of the ridges. It also suggests that the banded slopes faced upwind.This observation might provide a valuable clue to the formation of TARs elsewhere on Mars, if they have a similar internal structure but that structure cannot be seen because they are made up of homogeneous materials that are uniform in color.This is a stereo pair with ESP_021639_1610.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. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows windstreaks on the volcanic plains of Daedalia Planum. | Context imageThis VIS image shows windstreaks on the volcanic plains of Daedalia Planum. The "tails" indicate winds blowing from east to west (right to left on the image).Orbit Number: 49340 Latitude: -8.97583 Longitude: 223.876 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-01-27 16:45 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. | |
Legacy Panorama on Spirit's Way to 'Bonneville' | Click on the image for Legacy Panorama on Spirit's Way to 'Bonneville' (QTVR)This view captured by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit nearly a year ago is called Spirit's "Legacy" panorama. It combines many frames acquired during Spirit's 59th through 61st martian days, or sols (March 3 to 5, 2004) from a position about halfway between the landing site and the rim of "Bonneville Crater." The location is within the transition from the relatively smooth plains to the more rocky and rugged blanket of material ejected from Bonneville by the force of the impact that dug the crater.The panorama spans 360 degrees and consists of images obtained in 78 individual pointings. The camera took images though 5 different filter at each pointing. This mosaic is an approximately true-color rendering generated using the images acquired through filters centered at wavelengths of 750, 530, and 480 nanometers.The Columbia Memorial Station lander can be seen about 200 meters (about 650 feet) in the distance by following the rover tracks back toward right of center in the mosaic and zooming in. | |
Closeup View of Compacted Soil | Soil on Mars can be a bit clumpy, as shown in this image of soil after it was compacted by one of the wheels of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. Scientists think the light-colored material may be a global layer of airfall dust. Spirit's microscopic imager took this picture, showing an area approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) square, during the rover's 314th martian day, or sol (Nov. 19, 2004). | |
Northern Plains | Image PSP_001451_2505 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 17, 2006. The complete image is centered at 70.4 degrees latitude, 53.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 313.8 km (196.1 miles). At this distance the image scale is 31.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~94 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:00 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 60 degrees, thus the sun was about 30 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 136.8 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. Data from the filters can be used in many ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows small dunes and sand located in and around an unnamed crater in Arabia Terra. | Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows small dunes and sand (dark blue) located in and around an unnamed crater in Arabia Terra.Orbit Number: 17037 Latitude: 14.1416 Longitude: 1.43441 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-10-17 04:38Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This stereo scene combines frames taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during the 1,866th Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on Mars (April 3, 2009). You will need 3-D glasses to view this image. | Left-eye view of a color stereo pair for PIA12137Right-eye view of a color stereo pair for PIA12137This stereo scene combines frames taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during the 1,866th Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on Mars (April 3, 2009). It spans 120 degrees, with south at the center. The view appears three-dimensional when viewed through red-blue glasses with the red lens on the left.Spirit had driven 3 meters (10 feet) southward earlier in the day. The foreground of this view includes terrain that the rover covered in its next drive, when it progressed 17.5 meters (57 feet) farther southward on Sol 1868 (April 5, 2009).In the middle distance, the western edge of the low plateau called "Home Plate" is on the left and a ridge called "Tsiolkovsky" is on the right, with the rover's planned route between the two. By Sol 1899 (May 6, 2009) Spirit became embedded at a site dubbed "Troy," about as far south as the northern end of Tsiolkovsky.This scene combines right-eye and left-eye views presented as cylindrical-perspective projections with geometric seam correction. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a section of Her Desher Vallis. This channel is located in Noachis Terra. Her Desher is the Egyptian word for Mars. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a section of Her Desher Vallis. This channel is located in Noachis Terra. Her Desher is the Egyptian word for Mars.Orbit Number: 81898 Latitude: -25.2878 Longitude: 312.226 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-05-31 19:01Please 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. | |
