short_caption
stringlengths 3
255
| caption
stringlengths 31
10.7k
| image_url
stringlengths 61
61
|
|---|---|---|
The windstreak in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is located on the volcanic flows of Daedalia Planum. | Context imageThe windstreak in today's VIS image is located on the volcanic flows of Daedalia Planum.Orbit Number: 42636 Latitude: -13.4717 Longitude: 224.856 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-07-25 21:51Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from the right Mast Camera (Mastcam) of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows roughly spherical features. | Annotated ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image from the right Mast Camera (Mastcam) of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows roughly spherical features. These are called spherules, and they are common in this stratigraphic unit, the Sheepbed Unit, which defines the lower part of the sequences of strata exposed in "Yellowknife Bay." These features are interpreted as concretions, implying they formed in water that percolated through pores in the sediment. Spherical concretions have previously been discovered in other rocks on Mars.Mastcam obtained these images on the 139th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's surface operations (Dec. 25, 2012). The image has been white-balanced to show what the rock would look like if it were on Earth. | |
This color-coded elevation map of the local terrain on the north side of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the contours of polygons and relationship of polygon boundaries to trenches and other features in the workspace of the lander's Robotic Arm. | Annotated VersionClick on the image for larger viewThis color-coded elevation map of the local terrain on the north side of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shows the contours of polygons and relationship of polygon boundaries to trenches and other features in the workspace of the lander's Robotic Arm.The map covers an area about 4 meters (13 feet) across. Areas coded red, yellow and green are higher than areas coded blue and purple. 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 map shows the topography of the south polar region of Mars, including topography buried by thick deposits of icy material | Annotated VersionThis map shows the topography of the south polar region of Mars, including topography buried by thick deposits of icy material. The map is a combination of surface elevation data acquired by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, and subsurface elevation data acquired by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The black line shows the boundary of the south polar layered deposits, an ice-rich geologic unit that was probed by MARSIS. Elevation values within the black outline, as measured by MARSIS, show the topography at the boundary between the layered deposits and the underlying material, an interface known as the "bed" of the deposits. The elevation of the terrain is shown by colors, with purple and blue representing the lowest areas, and orange and red the highest. The total range of elevation shown is about 5 kilometers (3 miles). The radar data reveal previously undetected features of topography of the bed, including depressions as deep as 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) shown in purple in the near-polar region. The boundary of the layered deposits was mapped by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. The dark circle in the upper center is the area poleward of 87 degrees south latitude, where MARSIS data cannot be collected. The map covers an area 1,670 by 1,800 kilometers (1,035 by 1,115 miles).MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. | |
These are more wispy blue clouds from Sol 39 as seen by NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The bright clouds near the bottom are about 10 degrees above the horizon. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | These are more wispy blue clouds from Sol 39 as seen by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The bright clouds near the bottom are about 10 degrees above the horizon. The clouds are believed to be at an altitude of 10 to 15 km, and are thought to be made of small water ice particles. The picture was taken about 40 minutes before sunrise.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.
Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998. | |
This image is from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey. THEMIS ART IMAGE #75 The number '8' to go with letter 'L.' Rotated, these craters on Mars resemble the infinity symbol. | Context image for PIA08559THEMIS ART #75Back by popular demand: THEMIS ART IMAGE #75 The number "8" to go with letter "L." Rotate the image and these craters will make the infinity symbol. We hope everyone has enjoyed this latest batch of ART images, we'll be on the lookout for more!Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -4.3N, Longitude 284.2E. 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. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity captured this stereo view of a wee crater, informally named 'Skylab,' along the rover's route. This crater was likely formed within the past 100,000 years. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | Figure 1Figure 2NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the exposures combined into this stereo view of a wee crater, informally named "Skylab," along the rover's route. The component images were taken during the 2,594th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (May 12, 2011), after Opportunity had driven 239 feet (72.7 meters) that sol.The scene appears three dimensional when viewed through red-blue glasses with the red lens on the left. This is a young crater about 30 feet (9 meters) in diameter. How young? The blocks of material ejected from the crater-digging impact sit on top of the sand ripples near the crater. This suggests, from the estimated age of the area's sand ripples, that the crater was formed within the past 100,000 years. The dark sand inside the crater attests to the mobility of fine sand in the recent era in this Meridiani Planum region of Mars.The view spans 216 degrees of the compass, from northwest on the right to south on the right. It is presented as a cylindrical perspective projection.Opportunity successfully completed its three-month prime mission on Mars in April 2004 and has continued in bonus extended missions since then. 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. | |
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 false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Iani 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 Iani Chaos.Orbit Number: 8465 Latitude: -2.8754 Longitude: 342.708 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-11-11 08:31Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter color-codes thickness estimates in a newly found, buried deposit of frozen carbon dioxide, dry ice, near the south pole of Mars contains ~30 times more carbon dioxide than previously estimated to be frozen near the pole. | A newly found, buried deposit of frozen carbon dioxide -- dry ice -- near the south pole of Mars contains about 30 times more carbon dioxide than previously estimated to be frozen near the pole. This map color-codes thickness estimates of the deposit derived and extrapolated from observations by the Shallow Subsurface Radar (SHARAD) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The orbiter does not pass directly over the pole, and the thickness estimates for that area (with smoother transitions from color to color) are extrapolations.Red corresponds to about 600 meters or yards thick; yellow to about 400; dark blue to less than 100, tapering to zero. The scale bar at lower right is 100 kilometers (62 miles). The background map, in muted colors, represents different geological materials near the south pole.The estimated total volume of this buried carbon-dioxide deposit is 9,500 to 12,500 cubic kilometers (2,300 to 3,000 cubic miles). Known variations in the tilt of Mars' rotation axis can significantly reduce or increase the proportion of the planet's carbon dioxide that is sequestered into this newly discovered deposit, climate models indicate. The Martian atmosphere is about 95 percent carbon dioxide, and this deposit currently holds up to about 80 percent as much carbon dioxide as the atmosphere does. Several-fold swings in the total mass of the Martian atmosphere can result from growing and shrinking of dry ice deposits on time scales of 100,000 years or less, the models indicate.SHARAD was provided by the Italian Space Agency. Its operations are led by Sapienza University of Rome, and its data are analyzed by a joint U.S.-Italian science team. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor acquired this image on July 4, 1998. Shown here is Elysium Mons, one of three large volcanoes that occur on the Elysium Rise. | On July 4, 1998--the first anniversary of the Mars Pathfinder landing--Mars Global Surveyor's latest images were radioed to Earth with little fanfare. The images received on July 4, 1998, however, were very exciting because they included a rare crossing of the summit caldera of a major martian volcano. Elysium Mons is located at 25°N, 213°W, in the martian eastern hemisphere. Elysium Mons is one of three large volcanoes that occur on the Elysium Rise-- the others are Hecates Tholus (northeast of Elysium Mons) and Albor Tholus (southeast of Elysium Mons). The volcano rises about 12.5 kilometers (7.8 miles) above the surrounding plain, or about 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) above the martian datum-- the "zero" elevation defined by average martian atmospheric pressure and the planet's radius.Elysium Mons was discovered by Mariner 9 in 1972. It differs in a number of ways from the familiar Olympus Mons and other large volcanoes in the Tharsis region. In particular, there are no obvious lava flows visible on the volcano's flanks. The lack of lava flows was apparent from the Mariner 9 images, but the new MOC high resolution image--obtained at 5.24 meters (17.2 feet) per pixel--illustrates that this is true even when viewed at higher spatial resolution.Elysium Mons has many craters on its surface. Some of these probably formed by meteor impact, but many show no ejecta pattern characteristic of meteor impact. Some of the craters are aligned in linear patterns that are radial to the summit caldera--these most likely formed by collapse as lava was withdrawn from beneath the surface, rather than by meteor impact. Other craters may have formed by explosive volcanism. Evidence for explosive volcanism on Mars has been very difficult to identify from previous Mars spacecraft images. This and other MOC data are being examined closely to better understand the nature and origin of volcanic features on Mars.The three MOC images, 40301 (red wide angle), 40302 (blue wide angle), and 40303 (high resolution, narrow angle) were obtained on Mars Global Surveyor's 403rd orbit around the planet around 9:58 - 10:05 p.m. PDT on July 2, 1998. The images were received and processed at Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) around 4:00 p.m. PDT on July 4, 1998.This image: MOC image 40303, shown at 25% of its original size. North is approximately up, illumination is from the right. Resolution of picture shown here is 21 meters (69 feet) per pixel. Image was received with bright slopes saturated at DN=255.Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. | |
This image is a 3-D view in front of NASA's Curiosity rover. Mount Sharp is visible rising above the terrain, though in one 'eye' a box on the rover holding the drill bits obscures the view. | This image is a 3-D view in front of NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT). The anaglyph was made from a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance Cameras on the front of the rover. Mount Sharp, a peak that is about 5.5 miles (3.4 miles) high, is visible rising above the terrain, though in one "eye" a box on the rover holding the drill bits obscures the view.
