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This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small portion of Daedalia Planum. Daedalia Planum is an immense lava flow field that originates at Arsia Mons.

Context imageToday's VIS image shows a small portion of Daedalia Planum. Daedalia Planum is an immense lava flow field that originates at Arsia Mons. Arsia Mons is the southernmost of the three large aligned volcanoes in the Tharsis region. Arsia Mons' last eruption was 10s of million years ago.Orbit Number: 80553 Latitude: -23.7847 Longitude: 234.227 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-02-11 01:06Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of an unnamed channel in the margin between Arabia Terra and the surrounding lowlands.

Context imageThe margin between Arabia Terra and the surrounding lowlands is dissected by numerous named and unnamed channels. Today's VIS image shows part of an unnamed channel in the region.Orbit Number: 77815 Latitude: 39.3327 Longitude: 17.9212 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-06-30 14:32Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

The support structure of the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument moved slightly during hammering, as indicated by the circular 'footprints' around the instrument's footpads.

The support structure of the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument moved slightly during hammering, as indicated by the circular "footprints" that can be seen around the instrument's footpads. These marks indicate the instrument's self-hammering mole wasn't digging as expected. This image was taken on March 4, 2019 (the 94th Martian day, or sol, of the mission). JPL manages InSight for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built the InSight spacecraft, including its cruise stage and lander, and supports spacecraft operations for the mission.A number of European partners, including France's Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), are supporting the InSight mission. CNES provided the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument to NASA, with the principal investigator at IPGP (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris). Significant contributions for SEIS came from IPGP; the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany; the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland; Imperial College London and Oxford University in the United Kingdom; and JPL. DLR provided the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument, with significant contributions from the Space Research Center (CBK) of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Astronika in Poland. Spain's Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) supplied the temperature and wind sensors.For more information about the mission, go to https://mars.nasa.gov/insight.

An artist's concept of NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) flying over Mars.

An artist's concept of NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) flying over Mars.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows an unnamed central peak crater east of Hadriaca Patera on Mars. The crater rim is cut by multiple channels and part of the rim has failed.

Context image for PIA09462Crater ModificationThis unnamed central peak crater east of Hadriaca Patera is slowly being modified from its original pristine state. The crater rim is cut by multiple channels and part of the rim has failed due to gravity and produced a landslide that reached all the way to the central peak itself (to the left of the channels in the center of the image).Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -32.4N, Longitude 103.2E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

NASA's Curiosity rover has detected the simple carbon-containing compounds chloro- and dichloromethane from the powdered rock sample extracted from the 'John Klein' rock on Mars.

NASA's Curiosity rover has detected the simple carbon-containing compounds chloro- and dichloromethane from the powdered rock sample extracted from the "John Klein" rock on Mars. These species were detected by the gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) on Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars instrument (SAM).The blue peak on the left shows the presence of chloromethane and the two red peaks on the right show the presence of dichloromethane. The powdered rock sample from John Klein was heated and some of the gas released was injected into the capillary column of the GCMS. The time at which different compounds exited the gas chromatograph column and entered the mass spectrometer, and the patterns produced in the mass spectrometer indicated molecular identity. This chart also indicates "blank runs," which were conducted on Mars prior to delivery of this drilled sample to SAM. The runs helped to insure that signals from the gases released from the John Klein sample were above background levels. Curiosity began drilling at John Klein in February 2013. The SAM analysis was conducted on Sol 200 (the 200th Martian day of Curosity's operations, which was Feb. 27, 2013, on Earth).Both chloro- and dichloromethane were also detected earlier by SAM at the "Rocknest" drift. It is possible that these simple carbon-containing compounds were produced by the reaction between Martian carbon and chlorine released when this sample was heated in the SAM oven. However, analysis of an additional drilled sample is required to help scientists understand if instead any residual terrestrial carbon from the drill, or perhaps chlorine left over from the Rocknest sample, is responsible for the generation of some or all of these compounds. In any case, these detections demonstrate clearly that the SAM GCMS is performing as designed and ready to continue the search for organic compounds in Gale Crater.JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.

This images shows part of the main channel of Mamers Vallis as well as one of its tributaries on Mars as seen by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Context image for PIA01875Mamers VallisThis images shows part of the main channel of Mamers Vallis as well as one of its tributaries.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 39.5N, Longitude 16.0E. 19 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image released on July 21, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows that eons of atmospheric dust storm activity has left its mark on the surface of Mars such as this classic yardang formed by wind.

Released July 21, 2004The atmosphere of Mars is a dynamic system. Water-ice clouds, fog, and hazes can make imaging the surface from space difficult. Dust storms can grow from local disturbances to global sizes, through which imaging is impossible. Seasonal temperature changes are the usual drivers in cloud and dust storm development and growth. Eons of atmospheric dust storm activity has left its mark on the surface of Mars. Dust carried aloft by the wind has settled out on every available surface; sand dunes have been created and moved by centuries of wind; and the effect of continual sand-blasting has modified many regions of Mars, creating yardangs and other unusual surface forms. In this image we can clearly see a major change in wind regimes. The classic yardang form occupies the top of the image. These older yardangs were formed by a NW/SE wind regime. The younger, smaller yardangs are forming in the rest of the image from a NE/SW wind. The age relationship is readily visible at the intersection area, where the large yardangs are being cut crosswise into NE/SW aligned forms. The top framelet of this image has vertical black/white lines caused by charge on the camera CCD.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -6.3, Longitude 183.8 East (176.2 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 is the first image from NASA's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) that includes a glimpse of the plant surface. This image was taken at 8:42 MLSTsol 1.

This is the first image from the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) that includes a glimpse of the plant surface. This image was taken at 8:42 MLSTsol 1. Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998.

NASA's Viking 1 obtained this color picture of the Martian surface and sky on July 24, 1997; part of the spacecraft's gray structure in the foreground.

Viking 1 obtained this color picture of the Martian surface and sky on July 24. Camera Number 1 facing southeast, captured part of the spacecraft's gray structure in the foreground. A bright orange cable leads to one of the descent rocket engines. Orange-red surface materials cover most of the surface, apparently forming a thin veneer over darker bedrock. A zone of large dark boulders is present in the far-field. The sky has a reddish cast, which is probably due to scattering and reflection from reddish sediment suspended in the lower atmosphere. This picture has been radiometrically calibrated, using information on camera performance acquired before launch. Although the colors are very vivid, the fidelity with which the bright orange cable is reproduced suggests that the intense colors of the Martian surface are, in fact, real.

This artist's rendering portrays ice-rich layers in the soils of Mars being detected by instruments aboard NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

This artist's rendering portrays ice-rich layers in the soils of Mars being detected by instruments aboard NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft. Measurements by the gamma ray spectrometer suite of instruments indicate that the upper meter (three feet) of soil contains an ice-rich zone with an ice abundance of 20 to 50 percent by mass. The ice-rich areas surround the polar regions of Mars, down to latitudes of about 60 degrees, in both the north and the south. The instruments detect the signature of hydrogen, indicating water ice, to a depth of about one meter (three feet). It is not known whether or how deep the ice-rich zone continues below that depth. The view of the spacecraft in this artist's rendering is not to scale, as the observations are obtained from an orbital altitude of 400 kilometers (250 miles).NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Investigators at Arizona State University in Tempe, the University of Arizona in Tucson, and NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, operate the science instruments. The gamma-ray spectrometer was provided by the University of Arizona in collaboration with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, which provided the high-energy neutron detector, and the Los Alamos National Laboratories, New Mexico, which provided the neutron spectrometer. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This animation shows the position of NASA's Curiosity rover as it journeyed through 'the clay-bearing unit' on Mars between May 31 and July 20, 2019. The HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took both images.

Click here for animationThis animation shows the position of NASA's Curiosity rover as it journeyed 1,106 feet (337 meters) through an area of Mount Sharp called "the clay-bearing unit" between May 31 and July 20, 2019. Each of these two images were taken by the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.The first image shows the rover, which appears as a gray speck, at a location called "Woodland Bay" (top center). The second shows "Sandside Harbour" (bottom center, near the dark sand patch). Look carefully and you can even see the rover's tracks arcing to the right of the second image. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project as well as the Curiosity mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The University of Arizona, in Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., in Boulder, Colorado.