At this wedge-shaped pit on Mars, the steep slope (or scarp) at the northern edge exposes a cross-section of a thick sheet of underground water ice in this image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | Figure 1Click on the image for larger versionAt this wedge-shaped pit on Mars, the steep slope (or scarp) at the northern edge (toward the top of the image) exposes a cross-section of a thick sheet of underground water ice.The image is from the High Resolution Imaging Stereo Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The gray-scale portions on left and right are from a single waveband in the red-light portion of the visible spectrum. The middle section, in enhanced color, combines data from red, near-infrared and blue-green wavebands. The scene covers an area about three miles (five kilometers) wide. Figure 1 includes a one-kilometer scale bar. One kilometer is about six-tenths of a mile. The ice-exposing scarp at the northern edge of the pit has a steepness of about 45 to 55 degrees, plunging from the relatively level ground outside the pit. A zoomed-in view showing more detail of the scarp is at PIA22077. Both views are products from HiRISE observation ESP_022389_1230, made on May 7, 2011, at 56.6 degrees south latitude, 114.1 degrees east longitude. In January 2018, in the journal Science, researchers reported finding and studying eight such ice-exposing scarps in the middle latitudes of Mars. The presence of vast underground ice deposits in Mars' middle latitudes was known previously. The report of unusual sites where they are exposed provides new information about their depth and layering. It also identifies potential water resources for future Mars missions and possibilities for studying Martian climate history by examining the ice layers holding a record of past climate cycles. The ice may have been deposited as snow when the tilt of Mars' rotation axis was greater than it is now.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 captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Cavi Angusti, a region of depressions near the south polar cap. The linear ridges in the image were likely formed by tectonic activity. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of Cavi Angusti, a region of depressions near the south polar cap. The linear ridges in the image were likely formed by tectonic activity.Orbit Number: 59487 Latitude: -81.0714 Longitude: 291.416 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-05-12 21:11Please 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 dark, defrosting spots formed on a polygon-cracked plain in the south polar region of Mars. | 3 October 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark, defrosting spots formed on a polygon-cracked plain in the south polar region of Mars. The surface was covered with carbon dioxide frost during the previous winter. In spring, the material begins to sublime away, creating a pattern of dark spots that sometimes have wind streaks emanating from them, as wind carries away or erodes the frost.Location near: 87.2°S, 28.4°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Spring | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Terra Cimmeria. | Context imageToday's false color image shows part of Terra Cimmeria.The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image.Orbit Number: 63092 Latitude: -23.8466 Longitude: 158.387 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-03-04 18:39Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
An outcrop visible as light-toned streaks in the lower center of this image has been chosen as a place for NASA's Mars rover Curiosity to study for a few days in September 2013. | Figure 1Click on the image for larger versionAn outcrop visible as light-toned streaks in the lower center of this image has been chosen as a place for NASA's Mars rover Curiosity to study for a few days in September 2013. The pause for observations at this area, called "Waypoint 1," is the first during the rover's trek of many months from the "Glenelg" area where it worked for the first half of 2013 to an entry point to the lower layers of Mount Sharp. This pale outcrop is informally named "Darwin." The view is a mosaic of images taken by the telephoto-lens camera of the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Curiosity during the 387th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars (Sept. 7, 2013). The rover's position was on a rise called "Panorama Point," and the view looks southwestward. The Sol 387 position was at the endpoint of the mission's longest-yet drive, 464 feet or 141.5 meters on Sol 385, and before a Sol 388 drive to the top of the rise. Colors in the image have been white-balanced, showing what the rocks would look like if they were under Earth's sky. Figure 1 includes a 4-meter scale bar (13 feet) to indicate the size of features in the Darwin area.Waypoint 1 is the first of a few waypoint stops planned along the route to the Mount Sharp entry point. Studies at these waypoints are intended to help researchers trace how the rocks at Glenelg, where the mission found evidence of an ancient habitable environment, are related to the lower layers of Mount Sharp, where scientists hope to learn more about habitable environments and major changes in environmental conditions.Curiosity finished more than six months of investigations in the Glenelg area in early July 2013 and began the drive of about 5.3 miles (8.6 kilometers) from Glenelg to the Mount Sharp entry point. Waypoint 1 is about one-fifth of the way along the route plotted with the use of images taken from orbit. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates Mastcam. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Mars Science Laboratory mission and the mission's Curiosity rover for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
NASAs undeployed Sojourner rover is seen still latched to a lander petal in this image, taken on July 4, 1997, the lander's first day on Mars. Portions of a petal and deflated airbag are in the foreground. | The undeployed Sojourner rover is seen still latched to a lander petal in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 1, the lander's first day on Mars. Portions of a petal and deflated airbag are in the foreground. The rectangular rock at right has been dubbed "Flat top," and may be a possible object of study for Sojourner's Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) instrument. The mismatched portion of image at left is a misregistered section of data.Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 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 unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria is not as round in shape as other craters. Major landslides have occurred on the crater rim, resulting in the final shape as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageThis unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria is not as round in shape as other craters. Major landslides have occurred on the crater rim, resulting in the final shape we see today.Orbit Number: 43050 Latitude: -21.1794 Longitude: 163.038 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-08-28 23:05Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This graph shows the chemical composition of the rock at Gusev Crater dubbed 'Mazatzal' after it was brushed and ground by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's rock abrasion tool. | This graph shows the chemical composition of the rock at Gusev Crater dubbed "Mazatzal" after it was brushed and ground by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's rock abrasion tool. The data, taken by the rover's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, show that Mazatzal's interior possesses approximately the same quantities of magnesium oxide and sulfur tri-oxide as other basalt rocks in the Gusev Crater area ("Adirondack and "Humphrey"). It's exterior coating or rind, on the other hand, appears to be of a different chemical composition than the previously studied rocks. Concentrations of magnesium oxide were observed to increase first with brushing, then grinding. Also represented on the graph is soil found near Mazatzal, which appears to have a different make-up from the rock itself. Scientists are still puzzling out the implications of these data.The larger symbols on the graph represent inferred rock compositions, while the smaller symbols are actual data points. Observations were made at the target dubbed "New York" on Mazatzal. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the relative highlands of Arabia Terra near Chryse Plainitia. | Context imageThe brighter region at the bottom of this VIS image is the relative highlands of Arabia Terra, while the rest of the image shows Chryse Plainitia. The boundary between the two region is a large change in elevation as well as differences in surface texture.The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image.Orbit Number: 60952 Latitude: 25.3132 Longitude: 338.403 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-09-10 13:08Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Sirenum Fossae. The linear depressions in this VIS image are tectonic graben. | 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 Sirenum Fossae. The linear depressions in this VIS image are tectonic graben. Graben are formed by extension of the crust and faulting. When large amounts of pressure or tension are applied to rocks on timescales that are fast enough that the rock cannot respond by deforming, the rock breaks along faults. In the case of a graben, two parallel faults are formed by extension of the crust and the rock in between the faults drops downward into the space created by the extension. Several graben are visible in this THEMIS VIS image, trending from north-northeast to south-southwest. Because the faults defining the graben are formed perpendicular to the direction of the applied stress, we know that extensional forces were pulling the crust apart in the west-northwest/east-southeast direction. The Sirenum Fossae graben are 2735km (1700 miles) long.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: 92203 Latitude: -31.0389 Longitude: 208.065 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-09-27 06:25Please 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 observes several new dust avalanches on the slopes of ridges within the Olympus Mons Aureole. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionChanges on the Martian surface are detected by imaging the same area more than once. In this image acquired on May 13, 2018, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter observes several new dust avalanches on the slopes of ridges within the Olympus Mons Aureole. These changes occurred within six years. (Also see the animated GIF).Dust avalanches create slope streaks that expose darker materials usually hidden below a lighter-toned layer. Cascading fine-grained material easily diverts around boulders or alters direction when encountering a change in slope (see the top right corner of the first close-up). The dark steak in another close-up is approximately 1 kilometer in length that not seen in a previous image. Past avalanche sites are still visible and fading slowly as dust settles out of the atmosphere and is deposited on the dark streaks over time.Also seen are boulders and their shadows that are a meter or greater in size. Movement of any of these boulders down the slope could trigger future avalanches.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 56.7 centimeters (22.3 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 170 centimeters (66.9 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 360-degree panorama shows evidence of a successful first test drive for NASA's Curiosity rover; the rover made its first move, going forward about 15 feet (4.5 meters), rotating 120 degrees and then reversing about 8 feet (2.5 meters). | This 360-degree panorama shows evidence of a successful first test drive for NASA's Curiosity rover. On Aug. 22, 2012, the rover made its first move, going forward about 15 feet (4.5 meters), rotating 120 degrees and then reversing about 8 feet (2.5 meters). Curiosity is about 20 feet (6 meters) from its landing site, now named Bradbury Landing. Visible in the image are the rover's first track marks. A small 3.5-inch (9-centimeter) rock can be seen where the drive began, which engineers say was partially under one of the rear wheels. Scour marks left by the rover's descent stage during landing can be seen to the left and right of the wheel tracks. The lower slopes of Mount Sharp are visible at the top of the picture, near the center.This mosaic from the rover's Navigation camera is made up of 23 full-resolution frames, displayed in a cylindrical projection.JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the margin of the polar cap in Promethei 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 the margin of the polar cap in Promethei Chasma. The layering of the ice is seen in the top half of the image.Orbit Number: 7310 Latitude: -82.2554 Longitude: 141.607 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-08-08 07:14Please 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 rear hazard-avoidance camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity caught this view of the rover's freshly made tracks after a record drive of 100 meters (328 feet) during sol 70 of the rover's mission (April 5, 2004). | The rear hazard-avoidance camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity caught this view of the rover's freshly made tracks after a record drive of 100 meters (328 feet) during sol 70 of the rover's mission (April 5, 2004). | |