This image was captured by Hazard-Avoidance cameras on the front of the rover at full resolution shortly after the rover landed. It has been linearized to remove the distorted appearance that results from its fisheye lens. A single "eye" view of Mount Sharp is available at PIA15986. | |
The craters on Mars display a variety of interior deposits, one of which is shown in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey. Spallanzani Crater is located far enough south that it probably experiences the seasonal growth and retreat of the south polar cap. | (Released 17 July 2002)The craters on Mars display a variety of interior deposits one of which is shown here. Spallanzani Crater is located far enough south that it probably experiences the seasonal growth and retreat of the south polar cap. During the southern hemisphere winter, CO2 frost condenses out of the atmosphere onto the surface and probably brings with it small amounts of dust and even water ice. It is this sort of depositional process that is thought to have produced the polar layered deposits. The layered deposit in Spallanzani Crater shares some similarities with the polar deposits. Whatever the origin of the layered materials, they likely filled the crater at one time. Note how the interior slope of the northern rim displays layered material of similar if less distinct morphology as the main deposit on the floor. The process that filled the crater with sediment has been replaced by the opposite process. Erosion has taken over, leaving behind spectacular stair-stepped mesas and bizarre, contorted landforms. Unlike the interior crater deposits in the equatorial latitudes, the erosional process has not produced the yardang features that indicate wind erosion. It may be that ice was one of the cementing agents of the sediment and perhaps the sublimation of that ice has left the sediment susceptible to erosion. The details of the deposition and erosion of this interesting deposit remain to be discovered. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows eroded remnants of carbon dioxide ice in the south polar residual cap of Mars. | 10 August 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows eroded remnants of carbon dioxide ice in the south polar residual cap of Mars. The scarps that outline each small mesa have retreated about 3 meters (~10 feet) per Mars year since MGS began orbiting the red planet in 1997.Location near: 87.0°S, 31.9°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Spring | |
This image, acquired on July 16, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows the polar region, in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars, is still blanketed by seasonal carbon dioxide frost (dry ice). | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionIt's spring in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars, and the polar region is still blanketed by seasonal carbon dioxide frost (dry ice). This image shows an area near the sand sea (called an "erg") that is surrounding the water ice-rich layered deposits. The many bumps are sand dunes less than 100 meters across that are mostly covered by seasonal frost, appearing in a manner that looks artificial but is a natural consequence of the wind patterns in this region. The smaller, darker spots are places where the seasonal frost has sublimed away, exposing the dark surface below. The combination of these features makes for an unearthly scene! The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 31.8 centimeters [12.5 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 95 centimeters [37.4 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This beautiful image shows terrific layers and exposed bedrock along a cliff in west Candor Chasma, which is part of the extensive Valles Marineris canyon system as seen by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | This beautiful image shows terrific layers and exposed bedrock along a cliff in west Candor Chasma, which is part of the extensive Valles Marineris canyon system.A Context Camera (CTX) image of this area showed that the strata is not entirely horizontal, and that there may be crossed beds, or lenses pinching out, or some other texture/structure that might give a clue as to the depositional setting of the sediment that makes up these layers.This image shows the area in greater detail and resolution, so we can compare what we have gleaned from CTX and MOC images to develop a better understanding of what we're looking at and how to interpret the past history of the region.HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
Slope Streaks in Acheron Fossae | Click on image for larger versionThis HiRISE Image (PSP_001656_2175) shows a portion of the wall (light-toned material) and floor of a trough in the Acheron Fossae region of Mars. Many dark and light-toned slope streaks can be seen on the wall of the trough surrounded by dunes. Slope streak formation is among the few known processes currently active on Mars. While the mechanism of formation and triggering is debated, they are most commonly believed to form by downslope movement of extremely dry sand or very fine-grained dust in an almost fluidlike manner (analogous to a terrestrial snow avalanche) exposing darker underlying material. Some of the slope streaks show evidence that downslope movement is being diverted around obstacles, such as large boulders, and a few appear to originate at boulders or clumps of rocky material. These slope streaks, as well as others on the planet, do not have deposits of displaced material at their downslope ends. The darkest slope streaks are youngest and can be seen to cross cut and lie on top of the older and lighter-toned streaks. The lighter-toned streaks are believed to be dark streaks that are lightening with time as new dust is deposited on their surface.Observation GeometryAcquisition date: 12 December 2006Local Mars time: 3:25 PMDegrees latitude (centered): 37.3 °Degrees longitude (East): 229.1 °Range to target site: 290.4 km (181.5 miles) Original image scale range: 58.1 cm/pixel(with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~174 cm across are resolvedMap-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is upMap-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAREmission angle: 0.9 °Phase angle: 51.8 °Solar incidence angle: 51 °, with the Sun about 39 ° above the horizonSolar longitude: 144.7 °, Northern SummerNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
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 the outer rim of Beruri Crater. | Context image The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows the outer rim of Beruri Crater. This image is of the ejecta along the eastern rim of the crater. The color variations show the radial nature of the ejecta emplacement.Orbit Number: 51267 Latitude: 5.28807 Longitude: 81.8251 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-07-05 08:29Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The linear depressions in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are part of Memnonia Foassae. | Context imageThe linear depressions in this VIS image are part of Memnonia Foassae.Orbit Number: 52200 Latitude: -21.509 Longitude: 211.495 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-09-20 01:09Please 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 image, acquired on December 14, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows shows two types of sand dunes on Mars. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image shows two types of sand dunes on Mars. The small dots are called barchan dunes, and from their shape we can tell that they are upwind. The downwind dunes are long and linear. These two types of dune each show the wind direction in different ways: the barchans have a steep slope and crescent-shaped "horns" that point downwind, while the linear dunes are stretched out along the primary wind direction. Linear dunes, however, typically indicate a wind regime with at least two different prevailing winds, which stretch out the sand along their average direction.In several places in this image, you can find barchan dunes turning into linear dunes as they are stretched out, but they both seem into indicate the same wind direction.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 32.0 centimeters [12.6 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 96 centimeters [37.8 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This false-color image released on June 3, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey was collected December 8, 2002 during southern winter season showing an area of the floor of Ganges Chasma and dark dunes and brighter wind sculpted hills of unknown origin. | Context image for PIA06373 Ganges Chasma This image was collected December 8, 2002 during southern winter season. The local time at the image location was about 4:45 pm. The image shows an area of the floor of Ganges Chasma and shows dark dunes and brighter wind sculpted hills of unknown origin.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -8.7N, Longitude 313.3E (46.7 West). 38 meter/pixel resolution.The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the martian surface using its five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from the use of multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This false color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows several linear depressions. | 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 several linear depressions. These features are formed by faulting.Orbit Number: 7371 Latitude: -31.4383 Longitude: 208.19 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-08-13 07:28Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
An annotated GIF depicts a rotational test of Perseverance's bit carousel in which two of four rock fragments were ejected. The five images that make up the GIF were obtained by the rover's WATSON imager on Jan. 17, 2022. | Click here for animationIn this annotated animated GIF, the bit carousel on NASA's Perseverance Mars rover can be seen rotating during a test of the component on Jan. 17, 2022, the 325th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The carousel was rotated about 75 degrees during the test, then was returned back to its original position.The five images that compose this animated GIF were captured to determine the status – after the test – of four fragments of the cored rock that fell out of the sample tube during Perseverance sampling activity on Dec. 29, 2021. After completion of the test, the upper two rock fragments (seen in the first image) have disappeared, having been ejected during the rotation. However, the lower two rock fragments, located below the bit carousel housing, remain.The five images that make up the GIF were obtained by the WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera. Located in the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm, WATSON can document the structure and texture within a drilled or abraded target, and its data can be used to derive depth measurements. The camera is a subsystem of the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) instrument.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory built and manages operations of Perseverance and Ingenuity for the agency. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA. WATSON was built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) in San Diego and is operated jointly by MSSS and JPL.A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.For more about Perseverance:mars.nasa.gov/mars2020nasa.gov/perseverance | |
This 3-D image taken by the microscopic imager on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a close-up of the center of the rock abrasion tool hole, ground into 'Bounce.' 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | This 3-D image taken by the microscopic imager on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a close-up of the center of the rock abrasion tool hole, ground into "Bounce" on the rover's 66th sol on Mars. Features smaller than one-tenth of a millimeter (.004 inches) are visible. The observed area is a little over 3 centimeters (1.2 inches). The canyon-like crack that runs across the bottom half of the image is really only about 2 millimeters (about 0.08 inches) deep. Scientists are currently using a variety of instruments to study the chemical content of the rock. | |
The two windstreaks in this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located on volcanic flows southeast of Jovis Tholus. | Context imageThe two windstreaks in this image are located on volcanic flows southeast of Jovis Tholus.Orbit Number: 44869 Latitude: 16.601 Longitude: 243.056 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-01-25 18:05Please 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. | |