Seasonal Trend in Water Vapor Seen from Orbit

The seasonal trend in the amount of water vapor in Mars' atmosphere, as observed by thermal emission spectrometer on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, varies by latitude. This plot starts near the beginning of fall in the southern hemisphere for the year before the Mars Exploration Rover mission began and ends on August 30, 2004, slightly more than one martian year later. Purple represents no water while red represents about 50 precipitable micrometers, which is about 10,000 times less than on Earth. The units of time along the horizontal axis are given in longitude of the Sun (Ls) as measured in a Mars-centered coordinate system, a way to reflect the elliptical nature of Mars' orbit. On this scale, Mars is farthest from the Sun at about 74, which also corresponds to late fall in the southern hemisphere.During the period when Mars is farthest from the Sun, the migration of water vapor from the northern polar region combines with lowered atmospheric temperatures to produce conditions that allow formation of clouds such as seen in the image at PIA07105. Opportunity is further north than Spirit is, so there is a distinct difference in the amount of water vapor available to form water-ice clouds over the two sites. To date, Spirit has not seen any discrete, cirrus-like clouds such as Opportunity has photographed. Although water vapor is expected to reach a maximum abundance for the Opportunity and Spirit sites near spring equinox (Ls 180 or about March 2005), the atmospheric temperatures will very likely have warmed sufficiently to prevent formation of the type of clouds that Opportunity has observed recently.

Technicians maneuver the aeroshell for Mars Exploration Rover 2 onto a workstand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility.

February 6, 2003Technicians maneuver the aeroshell for Mars Exploration Rover 2 onto a workstand in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Set to launch in 2003, the MER Mission will consist of two identical rovers designed to cover roughly 110 yards each Martian day. Each rover will carry five scientific instruments that will allow it to search for evidence of liquid water that may have been present in the planet's past. The rovers will be identical to each other, but will land at different regions of Mars. The first rover has a launch window opening May 30, and the second rover, a window opening June 25, 2003.

This image acquired on August 16, 2020 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows the ceiling of a lava tube has collapsed in one spot and made this pit crater.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionSome types of lava can squeeze underneath older rock and lift it up so it can continue to flow underground. Large underground rivers of lava can form this way and when the volcano stops erupting, the lava can drain out of these underground tubes. These empty underground tubes are common on the Earth and may criss-cross the giant volcanoes of Mars like in this location on the flanks of Arsia Mons.In this image, the ceiling of the lava tube collapsed in one spot and made this pit crater. The pit is about 50 meters (150 feet) across, so it's likely that the underground tube is also at least this big (much bigger than similar caves on the Earth). HiRISE can't see inside these steep pits because it's always late afternoon when we pass overhead and the inside is shadowed at that time of day.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 25.1 centimeters [9.8 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.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a portion of Ares Vallis.

Context imageThis VIS image shows a portion of Ares Vallis.Orbit Number: 56035 Latitude: 9.15576 Longitude: 335.227 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2014-08-01 16:23Please 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.

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 an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.

Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.Orbit Number: 6400 Latitude: -26.5415 Longitude: 131.468 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-05-25 09:08Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

The fractured surface of the Cerberus region southeast of the Elysium volcanoes provides an impressive example of the powerful tectonic forces that have shaped the region in this image taken in October 2003 by NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

Released 29 October 2003The fractured surface of the Cerberus region southeast of the Elysium volcanoes provides an impressive example of the powerful tectonic forces that have shaped the region. Both the smooth lava plains and the mountains that poke through the lava are subject to the extensional forces that rip open the landscape. The fractures are radial to the Elysium complex, suggesting a relationship to the volcanic processes that have built it.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 8.6, Longitude 160.6 East (199.4 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows eroded bedrock among the mountains of western Argyre. Smooth on Mars, dark areas are patches of windblown sand.

22 August 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows details in eroded bedrock among the mountains of western Argyre. Smooth, dark areas are patches of windblown sand.Location near: 48.0°S, 55.1°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer

Gravity has caused materials to move down the rim of this crater in Terra Sabaea. In this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey, thinner dark slope streaks are less common than broader, lighter markings of downslope movement of materials.

Context imageGravity has caused materials to move down the rim of this crater in Terra Sabaea. Here, thinner dark slope streaks are less common than broader, lighter markings of downslope movement of materials.Orbit Number: 36901 Latitude: 1.39403 Longitude: 45.6855 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-04-09 18:41Please 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 image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows Gasa Crater located on the floor of a larger unnamed crater Eridania Planitia.

Context imageThis VIS image shows Gasa Crater located on the floor of a larger unnamed crater Eridania Planitia. Gullies dissect the rims of both craters.Orbit Number: 76121 Latitude: -35.639 Longitude: 129.538 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2019-02-11 01:31Please 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 Curiosity Mars rover captured this image of its right rear wheels using its navigation cameras on June 1.

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this image of its right rear wheels using its navigation cameras on June 1, the 3,846th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The image was taken while the rover was attempting to climb a 23-degree slope covered with slippery sand and wheel-size boulders.Rover tracks from the approach to this location can be seen in the sand at the top of the image. The rover slipped in the sand, causing it to veer off its intended route and prompting its right middle wheel to drive up on to the bright, long rock seen at the left of the image.Driving over this rock was not intended, and the large movement of the suspension triggered a safety fault, stopping the drive. In response, rover planners chose to back away from this spot and try climbing the slope a few feet from here. Curiosity experienced several more faulted drives before a decision was made to pursue a detour on less difficult terrain about 492 feet (150 meters) away.Curiosity was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.For more about Curiosity, visit: http://mars.nasa.gov/msl.

This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows barchan sand dunes, common on Mars often forming vast dune fields within very large (tens to hundreds of km) impact basins. The regions upwind of barchans are usually devoid of sandy bedforms.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThe map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel.[The original image scale is 55.9 centimeters (22.0 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 168 centimeters (66.1 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows barchan sand dunes, common on Mars and often forming vast dune fields within very large (tens to hundreds of kilometers) impact basins. The regions upwind of barchans are usually devoid of sandy bedforms, so if you were walking in a downwind direction, then the barchans would seem to appear out of nowhere.As you walk downwind, you would notice the barchans link up ("joining arms") and eventually slope into featureless sand sheets. We call this progression of dunes a "Herschel-type dune field" named after the first place this sequence was described: Herschel Crater.But here is something interesting: a barchan dune filling the upwind portion of a small impact crater in a Pac-Man-like shape. This "dune-in-a-crater" is nearly at the highest extent of the field. It is also probably a rare configuration, and over the next few tens of thousands of years the sand will be blown out of the crater.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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a depression eroded into Mars' north polar layered materials.

2 January 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a depression eroded into north polar layered materials located near 86.1°N, 30.8°W. The layers in the north polar region have been considered for more than 30 years to be composed of dust and ice, although this cannot be confirmed without sending a person or robot to investigate. This picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a landslide occurring within an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.

Context image for PIA10893LandslideThe landslide seen in this VIS image occurs within an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -19.3N, Longitude 149.4E. 17 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the central part of the dune field on the floor of Russell Crater.

Context image This image shows the central part of the dune field on the floor of Russell Crater. Russell Crater is located in Noachis Terra. A spectacular dune ridge and other dune forms on the crater floor have caused extensive imaging.The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images!Orbit Number: 34856 Latitude: -54.5757 Longitude: 12.8629 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2009-10-23 08:04Please 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.

NASA's Mars Pathfinder Lander camera image of Sojourner Rover atop the 'Mermaid dune' on Sol 30. Note the dark material excavated by the rover wheels. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997.

Mars Pathfinder Lander camera image of Sojourner Rover atop the "Mermaid dune" on Sol 30. Note the dark material excavated by the rover wheels. These, and other excavations brought materials to the surface for examination and allowed estimates of mechanical properties of the deposits.NOTE: original caption as published in Science magazineMars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998.