This is a screen shot from a high-definition simulated movie of Mojave Crater on Mars, based on images taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | This is a screen shot from a high-definition simulated movie of Mojave Crater on Mars, based on images taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. A 3-D surface model was created using stereo pairs from the HiRISE camera. Mojave Crater has a diameter of 60 kilometers (37 miles).The University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory 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 for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the orbiter. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum face of Mars in mid-September 2005. | 13 September 2005This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 288° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 288° occurs in mid-September 2005. The picture shows the Acidalia/Mare Erythraeum 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 of Moreux Crater captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the central peak and fields of sand dunes on the crater floor surrounding the peak. Moreux Crater is located in northern Arabia Terra. | Context image This image of Moreux Crater shows part of the central peak and fields of sand dunes on the crater floor surrounding the peak. The lower elevations of the peak are visible on the top left side of the image, with the highest elevations just off the image edge. The part of the peak with a pitted surface texture has been interpreted to be created by glacial flows. Moreux Crater is located in northern Arabia Terra and has a diameter of 138 kilometers. The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images!Orbit Number: 36140 Latitude: 41.4305 Longitude: 44.7999 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-02-06 02:41Please 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. | |
Echus Chasma forms the boundary between the Tharsis volcanoes to the west and Lunae Planum to the east. This region is both tectonically fractured rocks (top) and volcanic flows (middle and bottom). This image is from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageEchus Chasma forms the boundary between the Tharsis volcanoes to the west and Lunae Planum to the east. This region is one of both tectonically fractured rocks (top of image) and volcanic flows (middle and bottom of image). Echus Chasma empties into Kasei Valles.Orbit Number: 44493 Latitude: 10.5538 Longitude: 284.764 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-12-25 20:08Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of the boundary region between Terra Sabaea and Utopia Planitia. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a small portion of the boundary region between Terra Sabaea and Utopia Planitia. The ridges and valleys in this image were likely created by tectonic faulting. There is a small channel entering from the right side of the image. Material from this channel has been deposited in a circular region, which may be an impact crater, and then down one of the valleys.Orbit Number: 61922 Latitude: 32.2155 Longitude: 72.2938 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-11-29 10:19Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small section of Capri Chasma. Landslide deposits dominate this part of Capri Chasma. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a small section of Capri Chasma. Landslide deposits dominate this part of Capri Chasma. The downslope movement of materials flowed all the way to the center of the chasm, with the one from the northern cliff overlapping one from the southern cliff. Radial grooves and lobate margins are common on martian landslides.Orbit Number: 88212 Latitude: -8.70795 Longitude: 318.685 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-11-02 16:16Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows dark wind streaks streaming across lava flow surfaces in eastern Tharsis, west of the Kasei Valles region of Mars. | 16 April 2005 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark wind streaks streaming across lava flow surfaces in eastern Tharsis, west of the Kasei Valles region.Location near: 8.5°N, 85.1°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Northern Summer | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows an area west of Elysium Mons in the region called Elysium Fossae. | Context imageThis VIS image is located west of Elysium Mons in the region called Elysium Fossae. The fossae are comprised of both linear and sinuous channels, usually interpreted to have both fluid and tectonic forces playing a part in the fossae formation. This image shows both channel types.Orbit Number: 77998 Latitude: 29.6423 Longitude: 139.454 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-07-15 16:09Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This daytime infrared 2001 Mars Odyssey image shows part of the extensive dune field on the floor of Russell Crater on Mars. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis daytime infrared image shows part of the extensive dune field on the floor of Russell Crater. Sand dunes appear bright in daytime infrared due to their being warmer than the surrounding materials.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -56.8N, Longitude 11.3E. 111 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Melas Chasma. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of Melas Chasma.Orbit Number: 56149 Latitude: -10.2791 Longitude: 290.34 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-08-11 01:30Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Mars' Syria Planum-centered volcanism and tectonism produced fractures, narrow to broad grabens, large scarps, and broad fold and thrust ridges that deformed a basement complex captured by NASA's Viking Orbiter 2. | Syria Planum-centered volcanism and tectonism produced fractures, narrow to broad grabens, large scarps, and broad fold and thrust ridges that deformed a basement complex. Picture is centered at latitude 29 degrees S., longitude 101 degrees W. The region appears to have been mantled by materials of unknown origin. Colors seen are due to variable proportions of dust and sand and possibly to different kinds of weathering or alterations. Viking Orbiter Picture Numbers 421A42 (violet), 421A48 (green), and 421A50 (red) at 106 m/pixel resolution. Picture width is 117 km. North is 101 degrees clockwise from top. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a concentrated field of small impact craters. These craters pocked windblown ripples as well as the smooth-surfaced terrain. These are secondary craters. | 1 November 2004The upper right (northeast) quarter of this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a concentrated field of small impact craters. The features form a broad line running approximately diagonal from northwest toward southeast. These craters pocked windblown ripples as well as the smooth-surfaced terrain. These are secondary craters. That is, they formed second, as the result of a larger impact, probably within a hundred kilometers or so of this site. Secondary craters form from impact of the debris kicked-up by the larger impact event. Instead of rocks from space (like a meteor), these were formed by rocks from a nearby place on Mars. This image is located near 29.7°S, 249.0°W. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
The letter 'B' or perhaps the figure '8' appears to have been etched into the Mars rock at the left edge of this picture taken by NASA's Viking 1 Lander. It is believed to be an illusion caused by weathering processes and the angle of the sun. | The letter 'B' or perhaps the figure '8' appears to have been etched into the Mars rock at the left edge of this picture taken yesterday by the Viking 1 Lander. It is believed to be an illusion caused by weathering processes and the angle of the sun as it illuminated the scene for the spacecraft camera. The object at lower left is the housing containing the surface sampler scoop. | |
This picture is a composite of NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 12° during a previous Mars year. | 7 February 2006This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 12° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 12° occurs in mid-February 2006. 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 | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 15 May 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the results of a small landslide off of a hillslope in the Aureum Chaos region of Mars. Mass movement occurred from right (the slope) to left (the lobate feature pointed left). Small dark dots in the landslide area are large boulders. This feature is located near 2.6°S, 24.5°W. This picture covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the left/upper left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows dust devil tracks located on Syria Planum, just south of Noctis Labyrinthus. | Context image for PIA11870Dust Devil TracksThe dust devil tracks in this VIS image are located on Syria Planum, just south of Noctis Labyrinthus.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -8.9N, Longitude 259.2E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a barbed wire-like feature on the surface of Mars. | Welcome to the second annual THEMIS ART MONTH. From Jan. 31 through March 4 we will be showcasing images for their aesthetic value, rather than their science content. Portions of these images resemble things in our everyday lives, from animals to letters of the alphabet. We hope you enjoy our fanciful look at Mars!One wonders what sort of creature needs to be kept back by this large strand of barbed wire...or perhaps this is the scar on the top of some giant Frankenstein's monster's head?Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The THEMIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Nili Fossae. | 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 Nili Fossae.Orbit Number: 45861 Latitude: 21.8183 Longitude: 77.0538 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-04-16 10:30Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Like a human working in a radiation environment, NASA's Curiosity rover carries its own version of a dosimeter to measure radiation from outer space and the sun. This graphic shows the flux of radiation detected the rover's Radiation Assessment Detector. | Like a human working in a radiation environment, NASA's Curiosity rover carries its own version of a dosimeter to measure radiation from outer space and the sun. This graphic shows the flux of radiation detected by Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on Mars over three and a half hours on Aug. 6 PDT (Aug. 7 UTC). The data show that the radiation levels measured on Mars during this period of quiet solar activity are reduced from the average radiation detected in space during Curiosity's cruise to Mars. This is explained by the rover being on the planet versus out in space, where it would have more exposure to radiation from all directions. Red arrows point to spikes in the radiation dose rate from heavy ion particles, which would be the most dangerous to astronauts. During the course of the mission, scientists will study the variation of the radiation levels as a function of solar activity to understand and model the effects of the Martian atmosphere on radiation dose rates. Scientists and engineers will use this information to improve our understanding of how the radiation environment affects habitability for possible Martian microbial life, and, in addition, to help design the best kind of shielding needed for human beings on the surface.RAD measures 26 kinds of charged particles as well as neutrons and gamma rays. Understanding how the flux of these different particles change with time is an important objective for RAD. | |