Rover Tracks Seen from Orbit | Figure 1Wheel tracks left by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, and even the rover itself, are visible in this image from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. North is up in this image. The tracks and rover are in the area south of a crater informally named "Bonneville," which is just southeast of the center of the image. The orbiter captured this image with use of an enhanced-resolution technique called compensated pitch and roll targeted observation. It took the picture on March 30, 2004, 85 martian days, or sols, after Spirit landed on Mars. The rover had driven from its landing site to the rim of Bonneville and was examining materials around the crater's rim.In this portion of the plains inside the much larger Gusev Crater, Spirit created wheel tracks darker than the undisturbed surface, as seen in the rover's own images showing the tracks (for example, PIA05450). The contrast allows the tracks to show up in the image obtained from orbit. Also visible are Spirit's lander, backshell and parachute, and the scar where its heat shield hit the ground.The full image covers an area 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide, at 14.8 degrees south latitude and 184.6 degrees west longitude. Pixel size is about 1.5 meters (5 feet) by one-half meter (1.6 feet). Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.Mars Global Surveyor is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This complex channel is located in the Nili Fossae region as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageThis complex channel is located in the Nili Fossae region.Orbit Number: 54027 Latitude: 22.7189 Longitude: 78.748 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-02-17 11:05Please 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 2001 Mars Odyssey image shows Promethei Planum, located near Mars' south polar cap, containing many different surface textures. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLALocated near the south polar cap, Promethei Planum contains many different surface textures.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -78.7N, Longitude 61.1E. 40 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover microscopic imager onboard Spirit revealed a gap less than half an inch in the imprint left behind in the soil. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | Figure 1Figure 2Scientists were using the Moessbauer spectrometer on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit when something unexpected happened. The instrument's contact ring had been placed onto the ground as a reference point for placement of another instrument, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, for analyzing the soil. After Spirit removed the Moessbauer from the target, the rover's microscopic imager revealed a gap in the imprint left behind in the soil. The gap, about a centimeter wide (less than half an inch), is visible on the left side of this stereo view. Scientists concluded that a small chunk of soil probably adhered to the contact ring on the front surface of the Moessbauer. Before anyone saw that soil may have adhered to the Moessbauer, that instrument was placed to analyze martian dust collected by a magnet on the rover. The team plans to take images to see if any soil is still attached to the Moessbauer. Spirit took these images on the rover's 240th martian day, or sol (Sept. 4, 2004).Figure 1 is the left-eye view of a stereo pair and Figure 2 is the right-eye view of a stereo pair. | |
Intersecting linear ridges are found in several locations around the south polar cap on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA11881Polar RidgesIntersecting linear ridges are found in several locations around the south polar cap.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -81.3N, Longitude 294.3E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows the eastern flank of Pavonis Mons. | Context imageThis VIS image shows the eastern flank of Pavonis Mons. The darker streaks are created by wind action.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: 61080 Latitude: 1.34334 Longitude: 249.058 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2015-09-21 01:59Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image taken by NASA's Mars Odyssey shows chaos on Shabatana Vallis which contains a feature type on Mars called Chaos, typically interpreted to be a collapse terrain; it is the blocky landscape after the transport and removal of subsurface support. | The topic for the Image of the Day for the weeks of March 7-18 will be mountains on Mars.This image is located in Shabatana Vallis and contains a feature type called Chaos, which is typically interpreted to be a collapse terrain; it is the blocky landscape after the transport and removal of subsurface support.A good diagram showing the structural difference between simple and complex craters is here: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/science/craterstructure.htmlImage information: VIS instrument. Latitude -1.2, Longitude 317 East (43 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander enlarged a trench beside a rock called 'Headless' on Sept. 20, 2008 in preparation for sliding the rock into the trench. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | The robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander enlarged a trench beside a rock called "Headless" during the mission's 115th Martian day (Sept. 20, 2008) in preparation for sliding the rock into the trench. The lander's Surface Stereo Imager took this image later that afternoon, showing the enlarged trench and the rock.The robotic arm successfully moved the rock two days later.The Phoenix science team sought to move the rock in order to study the soil and the depth to subsurface ice underneath where the rock had been.Headless is about the size and shape of a VHS videotape. The trench, called "Neverland," was excavated to about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) deep near the rock. The ground surface between the rock and the lip of the trench slopes downward about 3 degrees toward the trench.The left-eye and right-eye images combined into this stereo view were taken at about 4:35 p.m., local solar time on Mars. The scene appears three-dimensional when seen through blue-red glasses. The view is to the north northeast of the lander.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by JPL, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development was 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. | |
A conspicuous fretted channel, Reull Valles, Mars which dissects wall deposits of the large Hellas impact basin, trends southeast towards the basin floor as seen by NASA's Viking Orbiter 2. | A conspicuous fretted channel, Reull Valles, which dissects wall deposits of the large Hellas impact basin, trends southeast towards the basin floor. Center of picture is at latitude 42 degrees S., longitude 258 degrees W. Fretted channels are wide, flat-floored channels with steep walls, which may be runoff channels that have been modified and enlarged by masswasting. Many nearby hills and mountains are surrounded by lobate debris aprons, which may have formed by slow creep of rock deposits aided by the presence of near-surface ice. Layering is exposed in the channel and crater walls. The color variations of the surface are very bland in this region; most of the variations seen are due to atmospheric scattering. Viking Orbiter Picture Numbers 126A08 (violet), 126A16 (green), and 126A24 (red) at 157 m/pixel resolution. Picture width is 161 km. North is 112 degrees clockwise from top. | |
On Nov. 10, 2010, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took this false-color image showing 'Intrepid Crater on Mars. | "Intrepid" crater on Mars carries the name of the lunar module of NASA's Apollo 12 mission, which landed on Earth's moon Nov. 19, 1969. NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity recorded this view of the crater during the 2,417th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (Nov. 11, 2010).This view is presented in false color to make differences in surface materials more visible. It combines exposures taken by Opportunity's panoramic camera (Pancam) through three filters admitting wavelengths of 752 nanometers, 535 nanometers and 432 nanometers. Intrepid crater is about 20 meters (66 feet) in diameter. That is about the same size as the crater where Opportunity spent its first two months on Mars: Eagle crater. The rover's look-back image into Eagle crater after driving out of it in 2004 is at PIA05755.The rover science team uses a convention of assigning the names of historic ships of exploration as the informal names for craters seen by Opportunity. Apollo 12's lunar module Intrepid carried astronauts Alan Bean and Pete Conrad to the surface of Earth's moon while crewmate Dick Gordon orbited overhead in the mission's command and service module, Yankee Clipper. A view of Bean next to Intrepid on the moon is online at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/apollo12/html/as12-46-6749.html. An image of Conrad inspecting robotic lander Surveyor 3, with Intrepid on the lunar horizon nearby, is online at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/apollo12/html/as12-48-7133.html. | |
How Thick is the North Polar Ice Cap on Mars? | This map shows the thickness of the north polar layered deposits on Mars as measured by the Shallow Radar instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The Shallow Radar instrument was provided by the Italian Space Agency. Its operations are led by the University of Rome and its data are analyzed by a joint U.S.-Italian science team. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a broad channel located on the flank of Tyrrhena Patera, an old volcano in the southern hemisphere of Mars. | Context image for PIA09301ChannelThis broad channel is located on the flank of Tyrrhena Patera, an old volcano in the southern hemisphere of Mars.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -22.4N, Longitude 105.7E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This graphic portrays two hypotheses about how the element boron ended up in calcium sulfate veins found within mudstone layers of the Murray formation on Mars' lower Mount Sharp. | This graphic portrays two hypotheses about how the element boron ended up in calcium sulfate veins found within mudstone layers of the Murray formation on Mars' lower Mount Sharp.Hypothesis A is presented left-to-right in the upper four panels; hypothesis B in the lower four. Note that the two final panels are identical, depicting conditions found by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. Calcium sulfate is the veins' main ingredient. The mudstone matrix around the veins resulted from deposition of sediments in a lake environment in Mars' Gale Crater billions of years ago.In hypothesis A: (1) Boron dissolved in the lake and was incorporated into the lake bottom clays that became the Murray formation. (2) The lake then dried and the bedrock fractured. (3) Later groundwater interacted with the clays under conditions that released the boron into the groundwater. (4) Then, the boron was deposited along with the calcium sulfate that makes up the bulk of these veins. In hypothesis B: (1) Boron was not incorporated into the clays as the lake was active. (2) Instead, when the lake dried out, it left a layer of boron-containing salts, and likely other types of salts, such as sodium chloride (table salt) and calcium sulfates, in an overlying layer that Curiosity has not yet visited. The bedrock fractured. (3) Groundwater later dissolved this layer of evaporite salts and moved the salts down into the older layers the rover has investigated. (4) The groundwater deposited the evaporite salts with the calcium sulfate that makes up the bulk of these veins.Presented at the 2016 AGU Fall Meeting on Dec. 13. in San Francisco, CA.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.For more information about Curiosity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a small meteor impact crater, with a short, dark wind streak on its down-wind side. The crater is located atop Mars' south polar layered materials. | 19 May 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a small meteor impact crater, about 90 meters (~295 feet) in diameter, with a short, dark wind streak on its down-wind side. The crater is located atop south polar layered materials near 80.2°S, 210.4°W. The March 2004, early autumn picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows | 26 February 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows two craters and a rough-textured surface in Icaria Planum near 44.5°S, 109.8°W. Both craters have been buried by a thin mantle of material that eroded to form a rough texture. The ejecta pattern from the smaller of the two craters is still apparent through this mantle. While this is a southern mid-latitude surface, similar textures and thinly-buried craters are common at northern mid-latitudes, as well. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left; the picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. | |