This image, acquired on May 16, 2019 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows a cratered area to the southeast of the ExoMars 2020 Rosalind Franklin rover landing site at Oxia Palus.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image shows a cratered area to the southeast of the ExoMars 2020 Rosalind Franklin rover landing site at Oxia Palus. Selecting and characterizing landing sites is a balance between having science targets and avoiding potential obstacles, and HiRISE is used for both purposes.Craters like this one excavate material from within the crust, including both sedimentary and igneous rocks, and scatter this material far from the crater itself. This is one of the ways that so-called "float rocks" (rocks that are not connected to their original outcrop) can occur across a landing site: they are often ejecta from distant impacts.Here, an ejecta blanket is visible in the rays of material surrounding this 2-kilometer diameter crater. The ExoMars rover has a suite of cameras and a close-up imager (called CLUPI) that will be used to study these float rocks. Studying such samples has been an important way of learning about the deep crust of Mars on previous missions, notably the Spirit and Opportunity rovers and now, Curiosity.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 28.3 centimeters [11.1 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 85 centimeters [33.5 inches] across are resolved.) North is up.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 image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of Terra Sabaea.

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 Terra Sabaea.The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the Martian surface using five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from using multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Orbit Number: 94472 Latitude: 18.2986 Longitude: 76.7725 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2023-04-02 03:11Please 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.

The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Margaritifer Terra near Margaritifer 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 Margaritifer Terra near Margaritifer Chaos.Orbit Number: 8178 Latitude: -9.75044 Longitude: 338.017 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-10-18 17:39Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows an infrared image of Kaiser Crater and the dune field on the crater floor.

Context image This is an infrared image of Kaiser Crater and the dune field on the crater floor. Brighter tones in the image are warmer surfaces. The basaltic dunes are dark in the visible, but bright in infrared.Orbit Number: 66814 Latitude: -47.0992 Longitude: 19.782 Instrument: IR Captured: 2017-01-05 08:54Please 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 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows sand dunes located near the north polar cap. It is springtime and the dunes will darken with time as the winter frost sublimates in the sun.

Context imageThe sand dunes in this VIS image are located near the north polar cap. It is springtime and the dunes will darken with time as the winter frost sublimates in the sun.Orbit Number: 52488 Latitude: 81.0121 Longitude: 190.215 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-10-13 19:18Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a complexly-cracked and eroded plain in the south polar region of Mars.

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-551, 21 November 2003This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows a complexly-cracked and eroded plain in the south polar region of Mars. This image was acquired just a few weeks ago, in late October 2003; as such, the processes that formed the nearly regular pattern of squiggly troughs and cracks are presently unknown. The image is located near 85.0°S, 100.8°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The picture is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows many individual dunes located in Kaiser Crater.

Context imageThis VIS image is located in Kaiser Crater and shows many individual dunes. This sand dune field is one of several regions of sand dunes located on the southern part of the crater floor. The crater floor is visible between the dunes, indicating that there is a limited sand supply creating the dunes. These dunes are composed of basaltic sand that has collected in the bottom of the crater. The topographic depression of the crater forms a sand trap that prevents the sand from escaping. Dune fields are common in the bottoms of craters on Mars and appear as dark splotches that often lean up against the downwind walls of the craters. Dunes are useful for studying both the geology and meteorology of Mars. The sand forms by erosion of larger rocks, but it is unclear when and where this erosion took place on Mars or how such large volumes of sand could be formed. Local winds continue to move the sand dunes across the crater floor. There are two sides to a dune, the low angle slope of the windward face and the high angle slope of the leeward side. The steep side is called the slip face. Wind blows sand grains up the low angle slope of the dunes which then "fall down" the slip face. In this way the whole dune moves towards the slip face. The winds blow from the windward to the leeward side of the dunes. In this image the slip faces are on the left side of the dune, so the dunes are slowly moving to the left side of this image. Kaiser Crater is 207km in diameter (129 miles) and is located in Noachis Terra west of Hellas Planitia.Orbit Number: 92016 Latitude: -46.8341 Longitude: 19.8564 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2022-09-11 21:26Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows where a meteor which impacted Mars close together causing three craters to be created simultaneously.

Context image for PIA10329Triplet CraterIt is not uncommon for multiple pieces of a meteor to impact Mars close together at the same time. When this happens, the craters that are formed overlap and the force of the impacts results in a linear wall separating the side-by-side form-at-the-same-time craters. This image shows where three craters were created simultaneously.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -10.1N, Longitude 100.3E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows clouds close enough to the martian surface to be affected by this crater.

Context image for PIA10810Crater CloudsNorthern springtime means clouds. These clouds are close enough to the surface to be affected by this crater.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 74.4N, Longitude 290.0E. 20 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows blocky remnants of a material that was once more laterally extensive on the floor of an impact crater located NW of Herschel Crater. Large ripples of windblown sediment have accumulated around and between the blocks.

5 June 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows blocky remnants of a material that was once more laterally extensive on the floor of an impact crater located northwest of Herschel Crater on Mars. Large ripples of windblown sediment have accumulated around and between the blocks.Location near: 8.6°S, 236.3°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: upper left Season: Southern Summer

This image acquired on March 18, 2020 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows two different targets at once, a geologically-young crater and a small even younger one.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image caught two different targets at once! In the top (northern) part there is a geologically-young crater about 300 meters in diameter, with rocky ejecta. The crater looks very fresh and steep and is not buried or filled in with the smooth deposits that cover the region. Craters like this tell us what is in the shallow subsurface and are very valuable for understanding the geology.In the bottom (southern) part is a smaller crater, only about 15 meters across. This one is even younger, having formed between 2008 and 2010, when it was detected by MRO's Context Camera. The smaller crater exposed subsurface ice, and HiRISE has been re-imaging it to see how it changes as the ice slowly sublimates away. Compare this image to ESP_017926_2310 to see what has happened in the last decade! The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 30.3 centimeters [11.9 inches] per pixel [with 1 x 1 binning]; objects on the order of 91 centimeters [35.8 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 from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a cross sectional view of the ice layers in the north polar region of Mars. Ice/frost will appear as bright blue in color; dust mantled ice will appear in tones of red/orange.

The theme for the weeks of 1/17 and 1/24 is the north polar region of Mars as seen in false color THEMIS images. Ice/frost will typically appear as bright blue in color; dust mantled ice will appear in tones of red/orange. This image of shows a cross sectional view of the ice layers. Note the subtle peach banding on the left side of the image. The time variation that the bands represent is not yet understood.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 83.5, Longitude 118.2 East (241.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows lava channels and collapse features on the southwestern flank of Ascraeus Mons.

Context imageThis VIS image shows lava channels and collapse features on the southwestern flank of Ascraeus Mons.Orbit Number: 38828 Latitude: 6.68599 Longitude: 254.036 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2010-09-15 10:43Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Like many of the craters in the Oxia Palus region of Mars, Trouvelot Crater, shown in this NASA Mars Odyssey image, hosts an eroded, light-toned, sedimentary deposit on its floor.

Like many of the craters in the Oxia Palus region of Mars, Trouvelot Crater hosts an eroded, light-toned, sedimentary deposit on its floor. Compared with the much larger example in Becquerel Crater to the NE, the Trouvelot deposit has been so eroded by the scouring action of dark, wind-blown sand that very little of it remains. Tiny outliers of bright material separated from the main mass attest to the once, more really extensive coverage by the deposit. A similar observation can be made for White Rock, the best known example of a bright, crater interior deposit. The origin of the sediments in these deposits remains enigmatic but they are likely the result of fallout from ash or dust carried by the thin martian atmosphere.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 true-color image taken on Nov. 22, 2006 by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a promontory called Cape Verde in Victoria Crater on Mars and the crater's deeply scalloped rim.