Impact Crater Filled With Layered Deposits | This HiRISE image shows an impact crater in Utopia Planitia, in the northern hemisphere of Mars, that is filled with layered material. The layered character of these deposits is consistent with episodic deposition. Each distinct layer represents a period of sediment deposition. The layers are parallel to each other, indicating that deposition occurred by material settling onto the surface, rather than being blown across the surface in sand dunes. The hummocky texture of these deposits suggests that volatiles (such as carbon dioxide ice) are mixed in with the rocky sediment. Image PSP_001410_2210 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 14, 2006. The complete image is centered at 40.8 degrees latitude, 99.5 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 295.9 km (185.0 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 29.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 59.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning). The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:22 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 49 degrees, thus the sun was about 41 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 135.2 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
Noontime on Sol 75 (September 18). The rover's middle right wheel is raised above the surface. Sojourner is over 12 m from the lander, a mission record. The image was taken by NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | Noontime on Sol 75 (September 18). The rover's middle right wheel is raised above the surface. Sojourner is over 12 m from the lander, a mission record. The image was taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP).This image and PIA01582 (left eye) make up a stereo pair.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the eastern upper flank of Ascraeus Mons. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows the eastern upper flank of Ascraeus Mons. Lava flows and collapse features cover the flank of the volcano. Ascraeus Mons is the northernmost of the three large Tharsis volcanoes and is the tallest at 18km (11 miles) high.Orbit Number: 85893 Latitude: 11.5585 Longitude: 256.671 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-04-25 17:45Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from Curiosity's Mastcam shows inclined beds of sandstone interpreted as the deposits of small deltas fed by rivers flowing down from the Gale Crater rim and building out into a lake where Mount Sharp is now. | Figure 1Click on the image for larger versionThis image taken by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover just north of the "Kimberley" waypoint shows beds of sandstone inclined to the southwest toward Mount Sharp and away from the Gale Crater rim. The inclination of the beds indicates build-out of sediment toward Mount Sharp. These inclined beds are interpreted as the deposits of small deltas fed by rivers flowing down from the crater rim to the north and building out into a lake to the south, where Mount Sharp is now.The Mastcam's left-eye camera recorded the component frames of this mosaic on March 13, 2014, during the 569th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars. The color has been approximately white-balanced to resemble how the scene would appear under daytime lighting conditions on Earth. Figure 1 is a cropped version with a superimposed scale bar of 3 meters (about 10 feet).NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates the rover's Mastcam.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
An image and a 3D representation from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Optical Microscope after a sample informally called 'Sorceress' was delivered to its silicon substrate on July 2, 2008. | The image on the upper left is from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander's Optical Microscope after a sample informally called "Sorceress" was delivered to its silicon substrate on the 38th Martian day, or sol, of the mission (July 2, 2008).A 3D representation of the same sample is on the right, as seen by Phoenix's Atomic Force Microscope. This is 100 times greater magnification than the view from the Optical Microscope, and the most highly magnified image ever seen from another world.The Optical Microscope and the Atomic Force Microscope are part of Phoenix's Microscopy, Electrochemistry and Conductivity Analyzer instrument.The Atomic Force Microscope was developed by a Swiss-led consortium in collaboration with Imperial College London.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.Photojournal Note: As planned, the Phoenix lander, which landed May 25, 2008 23:53 UTC, ended communications in November 2008, about six months after landing, when its solar panels ceased operating in the dark Martian winter. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a portion of Arda Valles. | Context imageThis VIS image shows a portion of Arda Valles.Orbit Number: 50123 Latitude: -20.3475 Longitude: 327.359 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-04-02 03:19Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of Aeolis Planum. Aeolis Planum is composed of semi-resistant materials which have been eroded into linear ridges called yardangs. | Context image for PIA10884YardangsThis VIS image shows a portion of Aeolis Planum. Aeolis Planum is composed of semi-resistant materials which have been eroded into linear ridges called yardangs.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 1.7N, Longitude 142.1E. 