New Vocabulary: Araneiform and Lace Terrains | Figure 1Figure 2The south polar terrain on Mars contains landforms unlike any that we see on Earth, so much that a new vocabulary is required to describe them. The word "araneiform" means "spider-like." There are radially organized channels on Mars that look spider-like, but we don't want to confuse anyone by talking about "spiders" when we really mean "channels," not "bugs." The first subimage (figure 1) shows an example of "connected araneiform topography," terrain that is filled with spider-like channels whose arms branch and connect to each other. Gas flows through these channels until it encounters a vent, where is escapes out to the atmosphere, carrying dust along with it. The dark dust is blown around by the prevailing wind. The second subimage (figure 2) shows a different region of the same image where the channels are not radially organized. In this region they form a dense tangled network of tortuous strands. We refer to this as "lace." Observation GeometryImage PSP_002651_0930 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 18-Feb-2007. The complete image is centered at -86.9 degrees latitude, 97.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 268.7 km (167.9 miles). At this distance the image scale is 53.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~161 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel . The image was taken at a local Mars time of 04:56 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 86 degrees, thus the sun was about 4 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 186.4 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Autumn.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
This image taken by the microscopic imager on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the hole drilled by the rover's rock abrasion tool into the rock dubbed 'Pilbara.' The process left a pile of rock powder around the side of the hole. | This mosaic of five images taken by the microscopic imager on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on sol 87 shows the hole drilled by the rover's rock abrasion tool into the rock dubbed "Pilbara." A sliced "blueberry," or spherule, which is darker and harder than the rest of the rock, can be seen near the center of the hole. The rock abrasion process left a pile of rock powder around the side of the hole, and to a lesser degree, inside the hole. The hole is 7.2 millimeters (about 0.28 inches) deep and 4.5 centimeters (about 1.8 inches) in diameter.Because the original images of this hole had areas of bright sunlight as well as shadow, the images making up this mosaic have been arranged to hide as much of the sunlit area as possible. The white spot is one area that could not be covered by other images. It is possible to stretch the image so that features in this white spot are visible, but this makes the rest of the mosaic harder to view. The bright streaks on the bottom part of the hole are most likely reflections from various parts of the robotic arm. The geometric and brightness seams have been corrected in this image. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows martian terrain that resemble a set of 'surprised' eyeballs. | Context imageDo you see what I see? Turn your head sideways and gaze into the set of "surprised" eyeballs.Orbit Number: 41246 Latitude: 24.1416 Longitude: 339.717 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-04-02 12:57 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. | |
Several objects were imaged by NASA's Mars Pathfinder (IMP) during the spacecraft's first day on Mars, July 4, 1997. Portions of the deflated airbags, part of one the lander's petals, soil, and several rocks are visible. | Several objects have been imaged by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) during the spacecraft's first day on Mars. Portions of the deflated airbags, part of one the lander's petals, soil, and several rocks are visible. The furrows in the soil were artificially produced by the retraction of the airbags after landing, which occurred at 10:07 a.m. PDT.The IMP is a stereo imaging system with color capability provided by 24 selectable filters -- twelve filters per "eye."
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 upper elevations of Olympus Mons, including part of the summit caldera. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows the upper elevations of Olympus Mons, including part of the summit caldera. Scarps and extensional features (graben) record multiple stages of caldera collapse at the summit of Olympus Mons. Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the solar system, reaching heights over 40 km (25 miles) tall from base to summit, with the base covering an area as large as the state of Arizona. For comparison, Mauna Loa is 9 km (5.5 miles) tall measured from its base on the sea floor.Orbit Number: 90561 Latitude: 17.6564 Longitude: 226.782 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-05-15 02:28Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
The microscopic imager onboard NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, shows a portion of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars, dubbed 'Guadalupe.' | This mosaic image, taken by the microscopic imager on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, shows a portion of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars, dubbed "Guadalupe." Several images, each showing a different part of "Guadalupe" in good focus, were merged to produce this view. | |
CRISM Mulitspectral Map of Eastern Candor Chasma | This map of Eastern Candor Chasma, one of the deep valleys in Valles Marineris, was assembled from images taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) over the first five months of orbital operations around Mars. Besides obtaining high spatial resolution targeted observations, CRISM is also compiling a global map at approximately 200 meters (660 feet) per pixel. That map is taken in 72 key wavelengths out of CRISM's total of 545, which are most sensitive to the presence of different minerals on the surface and gases in the atmosphere. The map is acquired as thousands of individual strips, each about 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide. Over the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's two-year primary science phase, these mapping strips will cover nearly the entire planet, in a manner similar to covering a beach ball with many thousands of pieces of string.The part of the map shown here is composed of 20 observations overlain on a Mars Digital Image Model (MDIM). Valles Marineris originally formed as a huge fracture system caused by tectonic stresses related to the formation of the nearby Tharsis volcanic province. The troughs within Valles Marineris have been extensively modified since formation; water, wind and volcanic processes have been suggested to cause infilling by layered deposits that are kilometers in thickness. The steep walls of Candor Chasma bound a very complex canyon floor, with overlapping mesas, landslides, layered deposits and sand dunes.This mosaic shows the brightness of the surface at three infrared wavelengths (2.52 micrometers in the red image plane, 1.56 micrometers in the green image plane and 1.08 micrometers in the blue image plane). Blue-green areas are rich in hydrated minerals, while dusty areas are bluish. Those observations with a reddish cast were taken during a time of increased dust in the atmosphere. Mosaics like this can be used to look at the regional distribution of interesting mineralogy and can guide further high-resolution imaging.The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) is one of six science instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Led by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the CRISM team includes expertise from universities, government agencies and small businesses in the United States and abroad. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of the volcanic flows in the Tharsis region. | Context imageToday's image shows a small portion of the volcanic flows in the Tharsis region.Orbit Number: 44818 Latitude: 4.62491 Longitude: 272.284 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-01-21 14:11Please 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. | |
This side-by-side comparison shows the X-ray diffraction patterns of two different samples collected from rocks on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover. The images present data obtained by Curiosity's Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin). | Annotated VersionClick on the image for larger annotated versionThis side-by-side comparison shows the X-ray diffraction patterns of two different samples collected from rocks on Mars by NASA's Curiosity rover. The images present data obtained by Curiosity's Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin).At left is a pattern of data from analysis of the "Cumberland" rock target in the "Yellowknife Bay" area investigated by Curiosity in 2013. The pattern at right is from the "Confidence Hills" target that was the first rock drilled after Curiosity reached the base of Mount Sharp in September 2014. A label in the right image of the annotated view points out evidence for the mineral hematite in this rock.Hematite is an iron-oxide mineral. The rocks examined at Yellowknife Bay also contained iron oxides, predominantly magnetite. A much higher ratio of hematite to magnetite at Confidence Hills indicates that the ancient environmental conditions recorded in that rock involved more oxidation than the conditions recorded in the Yellowknife Bay rocks.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, and built Curiosity and CheMin.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. | |
The sinuous channel at the bottom of this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft is called Anio Valles. | Context imageThe sinuous channel at the bottom of today's VIS image is called Anio Valles.Orbit Number: 55239 Latitude: 35.1204 Longitude: 57.3396 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-05-28 04:52Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a sand sheet with dune forms located on the floor of Proctor Crater on Mars. | Taken at the same time as yesterday's infrared image, this VIS image shows the dune forms on the floor of Proctor Crater.Context information for this image is not available at this time.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -47.7N, Longitude 30.0E. 22 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. | |
Lobate Debris Apron in Tempe Terra/Mareotis Fossae | This image shows a portion of a large lobate debris apron along the bottom of a hill in the Tempe Terra/Mareotis Fossae region of Mars. Debris aprons were first discovered in regions of "fretted terrain" from analyses of images sent back by the Viking Orbiter spacecrafts in the 1970s. Features in areas of fretted terrain appear "softened" as if some geologic process(es) had smoothed and rounded features that normally would be sharply defined, such the crest of a narrow, steep ridge. Scientists inferred that the processes causing this degradation must have involved the incorporation and creep of ice in the surface materials. If so, these mixtures of ice and debris could have flowed away from topographically high areas leaving features much less sharply-defined. The flow behavior described here is similar to slow-moving glacial or permafrost features on Earth. The debris apron in the upper left of the image also has several subtle "ridge" features on its surface from low sun illumination. The ridges are roughly parallel to the base of the hill and their shapes mimic one another along their lengths. Similar ridges are seen on other debris aprons in this region where the aprons are located directly below large piles of debris accumulating along the bottom of hillslopes. These observations have led to the hypothesis that ridges on debris aprons are accumulated piles of debris from a period of abnormally high erosion. If this was indeed the case, each ridge may indicate a change in the climate or local environment that would have implications for our overall understanding of the Martian climate.Image PSP_001390_2290 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 12, 2006. The complete image is centered at 48.9 degrees latitude, 283.9 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 300.6 km (187.9 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 30.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 60.1 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 3:20 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 51 degrees, thus the sun was about 39 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 134.4 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 south polar cap. Taken in summer, the CO2 (dry ice) cap shows the layering of ice and dust that formed over millions of years. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows part of the south polar cap. Taken in summer, the CO2 (dry ice) cap shows the layering of ice and dust that formed over millions of years.Orbit Number: 91652 Latitude: -86.3765 Longitude: 138.159 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-08-12 21:54Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image of Inuvik Crater was taken during northern spring. Sand dunes cover the floor of the crater and are migrating up the rim and out onto the plains on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context image for PIA01878Inuvik CraterThis image of Inuvik Crater was taken during northern spring. Sand dunes cover the floor of the crater and are migrating up the rim and out onto the plains.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 78.6N, Longitude 330.9E. 20 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