As part of its investigation of "Victoria Crater," NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity examined a promontory called "Cape Verde" from the vantage point of "Cape St. Mary," the next promontory clockwise around the crater's deeply scalloped rim. This view of Cape Verde combines several exposures taken by the rover's panoramic camera into an approximately true-color mosaic. The exposures were taken during late-morning lighting conditions.The upper portion of the crater wall contains a jumble of material tossed outward by the impact that excavated the crater. This vertical cross-section through the blanket of ejected material surrounding the crater was exposed by erosion that expanded the crater outward from its original diameter, according to scientists' interpretation of the observations. Below the jumbled material in the upper part of the wall are layers that survive relatively intact from before the crater-causing impact.The images combined into this mosaic were taken during the 1,006th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's Mars-surface mission (Nov. 22, 2006). The panoramic camera took them through the camera's 750-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 430-nanometer filters.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a channel called Hypansis Vallis on Mars.

Context image for PIA10150Hypansis VallisThe channel in this VIS image is called Hypansis Vallis.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 9.9N, Longitude 314.1E. 18 meter/pixel resolution.Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Bright Soil Churned by Spirit's Sol 1861 Drive

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit drove 22.7 meters (74 feet) toward the southwest on the 1,861st Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on Mars (March 28, 2009). After the drive, the rover took this image with its front hazard-avoidance camera, looking back at the tracks from the drive. As usual since losing the use of its right-front wheel in 2006, Spirit drove backwards. The immobile right-front wheel churned up a long stripe of bright soil during this drive. Where Spirit has found such bright soil in the past, subsequent analysis of the composition found concentrations of sulfur or silica that testified to past action of water at the site. When members of the rover team saw the large quantity of bright soil exposed by the Sol 1861 drive, they quickly laid plans to investigate the composition with Spirit's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.The Sol 1861 drive took the rover past the northwest corner of the low plateau called "Home Plate," making progress on a route around the western side of Home Plate. The edge of Home Plate forms the horizon on the right side of this image. Husband Hill is on the horizon on the left side. For scale, the parallel rover wheel tracks are about 1 meter (40 inches) apart. The rover's hazard-avoidance cameras take "fisheye" wide-angle images.

The windstreaks in this image captured by NASA's Mars Odyssey are located on the plains of southern Syrtis Major Planum.

Context imageThe windstreaks in today's VIS image are located on the plains of southern Syrtis Major Planum.Orbit Number: 41094 Latitude: -0.963934 Longitude: 70.0827 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2011-03-20 22:45Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image acquired on May 30, 2018 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows inverted channels within a fan whose origin could be either fluvial or alluvial.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image was acquired on May 30, 2018 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This image shows inverted channels within a fan whose origin could be either fluvial (produced by the action of a stream) or alluvial (created by sedimentary deposits).If the fan is alluvial, then it formed on dry land. If the fan is fluvial, then it could have formed in water, like a delta. Similar fans with inverted channels are found in Eberswalde and Jezero craters, both of which are interpreted as deltas and are considered candidate locations of future rover landing sites.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 29.0 centimeters (11.4 inches) per pixel (with 1 x 1 binning); objects on the order of 87 centimeters (34.3 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.This is a stereo pair with ESP_055360_1520.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

This view from NASA's rover Opportunity, of an American flag on metal recovered from the site of the World Trade Center towers shortly after their destruction, was taken on Mars on Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the towers.

This view of an American flag on metal recovered from the site of the World Trade Center towers shortly after their destruction on Sept. 11, 2001, was taken on Mars on Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the towers. The aluminum component bearing the image of the flag serves as the cable guard of a tool on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. Two cameras on Opportunity recorded exposures during the rover's 2,713th Martian day that were combined into this view.The cable guard made of metal from the World Trade Center is on Opportunity's rock abrasion tool, which was built and is operated by Honeybee Robotics, New York.The color portion of the image combines three exposures taken through different filters by Opportunity's panoramic camera to yield approximate true color as the human eye would see it on Mars. The black-and-white portion of the view, providing context, comes from Opportunity's navigation camera.Opportunity completed its three-month prime mission on Mars in April 2004 and has worked for more than seven years since then in bonus extended missions. 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.

Mars digital-image mosaic merged with color of the MC-8 quadrangle, Amazonis region of Mars. This image is from NASA's Viking Orbiter 1.

Mars digital-image mosaic merged with color of the MC-8 quadrangle, Amazonis region of Mars. The central part, which is dominated by light-colored, relatively smooth to hummocky plains of Amazonis Planitia, is partly bounded to the east by the western flank of the largest known volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, and its associated aureole deposits. Moderately cratered knobby terrain is west of the plains of Amazonis Planitia. Latitude range 0 to 30 degrees, longitude range 135 to 180 degrees.

This well-preserved impact crater in Tyrrhena Terra, northeast of Hellas Planitia, is approximately 6 kilometers in diameter as seen by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

This well-preserved impact crater in Tyrrhena Terra, northeast of Hellas Planitia, is approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. The interior rims of this crater are lined with debris aprons consisting of material eroded from the alcoves at the top of the crater walls.The resolution of the HiRISE camera is able to see accumulations of meter-scale rocks at the base of the debris aprons. The interior crater floor has exposures of bright-toned material and small aeolian ripples. 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.

Shining on the Martian surface near NASA's Viking 2 spacecraft is the aluminum shroud, or cover, which protected the collector head of the surface sampler instrument during Viking's year-long journey from Earth.

Shining on the Martian surface near the Viking 2 spacecraft is the aluminum shroud, or cover, which protected the collector head of the surface sampler instrument during Viking's year-long journey from Earth. On September 5, two days after Viking 2 landed, the surface sampler was rotated from its parked position atop the spacecraft and pointed downward about 40 degrees. The shroud was then ejected by a set of eight springs positioned around its base. It struck the porous rock at the bottom of the picture, bounced about 20 inches, hit the surface again and bounced another 20 inches. The scar left by the second bounce is faintly visible halfway between the shroud and the rock it struck. The shroud is 12 inches long and 4 1/2 inches in diameter. The large rock just beyond it is about 2 feet long and about a foot thick. At lower right is the support structure of one of the spacecraft s three landing legs.

Sampling Martian Soil

Scientists 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 mosaic of images. 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).

This image of the rock 'Half Dome' was taken by NASA's Sojourner rover's left front camera on Sol 71 (September 14). Pits, linear textures, and pronounced topography on the rock are clearly visible. Sol 1 began on July 4, 1997.

This image of the rock "Half Dome" was taken by the Sojourner rover's left front camera on Sol 71 (September 14). Pits, linear textures, and pronounced topography on the rock are clearly visible.This image and PIA01567 (right eye) make up a stereo pair.Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Photojournal note: Sojourner spent 83 days of a planned seven-day mission exploring the Martian terrain, acquiring images, and taking chemical, atmospheric and other measurements. The final data transmission received from Pathfinder was at 10:23 UTC on September 27, 1997. Although mission managers tried to restore full communications during the following five months, the successful mission was terminated on March 10, 1998.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the Elysium/Mare Cimmerium face of Mars in mid-September 2005.

27 September 2005This picture is a composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global images acquired at Ls 288° during a previous Mars year. This month, Mars looks similar, as Ls 288° occurred in mid-September 2005. The picture shows the Elysium/Mare Cimmerium face of Mars. Over the course of the month, additional faces of Mars as it appears at this time of year are being posted for MOC Picture of the Day. Ls, solar longitude, is a measure of the time of year on Mars. Mars travels 360° around the Sun in 1 Mars year. The year begins at Ls 0°, the start of northern spring and southern autumn.Season: Northern Winter/Southern Summer

This image released on August 27, 2004 from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey shows Scylla Scopulus, an irregular scarp located in the southern highlands of Mars. Scolupus is a lobate of irregular scarp.