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a dark wind streak on the lee (downwind) side of a small meteor impact crater in western Daedalia Planum on Mars. The substrate in this region consists of large lava flows. | 26 April 2004This April 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a dark wind streak on the lee (downwind) side of a small meteor impact crater in western Daedalia Planum. The substrate in this region consists of large lava flows (larger than the image shown here). The winds responsible for the streak came from the east/northeast (right). This picture is located near 15.4°S, 138.1°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a region of extensive erosion by the wind on Mars. | Context image for PIA11305Wind ErosionErosion and deposition by wind is the most active geologic process on Mars today. This VIS image shows a region of extensive erosion by the wind.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -1.8N, Longitude 151.9E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Channels on Dunes in Russell Crater | Hundreds of enigmatic small channels are seen to carve into the slopes of these dark sand dunes lying within Russell Crater on Mars. These features were previously identified as gullies in images from the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) on Mars Global Surveyor, but the higher resolution HiRISE image brings out many new details and mysteries. The channels extend from near the top of the dunes to their bases, indicating that some fluid material carved into the sand. The channels commonly begin as smaller tributaries joined together, suggesting several sources of fluid. Distinct dark spots are located near where the channels seem to originate. Several channels appear to originate at alcoves. Several of these channels have sinuous middle reaches while others are straighter. Further down slope, some channel edges appear elevated above the surrounding terrain, particularly in the lower reaches. The channels seem to terminate abruptly, with no deposition of material, unlike at the bases of some other gullies on Mars that are not on dunes. One hypothesis for the origin of the channels, which has previously been proposed by the MOC team, is that CO2 (or maybe H2O) frost is deposited on the dunes in shadows or at night. Some frost may also be incorporated into the internal parts of the dunes due to natural avalanching. When the frost is eventually heated by sunlight, rapid sublimation triggers an avalanche of fluidized sand, forming a gully. HiRISE will continue to target small channel features such as these and may return to search for any changes over time. Image PSP_001440_1255 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 -54.2 degrees latitude, 12.9 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 251.4 km (157.1 miles). At this distance the image scale is 50.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~151 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:41 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 85 degrees, thus the sun was about 5 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 136.3 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the Tharsis lava plains between Sulci Gordii and Ulysses Fossae. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the Tharsis lava plains between Sulci Gordii and Ulysses Fossae. While large volcanoes and huge lava flow sheets dominate the Tharsis region, extensive tectonic features are also present. The entire Tharsis region forms a bulge on the equatorial part of Mars, generated by the uplift of magma rising through the crust. The motion of subsurface magma created extensional forces, tearing the surface apart releasing the magma in floods of lava and volcano building events. At the same time the extension cracked the surface creating the faults and graben also seen in the region. In this image, the linear graben post-date the lava flows.Orbit Number: 78394 Latitude: 17.6427 Longitude: 235.778 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-08-17 06:43Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
These lava flows occur on the flank of Olympus Mons on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA08690Olympus MonsThese lava flows occur on the flank of Olympus Mons.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 16.1N, Longitude 227.7E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This vista from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows 'Wdowiak Ridge,' from left foreground to center, as part of a northward look with the rover's tracks visible at right. | This vista from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows "Wdowiak Ridge," from left foreground to center, as part of a northward look with the rover's tracks visible at right.Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam) recorded the component images for this mosaic on Sept. 17, 2014, during the 3,786th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's work on Mars. The ridge stands prominently on the western rim of Endeavour crater, about 200 yards or meters west of the rim's main crest line. Its informal name is a tribute to Opportunity science team member Thomas J. Wdowiak (1939-2013). This panorama spans about 70 compass degrees from north-northwest on the left to east-northeast on the right. Wdowiak Ridge rises steeply about 40 feet from base to top. It extends about 500 feet (150 meters) in length. For scale, the distance between Opportunity's parallel wheel tracks is about 3.3 feet (1 meter).Wdowiak Ridge is visible from overhead in the map at http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/tm-opportunity/images/MERB_Sol3798_1.jpg, from the northeastern end near the rover's Sol 3751 location to Odyssey Crater near the rover's Sol 3789 location. This version of the image is presented in approximate true color by combing exposures taken through three of the Pancam's color filters, centered on wavelengths of 753 nanometers (near-infrared), 535 nanometers (green) and 432 nanometers (violet). JPL manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about Spirit and Opportunity, visit http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov. |
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