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 captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. | Context imageThe THEMIS 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 images shows an unnamed crater in Noachis Terra. The "dark blue" material is probably basaltic sands.Orbit Number: 17811 Latitude: -77.9919 Longitude: 0.491743 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2005-12-19 20:35Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows fretted terrain in mesas and buttes in northern Deuteronilus Mensaeon Mars. | Martian "fretted terrain" occurs in regions of buttes and mesas that stand at the erosional margin where northern low-lying plains meet the higher-standing cratered uplands. Found mostly in the mid-northern latitudes, some of the best examples of fretted terrain occur in Deuteronilus Mensae. Here, the interaction of the process that creates the mesas and buttes, the processes that modify these surfaces after they form, and the relationship of both of these processes with the "near-instantaneous" event that formed the large crater Lyot, provide us places to look to decipher this small but important piece of martian geological history. Part of that effort requires us to acquire compositional information--from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), from the Thermal Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (THEMIS) and Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) on the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission, and from color images such as these taken by Mars Global Surveyor's Mars Orbiter Camera. Subtle and not-so-subtle color variations seen in this composite of MOC images M23-01279 and M23-01280 (acquired January 19, 2001) trace both the movement of dark sand of possible volcanic origin and fresh, dark outcrops of unweathered bedrock. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the large dune field called Olympia Undae. There are hills in this region, and the dunes are concentrated in the lower elevations. | Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the large dune field called Olympia Undae. There are hills in this region, and the dunes are concentrated in the lower elevations.Orbit Number: 54834 Latitude: 79.539 Longitude: 233.335 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-04-24 20:41Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This map of a portion of the western rim of Endeavour Crater on Mars shows the area where NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity worked for 20 months. | This map of a portion of the western rim of Endeavour Crater on Mars shows the area where NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity worked for 20 months, "Cape York," in relation to the area where the rover team plans for Opportunity to spend its sixth Martian winter, "Solander Point."The scale bar at lower left is 200 meters (one-eighth of a mile). The inset at upper left indicates the location of the mapped area in relation to the entire Endeavour Crater, which is 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter. Both Cape York and Solander Point are raised sections of the crater's western rim.Opportunity arrived at the edge of Endeavour Crater in August 2011 after a two-year trek from Victoria Crater, where it had spent two years. Observations by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter detected traces of clay minerals in a portion of Cape York, and the rover team used that information to guide Opportunity's exploration of the area. Opportunity finished its inspection of targeted rocks on Cape York with examination of "Esperance," indicated on this map. Esperance was found to have a composition suggesting the presence of clay minerals formed by water intensely altering the rock.Solander Point has a north-facing slope favorable for electrical output by Opportunity's solar panels during the coming southern-hemisphere winter. The minimum-sunshine days of the winter will be in February 2014. The rover team plans to get Opportunity to a northerly tilt well before then. The anticipated drive distance from Esperance to Solander Point is about 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometers). Opportunity began that trek on May 14, 2013.The base image for this map is from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. | |
A landslide occurred from the rim of this unnamed crater in Margaritifer Terra as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey. | Context imageA landslide occurred from the rim of this unnamed crater in Margaritifer Terra.Orbit Number: 40136 Latitude: -19.127 Longitude: 344.373 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-01-01 01:44Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft of the western floor of Gale Crater shows the large region of sand and sand dunes present southwest of the landing site. | Context imageDuring the month of April Mars will be in conjunction relative to the Earth. This means the Sun is in the line-of-sight between Earth and Mars, and communication between the two planets is almost impossible. For conjunction, the rovers and orbiting spacecraft at Mars continue to operate, but do not send the data to Earth. This recorded data will be sent to Earth when Mars moves away from the sun and the line-of-sight between Earth and Mars is reestablished. During conjunction the THEMIS image of the day will be a visual tour of Gale Crater, the location of the newest rover Curiosity. This image of the western floor of Gale Crater shows the large region of sand and sand dunes present southwest of the landing site.Orbit Number: 38546 Latitude: -4.98533 Longitude: 137.028 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-08-23 03:31Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, this image shows a small portion of the floor of Capri Chasma. Bright layered deposits and dunes are visible. | Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis VIS image shows a small portion of the floor of Capri Chasma. Bright layered deposits and dunes are visible in this image.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -12.6N, Longitude 313.7E. 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 image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the rough terrain just inside the eastern rim of Gale Crater as well as the eastern extent of Mr. Sharp. | Context imageDuring the month of April Mars will be in conjunction relative to the Earth. This means the Sun is in the line-of-sight between Earth and Mars, and communication between the two planets is almost impossible. For conjunction, the rovers and orbiting spacecraft at Mars continue to operate, but do not send the data to Earth. This recorded data will be sent to Earth when Mars moves away from the sun and the line-of-sight between Earth and Mars is reestablished. During conjunction the THEMIS image of the day will be a visual tour of Gale Crater, the location of the newest rover Curiosity.This image shows the rough terrain just inside the eastern rim of Gale Crater as well as the eastern extent of Mr. Sharp.Orbit Number: 27179 Latitude: -5.29255 Longitude: 138.708 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2008-01-30 03:48 Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This positive relief feature in the ancient highlands of Mars, imaged by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft, appears to be a heavily eroded volcanic center. The top of the feature appears to be under attack by the erosive forces of the Martian wind. | (Released 26 June 2002)The ScienceThis positive relief feature (see MOLA context) in the ancient highlands of Mars appears to be a heavily eroded volcanic center. The top of this feature appears to be under attack by the erosive forces of the martian wind. Light-toned streaks are visible, trending northeast to southwest, and may be caused by scouring of the terrain, or they may be dune forms moving sand. The northeast portion of the caldera area looks as though a layer of material is being removed to expose a slightly lighter-toned surface underneath. The flanks of this feature are slightly less cratered than the surrounding terrain, which could be explained in two ways: 1) this feature may be younger than the surrounding area, and has had less time to accumulate meteorite impacts, or 2) the slopes that are observed today may be so heavily eroded that the original, cratered surfaces are now gone, exposing relatively uncratered rocks. Although most of Terra Cimmeria has low albedo, some eastern portions, such as shown in this image, demonstrate an overall lack of contrast that attests to the presence of a layer of dust mantling the surface. This dust, in part, is responsible for the muted appearance and infill of many of the craters at the northern and southern ends of this imageThe StoryThis flat-topped volcano pops out from the surface, the swirls of its ancient lava flows running down onto the ancient highlands of Mars. Its smooth top appears to be under attack by the erosive forces of the martian wind.How can you tell? Click on the image above for a close-up look. You'll see some light-toned streaks that run in a northeast-southwest direction. They are caused either by the scouring of the terrain or dunes of moving sand. Either way, the wind likely plays upon the volcano's surface. Look also for the subtle, nearly crescent shaped feature at the northeast portion of the volcano's cap. It looks as if a layer of material has been removed by the wind, exposing a slightly lighter-toned surface underneath.The sides of the volcano are less cratered than the rest of the terrain. Perhaps that means it is younger than the surrounding area and has had less time to accumulate meteorite impacts. On the other hand, perhaps erosion has scrubbed away the original cratered surfaces. It's a little hard to tell which possibility holds the key to the history of this area.Although most of Terra Cimmeria can look relatively darker (has a low albedo or low "reflective power") than some other Martian areas, its eastern portions sometimes have an overall lack of contrast as seen in the above image. A layer of dust blankets the surface here, causing it to look muted. Many of the craters in the northern and southern ends of the image also seem subdued, as dust has partly filled in the stark holes they once created.The Cimmerians who give their name to this region were an ancient, little-known people of southern Russia mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions and by Homer. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows both branches of Nanedi Valles, close to the point where they join to form a single channel. | Context imageThis VIS image shows both branches of Nanedi Valles, close to the point where they join to form a single channel. Nanedi Valles is located in Xanthe Terra.Orbit Number: 63598 Latitude: 6.84291 Longitude: 312.193 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-04-15 11:04Please 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. | |