Released August 27, 2004The THEMIS Image of the Day will be exploring the nomenclature of Mars for the next three weeks.Scylla ScopulusScolupus: lobate of irregular scarpScylla: The nymph Scylla was turned into a 6-headed monster by the sorceress Circe. As a monster Scylla ate six of Odysseus' crewmen in Homer's Odyssey.Scylla Scopulus is an irregular scarp located in the southern highlands of Mars. The arrows on the daytime IR image are pointing to the scarp where it crosses the image. Scylla Scopulus faces eastward, while Charybdis Scopulus [located to the east of Scylla] faces westward.Nomenclature Fact of the Day: The asteroid Gaspra was named for a spa in the Crimea, so its craters are named for spas worldwide.Image information: IR instrument. Latitude -20.1, Longitude 19 East (341 West). 100 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

The different features of the sand and sand dune field are readily visible in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft of the western floor of Gale Crater.

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. The different features of the sand and sand dune field are readily visible in this image of the western floor of Gale Crater.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.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a fluid-scoured surface in the Hrad Vallis system, located northwest of Elysium Mons on Mars. The fluid is presumed to have been water.

Image shows a fluid-scoured surface in the Hrad Vallis system, located northwest of Elysium Mons. The fluid is presumed to have been water. Image obtained by MOC on July 20, 1998.

This image acquired on June 8, 2022 by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows channels cutting through the ancient rim of Savich Crater.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on image for larger versionThis image covers channels cutting through the ancient rim of Savich Crater, a 188 kilometer-wide depression near the northeastern edge of the much larger Hellas impact basin. The channels were likely eroded by water flowing into Savich Crater long ago.Our image reveals layers of varying brightness and texture exposed along the channels. Individual boulders are visible within the brighter layers (appearing blue-white in this enhanced color view), while redder layers lack distinct boulders.The meter-scale boulders could have been transported by floodwaters, or perhaps could be an even more ancient rock unit broken apart by impacts that these channels subsequently exposed.The map is projected here at a scale of 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) per pixel. (The original image scale is 25.6 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, 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.

Head of Chasma Boreale Near Mars' North Pole

The Martian terrain in this remarkable image is at the head of a large chasm, named Chasma Boreale, which cuts through Mars' north polar layered deposits. These ice-rich layered deposits are about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) thick and 1,000 kilometers (1,600 miles) across, much like the Greenland ice-sheet on Earth. The head of Chasma Boreale ends in a steep icy cliff more than 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) high. The cliff has both light- and dark-toned layers, seen at right in this image. The image was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The internal layers of the ice-sheet are visible in the cliff walls. The dark-toned flat area in the center and left of the image is the floor of this chasm, which contains many craters.Scientists have proposed that Chasma Boreale was formed by a catastrophic flood that began under the ice-sheet and was later widened by wind erosion. However, the large number of craters on the chasm's floor implies that the floor is much older than the ice sheet. These craters should have been removed by the suggested flood; their presence has caused some Mars researchers to instead speculate that no large flood occurred and that Chasma Boreale was not covered with very much ice. In addition to layered ice, there is also some material within the north polar layered deposits that appears to be composed of sand. The dark material near the base of the cliff wall is thought to be aprons of debris being eroded from sand-rich layers. Zooming in on this dark material with HiRISE reveals ripples, which are diagnostic of moving sand.Some bright spots of material visible on the cliff wall were not present in previous years. These are likely patches of water frost. Each year layers of carbon dioxide and water frost coat this terrain before being removed during the summer. The water frost lasts longer, and patches that are shaded by nearby steep topography (such as this one) can persist even into late summer.An unexpected surprise, not visible with previous camera resolutions, is the fragmentation of the exposed surfaces of these icy layers into polygonal blocks. These blocks appear to be breaking away from the layer margins and forming boulder-sized debris, which then rolls down slope (a process called mass-wasting). These boulders are likely to be large blocks of dusty water ice; once separated from the main ice-sheet they can be eroded away by sunlight. More boulder-sized objects are visible out in the floor of the chasm. Polygons are also visible throughout the chasm floor, indicating that water-ice is just below the surface.Image TRA_000845_2645 was taken by the HiRISE camera on Oct. 1, 2006. The complete image is centered at 84.6 degrees latitude, 3.4 degrees east longitude. The range to the target site was 316 kilometers (198 miles). At this distance the image scale is 63 centimeters (25 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning), so objects about 186 centimeters (73 inches) across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 centimeters (20 inches) per pixel. North is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:34 p.m. and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 62.3 degrees, thus the sun was about 27.7 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 114.3 degrees, the season on Mars is northern summer.The full-resolution TIFF file (HiRISE number TRA_000845_2645) can be viewed or downloaded here PIA01926-hi-res.tif; the full-resolution JPEG can be viewed or downloaded here PIA01926-hi-res.jpg. [Photojournal note: due to the large sizes of the high-resolution TIFF and JPEG files, some systems may experience extremely slow downlink time while viewing or downloading these images; some systems may be incapable of handling the download entirely.]

Perched on the northern rim of the enormous Hellas Basin, Terby Crater, imaged by NASA Mars Odyssey, is host to an impressive range of landforms. As is common for many Martian craters, Terby has been filled with layered material, presumably sediments.

Perched on the northern rim of the enormous Hellas Basin, Terby Crater is host to an impressive range of landforms. As is common for many Martian craters, Terby has been filled with layered material, presumably sediments. The process of erosion has exposed some of these layers along with strange, rectilinear ridges. Sinuous channels, collapse pits, and a scoured-looking cap rock are some of the other interesting landforms in Terby. Such a variety of landforms attests to a diversity of rock types and geologic processes in the relatively small area of this THEMIS image.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 color thumbnail image was obtained by NASA's Curiosity rover illustrating the first appearance of the left front wheel of the Curiosity rover after deployment of the suspension system as the vehicle was about to touch down on Mars.

This color thumbnail image was obtained by NASA's Curiosity rover during its descent to the surface on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 PDT). This image was obtained by Curiosity's Mars Descent Imager. It illustrates the first appearance of the left front wheel of the Curiosity rover after deployment of the suspension system as the vehicle was about to touch down on Mars.

This cylindrical-projection mosaic was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 101 (April 15, 2004). It reveals Spirit's view just before a stopping-point dubbed 'Missoula Crater.'

This left eye cylindrical-perspective mosaic was created from navigation camera images that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 101 (April 15, 2004). It reveals Spirit's view just before a stopping-point dubbed "Missoula Crater." The rover is on its way to the "Columbia Hills."See PIA05777 for 3-D view and PIA05779 for right eye view of this left eye cylindrical-perspective mosaic.

In the winter a layer of carbon dioxide ice (dry ice) covers the north polar sand dunes as shown by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. In the spring the sublimation of the ice (going directly from ice to gas) causes a host of uniquely Martian phenomena.

In the winter a layer of carbon dioxide ice (dry ice) covers the north polar sand dunes. In the spring the sublimation of the ice (going directly from ice to gas) causes a host of uniquely Martian phenomena.In this subimage streaks of dark basaltic sand have been carried from below the ice layer to form fan-shaped deposits on top of the seasonal ice. The similarity in the directions of the fans suggests that they formed at the same time, when the wind direction and speed was the same. They often form along the boundary between the dune and the surface below the dunes.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the 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, Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the spacecraft development and integration contractor for the project and built the spacecraft.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover took the images that make up this 360-degree mosaic anaglyph highlighting Spirit's arrival at the base of the Columbia Hills. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Click on the image for 'Columbia Hills' at Last! (3-D) (QTVR)NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took the images that make up this 360-degree mosaic anaglyph with its navigation camera on sol 156 (June 11, 2004). The image, projected at a cylindrical perspective, highlights Spirit's arrival at the base of the Columbia Hills. Since landing at Gusev crater, Spirit has put more than 3.4 kilometers (2.1 miles) on its odometer. Much of this can be attributed to the long drives the rover had to undertake to reach these interesting landforms.See PIA06281 for left eye view and PIA06282 for right eye view of this 3-D cylindrical-perspective projection.

Large impact craters have central hills or mountains, because the tremendous shock waves from the impact first compresses the ground, then causes a rebound when it becomes uncompressed. This image is from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionLarge impact craters have central hills or mountains, because the tremendous shock waves from the impact first compresses the ground, then causes a rebound when it becomes uncompressed. This effectively raises bedrock that was once deeply buried to the surface.Furthermore, some of the most interesting bedrock on Mars is amongst the oldest and deeply buried. Thus, these crater central uplifts act as windows into ancient Mars, and enable us to peer into a time when certain geologic processes were more active than today.The enhanced colors in this image reflect different bedrock compositions. Some of the large blocks are broken up and jumbled by this impact event or were resampled from previous large impacts.This is a stereo pair with ESP_013092_1630.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft captured this image in August 2003, showing a crater named after a Swedish astronomer, Charlier, hosts a dune field that is brightened by a layer of frost on Mars.

Released 11 August 2003A crater named after a Swedish astronomer hosts a dune field that is brightened by a layer of frost. Although the crater is located at high southern latitudes, it is probably too late in the spring season for the dunes to retain the CO2 frost that forms during the southern winter; water ice is a better candidate for the dune frost.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -68.1, Longitude 190.4 East (169.6 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This anaglyph from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, shows Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System. Constructed of lava flows, many aspects of this titanic volcano remain puzzling. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Click on image for larger versionOlympus Mons is the largest volcano in the Solar System. While it is known that it was constructed of lava flows, many aspects of this titanic volcano remain puzzling.For example, the base of the volcano is marked by a steep scarp (cliff) that is up to 8000 meters (26,000 feet) tall. One idea is that the volcano is so large that it is falling apart under its own weight, such that the outer edges are collapsing in massive landslides. By combining two HiRISE observations (PSP_001432_2015 and PSP_001630_2015), we can see an approximately 6 km (3.7 mile) wide portion of this scarp in three dimensions. The topography can be seen in this anaglyph by using red-blue glasses. The rugged topography at the edge of the scarp, with kilometer-scale pieces of the volcano pushed up or pulled apart, fits the idea that the lower part of Olympus Mons is riddled with faults. However, this data covers only about 0.3% of the scarp, so more images will need to be studied to understand how Olympus Mons is gradually being destroyed.Observation GeometryImage PSP_001630_2015 was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on 01-Dec-2006. The complete image is centered at 21.5 degrees latitude, 222.4 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 289.6 km (181.0 miles). At this distance the image scale is 29.0 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~87 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 03:35 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 52 degrees, thus the sun was about 38 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 143.7 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 computer-generated view depicts part of Mars at the boundary between darkness and daylight, with an area including Gale Crater beginning to catch morning light. NASA has selected Gale as the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

This computer-generated view depicts part of Mars at the boundary between darkness and daylight, with an area including Gale Crater beginning to catch morning light.Gale Crater looms in the distance, distinguished from adjacent craters by its central mountain of strata. Gale Crater straddles the dichotomy boundary of Mars, which separates the broad, flat, and young northern plains from the much older and rougher southern highlands. There is evidence that water may have flowed across this topographic boundary, from highland to lowland, perhaps pooling locally within Gale Crater and forming the lowermost strata that fill the crater.Northward is to the left. Gale is the crater with a mound inside it near the center of the image. NASA has selected Gale as the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The mission's rover will be placed on the ground in a northern portion of Gale crater in August 2012. Gale crater is 96 miles (154 kilometers) in diameter and holds a layered mountain rising about 3 miles (5 kilometers) above the crater floor. The intended landing site is at 4.5 degrees south latitude, 137.4 degrees east longitude.This view was created using three-dimensional information from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, which flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. The vertical dimension is not exaggerated. Color information is based on general Mars color characteristics. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter was operated by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, managed the Mars Global Surveyor and now manages the Mars Science Laboratory for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of a field of dark sand dunes on the floor of an unnamed crater in western Arabia Terra on Mars. Dominant winds are responsible for the movement of sand.

27 January 2004This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of a field of dark sand dunes on the floor of an unnamed crater in western Arabia Terra near 7.3°N, 353.4°W. The dominant winds responsible for the movement of sand through this system blows almost directly north to south (top to bottom). The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.

NASA's Viking Orbiter 1 captured the sun rising over Noctis Labyrinthus (the labyrinth of the night), bright clouds of water ice can be observed in and around the tributary canyons of this high plateau region of Mars.

As the sun rises over Noctis Labyrinthus (the labyrinth of the night), bright clouds of water ice can be observed in and around the tributary canyons of this high plateau region of Mars. This color composite image, reconstructed through violet, green, and orange filters, vividly shows the distribution of clouds against the rust colored background of this Martian desert.The picture was reconstructed by JPL's Image Processing Laboratory using in-flight calibration data to correct the color balance.Scientists have puzzled why the clouds cling to the canyon areas and, only in certain areas, spill over onto the plateau surface. One possibility is that water which condensed during the previous afternoon in shaded eastern facing slopes of the canyon floor is vaporized as the early morning sun falls on those same slopes. The area covered is about 10,000 square kilometers (4000 square miles), centered at 9 degrees South, 95 degrees West, and the large partial crater at lower right is Oudemans. The picture was taken on Viking Orbiter 1's 40th orbit.

Martian terrain is seen in this 3-D image taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

This image shows the martian terrain in 3-D. The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured the image with its two high-resolution stereo panoramic cameras.

This NASA Mars Global Surveyor image shows a portion of the floor and wall of a trough in the Acheron Fossae region of Mars. Mass movements of dry dust have created the dark slope streaks on the wall of the trough.

12 May 2006This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the floor and wall of a trough in the Acheron Fossae region of Mars. Mass movements of dry dust, which appears to mantle much of the scene, have created the dark slope streaks on the wall of the trough.Location near: 37.5°N, 131.0°W Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Northern Winter

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows vast layered rock in eastern Arabia Terra on Mars within which are interbedded filled and buried craters and valleys.

26 August 2004Eastern Arabia Terra shares many attributes with western Arabia and Sinus Meridiani. In particular, it is a region of vast layered rock within which are interbedded filled and buried craters and valleys. Erosion has subsequently re-exposed many of these landforms, including the exhumed and eroded crater shown in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image. Following the period in which erosion occurred, the region was blanketed by dust. This image is located near 22.5°N, 318.4°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left/lower left.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows

16 May 2004This full-resolution (1.5 m/pixel; 5 ft/pixel) Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows gullies on a crater wall in northern Noachis Terra. The gullies might have formed by the seepage of martian groundwater or melting of ice. However, the Mars science community is still studying this topic and no consensus has yet emerged as to whether such gullies could have formed without water. These gullies are located near 32.1°S, 12.9°W. The 300 meter scale bar also equals 328 yards (984 feet). The picture is illuminated by sunlight from the left/upper left.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows several unnamed channels located in Margaritifer Terra.

Context imageThis VIS image shows several unnamed channels. These channels are dissecting the northern rim of a large, unnamed, ancient impact structure. These features are located in Margaritifer Terra.Orbit Number: 85953 Latitude: -14.3851 Longitude: 329.215 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-04-30 16:11Please 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.

Proposed MSL Site in East Meridiani

Click on image for larger versionThis HiRISE image (PSP_003326_1800) of proposed landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) in East Meridiani.Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 4 April 2007Local Mars time: 3:33 PMDegrees latitude (centered): 0.0°Degrees longitude (East): 3.6°Range to target site: 273.6 km (171.0 miles)Original image scale range: 27.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~82 cm across are resolvedMap-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is upMap-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAREmission angle: 9.4°Phase angle: 64.0°Solar incidence angle: 55°, with the Sun about 35° above the horizonSolar longitude: 217.8 °, Northern AutumnNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo.

Daisy in Full Bloom on

This image from NASA_x0092_s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a daisy pattern created by the rover's rock abrasion tool on a rock dubbed "Mazatzal." The pattern was made as the rover brushed dust away from a large enough area of the surface of the wind-scalloped, volcanic rock to match the field of view of the rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer. As Spirit ground into the surface with the diamond cutting teeth of the rock abrasion tool, a mineral-filled fracture in the rock suggested the possible presence of past water. The circles cut by the tool are about 5 centimeters (2 inches) in diameter.Spirit acquired this image on Sol 86 (March 31, 2004) with the panoramic camera_x0092_s 753-nanometer, 535-nanometer, and 432-nanometer filters. The image is presented here in false color that is used to bring out subtle color differences.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows linear depressions that are part of Nili Fossae. Nili Fossae is a collection of curved faults and down-dropped blocks of crust between the faults.