Video from the navigation camera aboard NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter shows its record-breaking 25th flight on April 18, 2022. | Click here for animationThis animated GIF was generated using imagery acquired by the navigation camera aboard NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 25th flight on April 18, 2022. Covering a distance of 2,310 feet (704 meters) and at a speed of 12 mph (5.5 meters per second), it was the Red Planet rotorcraft's longest and fastest flight to date. The first frame of the clip shows the view about one second into the flight. After reaching an altitude of 33 feet (10 meters), the helicopter heads southwest, accelerating to its maximum speed in less than three seconds. Ingenuity first flies over a group of sand ripples then, about halfway through the video, several rock fields. Finally, relatively flat and featureless terrain appears below, making a good landing spot. The video of the 161.3-second flight was speeded up approximately five times, reducing it to less than 35 seconds.Ingenuity's navigation camera has been programmed to deactivate whenever the rotorcraft is within 3 feet (1 meter) of the surface. This helps ensure any dust kicked up during takeoff and landing won't interfere with the navigation system as it tracks features on the ground.The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by JPL, which also manages the technology demonstration project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science, Aeronautics Research, and Space Technology mission directorates. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System. | |
This graphic shows the daily variations in Martian radiation and atmospheric pressure as measured by NASA's Curiosity rover. As pressure increases, the total radiation dose decreases. | This graphic shows the daily variations in Martian radiation and atmospheric pressure as measured by NASA's Curiosity rover. As pressure increases, the total radiation dose decreases. When the atmosphere is thicker, it provides a better barrier with more effective shielding for radiation from outside of Mars. At each of the pressure maximums, the radiation level drops between 3 to 5 percent. The radiation level goes up at the end of the graph due to a longer-term trend that scientists are still studying.The red line indicates the total dose rate of radiation from both charged particles and neutrons, as detected by Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector. The blue dots represent atmospheric pressure in units of Pascal (divided by four) taken by Curiosity's Rover Environmental Monitoring Station. The atmospheric data were scaled to fit in the same plot as the radiation data.The dosages and pressures are plotted over five sols, or Martian days, from the 21st sol of operations to the 26th. That corresponds to Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, 2012. Curiosity landed on Mars on Aug. 5, 2012. Radiation dose is given in arbitrary units to reflect the magnitude of the variations. Calibration of the absolute dose levels is ongoing.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 rover. For more information about Curiosity and its mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl. | |
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured these clouds just after sunset on March 19, 2021. The image is made up of 21 individual images stitched together and color corrected so that the scene appears as it would to the human eye. | NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured these clouds just after sunset on March 19, 2021, the 3,063rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission. The image is made up of 21 individual images stitched together and color corrected so that the scene appears as it would to the human eye. The clouds are drifting over "Mont Mercou," a cliff face that Curiosity has been studying.The rover captured the image using its Mast Camera, or Mastcam. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam. A division of Caltech, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built the Curiosity rover and manages the Curiosity rover for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.For more about Curiosity: mars.nasa.gov/msl/home/ and nasa.gov/msl. | |
The finely layered deposit in Becquerel crater, seen in the center of this NASA Mars Odyssey image, is slowly being eroded away by the action of windblown sand. | (Released 28 May 2002)The finely layered deposit in Becquerel crater, seen in the center of this THEMIS image, is slowly being eroded away by the action of windblown sand. Dark sand from a source north of the bright deposit is collecting along its northern edge, forming impressive barchan style dunes. These vaguely boomerang-shaped dunes form with their two points extending in the downwind direction, demonstrating that the winds capable of moving sand grains come from the north. Grains that leave the dunes climb the eroding stair-stepped layers, collecting along the cliff faces before reaching the crest of the deposit. Once there, the sand grains are unimpeded and continue down the south side of the deposit without any significant accumulation until they fall off the steep cliffs of the southern margin. The boat-hull shaped mounds and ridges of bright material called yardangs form in response to the scouring action of the migrating sand. To the west, the deposit has thinned enough that the barchan dunes extend well into the deeply eroded north-south trending canyons. Sand that reaches the south side collects and reforms barchan dunes with the same orientation as those on the north side of the deposit. Note the abrupt transition between the bright material and the dark crater floor on the southern margin. Steep cliffs are present with no indication of rubble from the obvious erosion that produced them. The lack of debris at the base of the cliffs is evidence that the bright material is readily broken up into particles that can be transported away by the wind. The geological processes that are destroying the Becquerel crater deposit appear active today. But it is also possible that they are dormant, awaiting a particular set of climatic conditions that produces the right winds and perhaps even temperatures to allow the erosion to continue. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of the eastern margin of the summit caldera of Arsia Mons. The arcuate features are the faults created by collapse of summit materials. | Context image This VIS image shows part of the eastern margin of the summit caldera of Arsia Mons. The arcuate features are the faults created by collapse of summit materials. A massive eruption can empty the large magma chamber which existed within the volcano, creating a void which can not support the weight of the top of the volcano.Arsia Mons is the southernmost of the Tharsis volcanoes. It is 270 miles (450km) in diameter, almost 12 miles (20km) high, and the summit caldera is 72 miles (120km) wide. For comparison, the largest volcano on Earth is Mauna Loa. From its base on the sea floor, Mauna Loa measures only 6.3 miles high and 75 miles in diameter. A large volcanic crater known as a caldera is located at the summit of all of the Tharsis volcanoes. These calderas are produced by massive volcanic explosions and collapse. The Arsia Mons summit caldera is larger than many volcanoes on Earth. 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: 12487 Latitude: -9.44031 Longitude: 240.527 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-10-07 11:58Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of the stair-stepped, north wall of a crater in Arabia Terra. | 26 March 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the stair-stepped, north wall of a crater in Arabia Terra. Light-toned slope streaks have formed as a result of avalanches in the dry, dark dust that mantles both the crater and its adjacent terrain in this scene.Location near: 20.0°N, 324.1°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Winter | |
Looking east from the lander, the last few bounce marks as Pathfinder rolled to a stop on July 4 are visible in the soil in this image, taken by NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997. | Looking east from the lander, the last few bounce marks as Pathfinder rolled to a stop on July 4 are visible in the soil in this image, taken by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP). The two most distant marks, identified by pointers in the image, consist of dark patches of disturbed soil. The three closest marks are clearly visible in the foreground, with one easily identifiable behind the Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET) mast, is at right. The most distant positively identified bounce mark, indicated by the pointer at right, is approximately 11.3 meters (37 feet) from the lander.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 anaglyph image, acquired by NASA's Phoenix Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on June 1, 2008, shows a stereoscopic 3D view of the so-called 'Knave of Hearts' first-dig test area to the north of the lander. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image. | This anaglyph image, acquired by NASA's Phoenix Lander's Surface Stereo Imager on Sol 7, the seventh day of the mission (June 1, 2008), shows a stereoscopic 3D view of the so-called "Knave of Hearts" first-dig test area to the north of the lander. The Robotic Arm's scraping blade left a small horizontal depression above where the sample was taken.Scientists speculate that white material in the depression left by the dig could represent ice or salts that precipitated into the soil. This material is likely the same white material observed in the sample in the Robotic Arm's scoop. 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 NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows many channels on a scarp in the Hellas impact basin. On Earth we would call these gullies. Some larger channels on Mars that are sometimes called gullies are big enough to be called ravines on Earth. | Images like this from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show portions of the Martian surface in unprecedented detail. This one shows many channels from 1 meter to 10 meters (approximately 3 feet to 33 feet) wide on a scarp in the Hellas impact basin. On Earth we would call these gullies. Some larger channels on Mars that are sometimes called gullies are big enough to be called ravines on Earth.This view is an excerpt from a HiRISE observation taken on Jan. 14, 2011, nearly five years after the March 10, 2006, arrival of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter at Mars. North is up. The image was taken at 3:44 p.m. local Mars time. The observation is centered at 48.4 degrees south latitude, 73.5 degree east longitude.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. | |
The image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows a region we see many slope streaks, typically dark features on slopes in the equatorial regions on Mars. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe image shows a region where we see many slope streaks, typically dark features on slopes in the equatorial regions on Mars. They may extend for tens of meters in length and gradually fade away with time as new ones form. The most common hypothesis is that they are generated by dust avalanches that regularly occur on steep slopes exposing fresh dark materials from underneath the brighter dust.There are many types of slope streaks but one of the most recent and significant findings using HiRISE was the discovery of a new type called "recurring slope lineae," or RSL for short. Recent studies suggest that RSL may form through the flow of briny (extremely salty) liquid water that can be stable on the surface of Mars even under current climatic conditions for a limited time in summer when it is relatively warm.How can we distinguish between conventional slope streaks like the ones we see here and RSL? There are many criteria. For instance, RSL are usually smaller in size than regular slope streaks. However, one of the most important conditions is seasonal behavior, since RSL appear to be active only in summer while regular slope streaks can be active anytime of the year.This site is monitored regularly by HiRISE scientists because of the high density of slope streaks and their different sizes and orientations. If we look at a time-lapse sequence, we will see that a new slope streak has indeed formed in the period since April 2016 (and we can note how dark it is in comparison to the others indicating its freshness). However, this period corresponds mainly to the autumn season in this part of Mars, whereas we do not see any major changes in the summer season. This suggests that the feature that developed is a regular slope streak just like all the others in the area.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a heart-shaped mesa on the surface of Mars. | Context imageDo you see what I see? Though not as pretty as our previous heart-shaped mesa, here's another one.Orbit Number: 18555 Latitude: 6.72759 Longitude: 130.744 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2006-02-19 04:01Please 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. | |
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows gullies cut into layered rock and debris on the wall of a south middle-latitude crater on Mars. | 13 August 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows gullies cut into layered rock and debris on the wall of a south middle-latitude crater. Gullies such as these are common at middle latitudes and may have required water to form.Location near: 41.1°S, 204.8°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Spring | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a portion of the flank of Albor Tholus, a volcano found in the Elysium volcanic complex. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a portion of the flank of Albor Tholus, a volcano found in the Elysium volcanic complex. The caldera of the volcano is very deep compared to it's height. The top elevation of Albor Tholus is approximately 4.5km, the deepest part of the caldera measures 3km below this [an elevation of only 1.5km].Orbit Number: 77798 Latitude: 18.4758 Longitude: 151.507 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-06-29 04:49Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image acquired on December 17, 2018 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows dune-like sandy landforms (or bedforms) self-organizing into distinct shapes and patterns as dictated by wind conditions and other factors. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionDune-like sandy landforms (or bedforms) self-organize into distinct shapes and patterns as dictated by wind conditions and other factors. The spacing and frequency of migration for bedforms will partially depend on the particle size range of local sediment. Larger coarse sand tends to "roll" during less frequent wind gusts, as compared with smaller more-mobile grains that "hop."This image in the Southern Hemisphere region of Terra Cimmeria displays an unusual class of hybrid bedforms. They display a consistent shape and tone, but range several orders of magnitude in size or spacing. The smallest examples here are less than 10 meters in spacing while larger ones are separated by several hundreds of meters. This is unusual variability for bedforms that evolve over long time scales and consistent climate of recent Mars. A Mars geomorphologist might classify some of these as small dunes or giant ripples, depending on their perspective.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 25.1 centimeters [9.9 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 75 centimeters [29.5 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. | |
Off the western flank of Elysium are the Hephaestus Fossae, seen in this image from NASA's Mars Odyssey, with linear arrangements of small, round pits. These features are commonly called 'pit chains' and most likely represent the collapse of lava tubes. | (Released 3 July 2002)Off the western flank of Elysium are the Hephaestus Fossae, including linear arrangements of small, round pits. These features are commonly called "pit chains" and most likely represent the collapse of lava tubes. Lava tubes allow molten rock to move long distances underground. When the lava drains out it leaves unsupported tunnels, which can collapse and form pits. These particular pit chains are unusual because they change direction abruptly. In the lower portion of the image, pits have collapsed at the bends and allow us to observe the sharp, nearly right angle corners. These direction changes are most likely due to some sort of structural control during the emplacement of the lava tubes.There is an extraordinarily high concentration of small, degraded craters on the plains surface. The size range of these craters is fairly consistent and they all appear to be of similar age. It is unlikely that these were caused by primary impacts (impacts of meteors onto the surface) because both the size and timing distributions of primary impactors vary tremendously. However, the craters in the image could have been created from secondary impacts. Secondaries are impacts of material that is excavated during a large cratering event nearby or from the disintegration of a primary meteor in the atmosphere into many smaller parts that rain onto the surface.In contrast to these older, small craters, there is a relatively young crater in the center of the image. A hummocky ejecta blanket is visible around the crater and has covered some of the smaller craters on the plain around it. The edges of the crater are sharp, formed by rocky material in the crater rim. This material is visible as the layer of rough, grooved material at the top of the inside walls. Small dust avalanches have left dark streaks down the inside walls of the crater. | |
This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on Sept 14, 2004 shows the martian surface of part of Hebes Chasma. This image shows sun shadows, dunes, flow-like features, and layered rocks. | The Odyssey spacecraft has taken some great pictures of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system. If this canyon were on Earth, it would stretch from New York to Los Angeles. For the next several weeks, the Image of the Day will tour some of the canyons that make up this vast system. We will start with Ius Chasma in the west, and end with Coprates Chasma to the east. For more information on Vallis Marineris, please see http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mep/science/vm.html.This image shows part of Hebes Chasma. Sun shadows can be seen on the northern part of the image. There are dunes, flow-like features, and layered rocks present.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -1.2, Longitude 282.3 East (77.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image shows a portion of Utopia Planitia that is covered by dust devil tracks as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageToday's VIS image shows a portion of Utopia Planitia that is covered by dust devil tracks.Orbit Number: 47084 Latitude: 52.1033 Longitude: 91.7234 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-07-26 02:22Please 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 shows a portion of the flank of Pavonis Mons on Mars as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. The collapse features at the bottom of the image are related to subsurface tubes that once contained lava. | Context image for PIA03040 Pavonis Mons FlankThis image shows a portion of the flank of Pavonis Mons. The collapse features at the bottom of the image are related to subsurface tubes that once contained lava.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 0.6S, Longitude 247.0E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
A stack of eroding sediments roughly 200 meters high contains the northeastern-most occurrence of the hematite layer that covers much of Meridiani Planum in this image taken in October 2003 by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Released 30 October 2003A stack of eroding sediments roughly 200 meters high contains the northeastern-most occurrence of the hematite layer that covers much of Meridiani Planum. The origin of the hematite layer is still a mystery, one that may be solved when the Mars Exploration Rover named Opportunity arrives in January.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 1.1, Longitude 0.5 East (359.5 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft contains a large region of dunes between the canyon cliff face and the large ridge of material at the mid-elevation of the canyon. | Context image Melas Chasma is part of the largest canyon system on Mars, Valles Marineris. At only 563 km long (349 miles) it is not the longest canyon, but it is the widest. Located in the center of Valles Marineris, it has depths up to 9 km below the surrounding plains, and is the location of many large landslide deposits, as will as layered materials and sand dunes. There is evidence of both water and wind action as modes of formation for many of the interior deposits. Today's image contains a large region of dunes between the canyon cliff face and the large ridge of material at the mid-elevation of the canyon. Fine materials have been concentrated into the dunes.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: 26525 Latitude: -11.3125 Longitude: 285.57 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2007-12-07 07:23Please 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 some of Mars' north polar layers exposed on a moderately-dipping slope. The bright material at the top is water ice frost; the triangular features are thought to be caused by wind erosion of the frost. | 15 October 2004It is now early summer in the northern hemisphere on Mars, and this means that the ices of the north polar cap are in full retreat. Exposed from beneath seasonal frost are the eroded layers of what Mars scientists suspect are composed of a mixture of dust and ice (and in some layers, sand). This October 2004 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows some of the north polar layers exposed on a moderately-dipping slope. The bright material at the top of the image is water ice frost; the triangular features are thought to be caused by wind erosion of the frost. This image is located near 87.1°N, 267.4°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left. | |
This image near Athabasca Valles shows thin plate of lava as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. This style of lava flow is very different from other lava flows in the nearby Elysium and Tharsis volcanic complexes. | Context imageThis VIS image near Athabasca Valles shows thin plate of lava. This style of lava flow is very different from other lava flows in the nearby Elysium and Tharsis volcanic complexes.Orbit Number: 52813 Latitude: 6.58962 Longitude: 155.034 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-11-09 13:03Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
In this video, images from NASA's Mars Ingenuity Helicopter's Flight 9, which took place on July 5, 2021, have been post-processed to identify areas suitable for landing and enable the use of digital elevation maps to help navigate. | Click here for animationIn this video, images from NASA's Mars Ingenuity Helicopter's Flight 9, which took place on July 5, 2021, have been post-processed using the helicopter's hazard avoidance capability, which was added via a software update to the helicopter in late 2022. The update provides two key improvements: It identifies areas unsuitable for landing (shaded in red) as well as candidate landing sites (shown in green). The algorithm also enables the use of digital elevation maps to help navigate.The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which also manages the project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Ames Research Center and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment, Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System. | |