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. The linear depressions in today's false color image are part of Nili Fossae. Nili Fossae is a collection of curved faults and down-dropped blocks of crust between the faults. The "fossae," or graben, lie northeast of the large volcano Syrtis Major and northwest of the ancient impact basin Isidis Planitia. The troughs, which can be almost 500 meters (1,600 feet) deep , make concentric curves that follow the outline of Isidis Planitia. The graben likely formed as the crust sagged under the weight of lava flows filling the Isidis Planitia impact basin.The THEMIS VIS camera is capable of capturing color images of the Martian surface using five different color filters. In this mode of operation, the spatial resolution and coverage of the image must be reduced to accommodate the additional data volume produced from using multiple filters. To make a color image, three of the five filter images (each in grayscale) are selected. Each is contrast enhanced and then converted to a red, green, or blue intensity image. These three images are then combined to produce a full color, single image. Because the THEMIS color filters don't span the full range of colors seen by the human eye, a color THEMIS image does not represent true color. Also, because each single-filter image is contrast enhanced before inclusion in the three-color image, the apparent color variation of the scene is exaggerated. Nevertheless, the color variation that does appear is representative of some change in color, however subtle, in the actual scene. Note that the long edges of THEMIS color images typically contain color artifacts that do not represent surface variation.Orbit Number: 88158 Latitude: 20.507 Longitude: 72.6076 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-10-29 05:43Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria.

Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the rim of an unnamed crater in Terra Cimmeria. A group of channels dissect the rim near to upper left of the image. These channels are called gullies due to being on a steep slope rather than a flat river plain. With careful examination, it is possible to see a boundary layer between the upper incised gully and a lower deposition region. The boundary marks a change in slope, the steep upper portion supports fast moving fluid that carves into the rim eroding materials. The change to a flatter slope causes the fluid to slow down and as it slows the materials carried by the fluid a deposited.Orbit Number: 75452 Latitude: -47.6995 Longitude: 170.871 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2018-12-17 23:46Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This pair of images shows a 'bite mark' where NASA's Curiosity rover scooped up some Martian soil (left), and the scoop carrying soil.

Annotated ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis pair of images shows a "bite mark" where NASA's Curiosity rover scooped up some Martian soil (left), and the scoop carrying soil. The first scoop sample was taken from the "Rocknest" patch of dust and sand on Oct. 7, 2012, the 61st sol, or Martian day, of operations. A third scoop sample was collected on Oct. 15, or Sol 69, and deposited into the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument on Oct. 17, or Sol 71.These images were taken by Curiosity's Mast Camera. Scientists enhanced the color in this version to show the Martian scene as it would appear under lighting conditions on Earth, which helps in analyzing the terrain. JPL manages the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.For more about NASA's Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl, http://www.nasa.gov/mars, and http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl.

NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is shown with one set of oven doors open and dirt from a sample delivery. A portion of the dirt sample entered the oven via a screen for analysis.

The Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer (TEGA) instrument aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is shown with one set of oven doors open and dirt from a sample delivery. After the "seventh shake" of TEGA, a portion of the dirt sample entered the oven via a screen for analysis. This image was taken by the Robotic Arm Camera on Sol 18 (June 13, 2008), or 18th Martian day of the mission.The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA_x0092_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.

The workings of the Martian winds are visible in this image of sand dunes trapped inside an unnamed crater in southern Terra Cimmeria captured by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThe workings of the Martian winds are visible in this image of sand dunes trapped inside an unnamed crater in southern Terra Cimmeria.Many of the craters in the Southern highlands of Mars contain sand dunes, and HiRISE is still in the process of mapping these dunes and determining how active they are today. So far, the dunes in these craters appear to be a mixed bunch, with some dunes actively advancing while others seem to be frozen in place. This image will be compared to a previous picture, to see how these dunes have changed since 2008.The sand dunes are the large, branched ridges and dark patches that are conspicuous against the bright background, particularly in the northwest corner of our picture. There are also signs of two other wind-related processes: smaller, brighter ridges line the floor of the crater in regularly spaced rows. These are also windblown deposits, mysterious "transverse aeolian ridges"_x009d_ or TARs that are more common in the Martian tropics. Faint, irregular dark lines cross the dunes and the TARs, marking the tracks of dust devils that vacuum the surface during southern summer. So, which came first? We can untangle the history of these processes by looking at the picture more closely.Over most of the image, it is obvious that the dark sand dunes bury the bright TARs, meaning that the sand dunes are younger than the TARs. But this relationship is not so clear for the southernmost dune we see in this picture. Here, the TARs look like they extend into the dune and merge with ripples on the dune's surface, suggesting that the TARs might be younger than the dunes. The question can be resolved by carefully examining an enhanced color cutout. The TARs are brighter and redder than the sand dunes and this color persists on the crests of the TARs as the sand encroaches, burying the valleys first and then the slopes and finally the TAR crests. This tells us that the unusual appearance of the dune margin is caused by burial and exposure of the older TARs by the younger sand. Finally, you can trace the tracks of dust devils crossing over the dunes, telling us that they are younger than the dunes.So, first came the TARs, next the dunes, and last the dust devils -- probably within the last few months!The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows most of the floor of an unnamed crater in southern Arabia Terra.

Context imageThis false color image shows most of the floor of an unnamed crater in southern Arabia Terra. The wide variety of colors indicates a complex geologic history. Dark blue in this false color combination is typically basaltic sand. It appears that in addition to small sand dunes a scattering of sand also covers part of the crater floor.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: 64320 Latitude: 5.45723 Longitude: 356.407 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2016-06-13 22:19Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This hill in the South Polar layered deposits has influenced the erosion of the icy layers as seen by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Map Projected Browse ImageClick on the image for larger versionThis hill in the South Polar layered deposits has influenced the erosion of the icy layers as seen by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The hill protects the layers from erosion, so the pattern of erosion to the sides of the hill forms a beautiful spiral pattern.The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 49.7 centimeters (19.6 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 149 centimeters (58.6 inches) across are resolved.] North is up.The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates HiRISE, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.

NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a portion of the famous 'White Rock' feature in Pollack Crater in the Sinus Sabaeus region of Mars. Dark materials in this image include sand dunes and large ripples.

14 November 2005This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the famous "White Rock" feature in Pollack Crater in the Sinus Sabaeus region of Mars. The light-toned rock is not really white, but its light tone caught the eye of Mars geologists as far back as 1972, when it was first spotted in images acquired by Mariner 9. The light-toned materials are probably the remains of a suite of layered sediments that once spread completely across the interior of Pollack Crater. Dark materials in this image include sand dunes and large ripples.Location near: 8.1°S, 335.1°W Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) Illumination from: lower left Season: Southern Summer

This image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a small portion of Daedalia Planun, the result of vast eruptions of Arsia Mons.

Context imageToday's image shows a small portion of Daedalia Planun, the result of vast eruptions of Arsia Mons.Orbit Number: 48303 Latitude: -21.0458 Longitude: 241.063 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-11-03 08:34Please 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 'Bonanza King' rock on Mars, pictured here, was tapped by the drill belonging to NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. The tapping resulted in sand piling up on the rock after drilling, showing the rock was not firmly in place.

The "Bonanza King" rock on Mars, pictured here, was tapped by the drill belonging to NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. The tapping resulted in sand piling up on the rock after drilling, showing the rock was not firmly in place. Because of the loose rock, the drill hole was not completed. Vibrations from the drilling cleaned off some of the rock veins, revealing a lighter color. The tailings from the incomplete drill hole are actually a gray-green color.This image was taken by the rover's Mast Camera (Mastcam). It has been white-balanced to show how the scene would appear under Earth's lighting conditions.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, built and operates the rover's Mastcam.More information about Curiosity is online at http://www.nasa.gov/msl and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/.

Air bags are installed on the lander on Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1).