Northern spring began in June 2000, and as NASA's Mars Global Surveyor approached August 2000, sunlight illuminated most of the north polar cap each day. | Another spring has "sprung" in the northern hemisphere of Mars! Northern spring began in June 2000, and as we approach August 2000, sunlight is now illuminating most of the north polar cap each day. This is the second northern spring that MOC has viewed--we've now seen, in selected areas, a full Mars year of atmospheric and surface conditions. Although the pictures do not cover the exact same area, pictures from exactly two Earth years ago (26 July 1998) show very similar features in the north circum-polar dune field (see Spring Time View of North Polar Sand Dunes).At this time, frost left-over from the recent winter is slowly subliming away to expose underlying northern plains and sand dune surfaces. The picture above shows a frost-covered portion of the vast dune fields that surround the north polar cap as they appeared on July 22, 2000. In summer, the dunes are dark, but in winter and early spring they are covered with bright frost. Small dark spots and streaks indicate areas where the frost has begun to disappear. This Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera image covers an area 2.3 km (1.4 mi) wide by 7.7 km (4.8 mi) long near 78°N, 107°W and is illuminated from the lower left. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of an unnamed crater in Arabia Terra. | Context imageToday's false color image shows part of an unnamed crater in Arabia Terra.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: 63509 Latitude: 2.8368 Longitude: 1.12045 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-04-08 03:07Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows one of these exotic locales at the South Pole. The polar cap is made from carbon dioxide (dry ice). The circular pits are holes in this dry ice layer that expand by a few meters each Martian year. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionMany Martian landscapes contain features that are familiar to ones we find on Earth, like river valleys, cliffs, glaciers and volcanos.However, Mars has an exotic side too, with landscapes that are alien to Earthlings. This image shows one of these exotic locales at the South Pole. The polar cap is made from carbon dioxide (dry ice), which does not occur naturally on the Earth. The circular pits are holes in this dry ice layer that expand by a few meters each Martian year.New dry ice is constantly being added to this landscape by freezing directly out of the carbon dioxide atmosphere or falling as snow. Freezing out the atmosphere like this limits how cold the surface can get to the frost point at -130 degrees Celsius (-200 F). Nowhere on Mars can ever get any colder this, making this this coolest landscape on Earth and Mars combined.This is a stereo pair with ESP_047237_0930.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a scallop-edged depression, called Coprates Catena, parallels the main alignment of Vallis Marineris. | Context imageThis scallop-edged depression, called Coprates Catena, parallels the main alignment of Vallis Marineris.Orbit Number: 43295 Latitude: -14.8993 Longitude: 297.35 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-09-18 03:49Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows majestic ridges and their shadows marking the boundary between the Valles Marineris canyon system and Noctis Labyrinthus. | Context image for PIA10160Canyon RidgesThese majestic ridges and their shadows mark the boundary between the Valles Marineris canyon system and Noctis Labyrinthus.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -7.3N, Longitude 266.7E. 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 scene combines seven frames taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during the 1,891st Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on Mars (April 28, 2009). | This scene combines seven frames taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during the 1,891st Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on Mars (April 28, 2009). It covers a vista from south-southeast on the left to northeast on the right.This view is from the position Spirit reached with a drive that moved the rover only about 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) earlier on Sol 1891. Spirit's wheels had started to sink into local soil on Sol 1886 (April 23, 2009). After Sol 1891, the rover team attempted five more drives with Spirit through Sol 1899 (May 6, 2009), moving the rover only a few centimeters in all, and detecting wheel slippage in excess of 99 percent before deciding to suspend further driving by Spirit until potential maneuvers had been thoroughly evaluated with a test rover on Earth. The site from which Spirit obtained this view has been informally named "Troy." Layers of differently hued soil uncovered by the sinking wheels became the subject of intense analysis by the instruments on Spirit's robotic arm.On the horizon at the left edge of this view is a mound capped with light-toned rock and called "Von Braun," a possible destination for Spirit to investigate in the future. Between Von Braun and the center of the image is a ridge called "Tsiolkovsky." The hill on the horizon to the right is Husband Hill, where Spirit reached the summit in 2005. Tracks receding toward the north were created as Spirit drove southward toward Troy, driving backward and dragging its right-front wheel, which has been inoperable for more than three years. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a large field of sand dunes on Kaiser Crater. They are partially free of seasonal ice, with the contrast making it easy to see the ripples. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis image shows a portion of Lethe Vallis, an outflow channel that also transported lava. Another investigation of this area (Balme et al., 2011) discovered a repeat pattern of dune-like forms in the channel interpreted as fluvial dunes (or, giant current ripples) which are dunes formed by flowing water.This is one of only a few places on Mars where these pristine-appearing landforms have been identified. The channel formed by catastrophic floods, during which it produced the prominent crater-cored, teardroped-shaped island in the middle. The island has the blunter end pointing upstream and the long tail pointing downstream.Both the island and the fluvial dunes were formed by these extreme floods and their size is an indicator of the enormous discharges required to create them. The margins of the channel also show the terminal front of a pristine lava flow unit that inundated the channel from the south and the dunes show the remnants of another older lava flow. The top of the island displays polygonal patterned ground texture, which is a characteristic of periglacial processes in ice-rich ground.The dark materials from the channel and island walls are probably dark sand being eroded from an underlying horizontal basaltic (lava) layer. The crater at the core of the island has elongated dunes and reticulate dust ridges inside. This single image thus contains features formed by periglacial, volcanic, fluvial, impact, aeolian and mass wasting processes, all in one place.This is a stereo pair with ESP_044989_1845.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. | |
Fractures mark the surface in this region of Margaritifer Terra in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageFractures mark the surface in this region of Margaritifer Terra.Orbit Number: 42470 Latitude: -18.3112 Longitude: 332.354 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-07-12 05:54Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This color image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey released on May 6, 2004 shows the martian surface during the southern summer season in Reull Vallis. | Released 6 May 2004This daytime visible color image was collected on May 24, 2002 during the Southern Fall season in Reull Vallis.This daytime visible color image was collected on September 4, 2002 during the Northern Spring season in Vastitas Borealis. The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the martian surface using its five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from the use of multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -40.1, Longitude 99.1 East (260.9 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This view of the lower front and underbelly areas of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity combines nine images taken by the rover's MAHLI camera during the 34th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars. | This view of the lower front and underbelly areas of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity combines nine images taken by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) during the 34th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars (Sept. 9, 2012). Curiosity's front Hazard-Avoidance cameras appear as a set of four blue eyes at the top center of the portrait. Fine-grain Martian dust can be seen adhering to the wheels, which are about 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide and 20 inches (50 centimeters) in diameter. The bottom of the rover is about 26 inches (66 centimeters) above the ground. On the horizon at the right is a portion of Mount Sharp, with dark dunes at its base. The camera is in the turret of tools at the end of Curiosity's robotic arm. The Sol 34 imaging by MAHLI was part of a week-long set of activities for characterizing the movement of the arm in Mars conditions. As this was a test to gain new information about operation of the instrument, the MAHLI team noted that two of the nine images acquired for this mosaic were not in focus. 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, providing versatility for other uses, such as views of the rover itself from different angles. | |
This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Eumenides Dorsum, a large linear rise located in southern Amazonis Planitia. | Context imageEumenides Dorsum is a large linear rise located in southern Amazonis Planitia. Erosion by wind action is prevalent in this region. The horseshoe shaped depressions in this image are called blowouts and align with the wind direction that blew from upper right to lower left. The deep troughs and the finer scale linear erosion at the bottom of the image were created by winds that blew along the trend from upper left to lower right. This reflects two different predominant wind directions. It is difficult from just one image to determine if the wind changes were seasonal or over thousands of years in a single direction.Orbit Number: 79668 Latitude: 3.05139 Longitude: 202.032 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-11-30 04:22Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. | |
This late-afternoon view from the front Hazard Avoidance Camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a pattern of rock stripes on the ground, a surprise to scientists on the rover team. | This late-afternoon view from the front Hazard Avoidance Camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a pattern of rock stripes on the ground, a surprise to scientists on the rover team. Approaching the 5,000th Martian day or sol, of what was planned as a 90-sol mission, Opportunity is still providing new discoveries. This image was taken inside "Perseverance Valley," on the inboard slope of the western rim of Endeavour Crater, on Sol 4958 (Jan. 4, 2018). Both this view and one taken the same sol by the rover's Navigation Camera look downhill toward the northeast from about one-third of the way down the valley, which extends about the length of two football fields from the crest of the rim toward the crater floor. The lighting, with the Sun at a low angle, emphasizes the ground texture, shaped into stripes defined by rock fragments. The stripes are aligned with the downhill direction. The rock to the upper right of the rover's robotic arm is about 2 inches (5 centimeters) wide and about 3 feet (1 meter) from the centerline of the rover's two front wheels.This striped pattern resembles features seen on Earth, including on Hawaii's Mauna Kea, that are formed by cycles of freezing and thawing of ground moistened by melting ice or snow. There, fine-grained fraction of the soil expands as it freezes, and this lifts the rock fragments up and to the sides. If such a process formed this pattern in Perseverance Valley, those conditions might have been present locally during a period within the past few million years when Mars' spin axis was at a greater tilt than it is now, and some of the water ice now at the poles was redistributed to lower latitudes. Other hypotheses for how these features formed are also under consideration, including high-velocity slope winds.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.For more information about Opportunity, visit http://www.nasa.gov/rovers and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov. | |
A sand sheet with surface dune forms covers the floor of this unnamed crater near the north pole. This image was taken by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. | Context imageA sand sheet with surface dune forms covers the floor of this unnamed crater near the north pole.Orbit Number: 54212 Latitude: 74.1474 Longitude: 319.12 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-03-04 16:01Please 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. | |
This observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a set of straight ridges in ancient bedrock near Nirgal Valles. The patterns indicate fractures from tectonic stresses. | Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionIn this observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), we see a set of straight ridges in ancient bedrock near Nirgal Valles. The patterns indicate fractures from tectonic stresses, but how have they been hardened to now stand in positive relief after billions of years of erosion?It is possible that groundwater flowed through the fractures, depositing various durable minerals, some of which we see in diverse colors.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 25.7 centimeters (10.1 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 77 centimeters (30.3 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, 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. |
Subsets and Splits