May 10, 2003Prelaunch at Kennedy Space CenterOn Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1), air bags are installed on the lander. The airbags will inflate to cushion the landing of the spacecraft on the surface of Mars. When it stops bouncing and rolling, the airbags will deflate and retract, the petals will open to bring the lander to an upright position, and the rover will be exposed. NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-1 is scheduled to launch June 25 as MER-B aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Daedalia Planum is comprised of enormous amounts of lava flows, the majority of which appear to be related to Arsia Mons. In this image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, multiple overlapping flows are evident.

Context imageDaedalia Planum is comprised of enormous amounts of lava flows, the majority of which appear to be related to Arsia Mons. In today's VIS image, multiple overlapping flows are evident.Orbit Number: 45644 Latitude: -21.422 Longitude: 237.851 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2012-03-29 12:05Please 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.

Hills abound in this portion of Mars imaged by NASA's Mars Odyssey that shows the Vastitas Borealis region of the high northern plains. These hills are part of Scandia Colles.

Hills abound in this portion of Mars located in the Vastitas Borealis region of the high northern plains. These hills are part of Scandia Colles. Note that some of the hills have aprons surrounding them. The northern part of Milankovic crater is visible in the lower portion of this image.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This picture (centered at latitude 10 degrees S., longitude 74 degrees W.) shows much of Mars' Melas Chasm and a portion of Candor Chasm (upper right) in central Valles Marineris as seen by NASA's Viking Orbiter 2.

This picture (centered at latitude 10 degrees S., longitude 74 degrees W.) shows much of Melas Chasm and a portion of Candor Chasm (upper right) in central Valles Marineris. Several interesting compositional units can be seen in the image: white materials (center-right) may consist of carbonates or some other evaporite deposit, pinkish materials (upper right) may be relatively rich in crystalline iron oxides, and greenish materials (lower left) correspond to dark sand dunes. Viking Orbiter Picture Numbers 279B41 (violet), 279B49 (green), and 279B51 (red) at 257 m/pixel resolution. Picture width is 261 km. North is 50 degrees clockwise from top.

The THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. This image from NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows part of Capri Mensa and Capri Chasma.

Context imageThe THEMIS VIS camera contains 5 filters. The data from different filters can be combined in multiple ways to create a false color image. These false color images may reveal subtle variations of the surface not easily identified in a single band image. Today's false color image shows part of Capri Mensa (bottom of image) and Capri Chasma (top of image).Orbit Number: 8466 Latitude: -13.3596 Longitude: 312.469 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2003-11-11 10:33Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Using the JMars targeting software, eighth grade students from Charleston Middle School in Charleston, IL, selected the location of -8.37N and 276.66E for capture by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft in its sixth orbit of Mars on Nov. 22, 2005.

Context image for PIA03648Ascraeus MonsAfter examining numerous THEMIS images and using the JMars targeting software, eighth grade students from Charleston Middle School in Charleston, IL, selected the location of -8.37N and 276.66E for capture by the THEMIS visible camera during Mars Odyssey's sixth orbit of Mars on Nov. 22, 2005. The students are investigating relationships between channels, craters, and basins on Mars. The Charleston Middle School students participated in the Mars Student Imaging Project (MSIP) and submitted a proposal to use the THEMIS visible camera.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 8.8S, Longitude 279.6E. 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.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows a small section of Reull Vallis on Mars.

Context imageCredit: NASA/JPL/MOLAThis VIS image shows a small section of Reull Vallis.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -41.2N, Longitude 106.6E. 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.

During the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission, pristine samples of Mars rock and regolith will be collected and sealed inside collection tubes for later retrieval by the Sample Retrieval Lander mission in the late 2020s.

During the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission, pristine samples of Mars rock and regolith (broken rock and dust) will be collected and sealed inside collection tubes. At strategic locations during the rover's drive, these tubes will be deposited onto the Martian surface to create collection points, or "depots." This marks the first phase of the Mars Sample Return campaign, which will be followed by the Sample Retrieval Lander mission in the late 2020s.Tasked with collecting these containers for their eventual return to Earth, the Sample Retrieval Lander will be the first Mars mission to land at a specific location already scouted out from the surface. As such, to enable such a precise landing close to one of these depots, the lander will carry enough fuel make a propulsive divert maneuver (powered by its rocket thrusters) after being slowed down sufficiently by its parachute on entering the Martian atmosphere.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows Granicus Vallis, which is located northwest of the Elysium volcanic complex and may owe its origin to the interaction of volcanic heating and subsurface ground ice.

Granicus Vallis, located northwest of the Elysium volcanic complex, may owe its origin to the interaction of volcanic heating and subsurface ground ice. One of the most interesting features seen in this image are the quasi-dendritic depressions, best seen in the upper third of the image. These may be drainage systems formed by the melting of the local permafrost table. Granicus is the ancient name for a river in Turkey.Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 31.7, Longitude 125.4 East (234.6 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.

This image from NASA's Mars Odyssey shows part of the floor of Ganges Chasma. Deposits of fine surface materials and bright layered deposits are visible in this image.

Context imageThis VIS image shows part of the floor of Ganges Chasma. Deposits of fine surface materials and bright layered deposits are visible in this image. Ganges Chasma is part of the Valles Marineris chasma system, but is north of the main section of canyons.Orbit Number: 82734 Latitude: -7.8794 Longitude: 311.753 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2020-08-08 15:10Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a cleaned off portion of the rock dubbed Adirondack. In preparation for grinding into the rock, Spirit wiped off a fine coat of dust with a brush located on its rock abrasion tool.

This image taken by the panoramic camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a cleaned off portion of the rock dubbed Adirondack. In preparation for grinding into the rock, Spirit wiped off a fine coat of dust with a brush located on its rock abrasion tool. Scientists plan to analyze the newly-exposed patch of rock with the rover's suite of science instruments, both before and after the top layer is removed.

This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows spidery channels eroded into Martian ground. This terrain type, called spiders or 'araneiform' (from the Latin word for spiders), appears in some areas of far-southern Mars.

This image shows spidery channels eroded into Martian ground. It is an example from high-resolution observation of more than 20 places that were chosen in 2016 on the basis of about 10,000 volunteers' examination of lower-resolution images of larger areas near Mars' south pole.These sharper looks use the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The volunteers, through the Planet Four: Terrains website, categorize surface features in images from the same orbiter's Context Camera (CTX).This image is a portion of HiRISE observation ESP_047487_1005, taken on Sept. 12, 2016, of a site at 79.4 degrees south latitude, 18.8 degrees east longitude. The ground area shown is about half a mile (0.8 kilometer) wide.This terrain type, called spiders or "araneiform" (from the Latin word for spiders), appears in some areas of far-southern Mars that are covered by sheets of frozen carbon dioxide ("dry ice") during the winter. When the slab ice thaws from the underneath side in the spring, carbon dioxide gas trapped beneath the ice builds pressure until it rushes toward a fissure or vent where it bursts out. The venting gas carries dust and sand that it picks up as it carves these channels. At this location, the spiders are surrounded by ground called "basketball terrain" because of its texture.HiRISE and CTX are two of six instruments on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which began examining Mars in 2006. 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. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the orbiter and collaborates with JPL to operate it.

The lava flows in this image captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft are located of the eastern margin of the Tharsis Volcanic complex.

Context imageThe lava flows in this VIS image are located of the eastern margin of the Tharsis Volcanic complex.Orbit Number: 52709 Latitude: 3.26702 Longitude: 272.733 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2013-11-01 00:12Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

This image of 'Neopolitan' from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's 'Eagle Crater' soil survey highlights the border between two different soil types, a lighter, finer-grained unit to the left and a darker, coarser-grained to the right.

Figure 1 (close-up)This panoramic camera image of the soil target whimsically called "Neopolitan" from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's "Eagle Crater" soil survey highlights the border between two different soil types - a lighter, finer-grained unit to the left and a darker, coarser-grained to the right. Scientists are pondering the unusually distinct border between these different soil types. To the lower left and partially hidden by the shadow of the mast is an airbag bounce mark.