Skip Navigation
menu

Images

Artist's concept of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter approaching Mars.

Artist's concept of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter approaching Mars.

February 24, 2006

Artist's concept of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter approaching Mars.

Credits

NASA/JPL-Caltech

ENLARGE

Related

A view from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on April 8, 2015, catches sight of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover passing through a valley called "Artist's Drive" on the lower slope of Mount Sharp.
More
A view from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on April 8, 2015, catches sight of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover passing through a valley called "Artist's Drive" on the lower slope of Mount Sharp.
Mars Orbiter Sees Curiosity Rover in 'Artist's Drive'
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is a close-up of a trough, along with channels draining into the depression. On the floor of the trough is some grooved material typically seen in...
More
Formations in Context (or, what is it?)
Formations in Context (or, what is it?)
Tantalus Fossae are a set of faults on the eastern flank of Alba Mons, one of the great Tharsis Montes volcanoes. Here a fault cuts into this crater, indicating that the fault formed after the crat...
More
Tantalus Fossae are a set of faults on the eastern flank of Alba Mons, one of the great Tharsis Montes volcanoes.
Crater in Tantalus Fossae (3-D)
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter observes many slopes in the middle latitudes of Mars showing icy flows or glaciers. The region shown here, in the south-facing slope of a crater, is unusual becau...
More
Go with the (Bright) Flow
Go with the (Bright) Flow
About 1000 Viking Orbiter red- and violet-filter images have been processed to provide global color coverage of Mars at a scale of 1 km/pixel.
More
About 1000 Viking Orbiter red- and violet-filter images have been processed to provide global color coverage of Mars at a scale of 1 km/pixel.
Global Color Views of Mars
A dramatic, fresh impact crater dominates this image taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Nov. 19, 2013.
More
A dramatic, fresh impact crater dominates this image taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Nov. 19, 2013.
A Spectacular New Martian Impact Crater
The enhanced-color subimage shows a great variety of colors and textures in the bedrock, where it is exposed from beneath a dark fine-grained mantle. The mantle is sometimes modified by the wind in...
More
The enhanced-color subimage shows a great variety of colors and textures in the bedrock
Uplifted Jumble of Ancient Bedrock (3-D)
This map shows the route driven by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover from the location where it landed in August 2012 to its location in September 2016 at "Murray Buttes," and the path planned for reachi...
More
This map shows the route driven by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover from the location where it landed in August 2012 to its location in September 2016 at "Murray Buttes," and the path planned for reaching destinations at "Hematite Unit" and "Clay Unit" on lower Mount Sharp.
Curiosity Destinations for Second Extended Mission
The Electris region of Mars contains some interesting features, such as the raised-relief blocks of material visible in this image.
More
The Electris region of Mars contains some interesting features, such as the raised-relief blocks of material visible in this image.
Remnant of Unconformable Deposit in Electris (3-D)
This terrain is covered by pits and scallops (pits open on one side), perhaps due to collapse after sublimation of subsurface ice.
More
This terrain is covered by pits and scallops (pits open on one side)
Utopia Planitia Scallops, Polygons, and Boulders (3-D)
This set of images shows "before" and "after" images of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
More
This set of images shows "before" and "after" images of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Image from Mars Orbit Indicates Solar Panels on Phoneix Lander may have Collapsed
Diagonal striping on this map of a portion of Mars' Utopia Planitia region indicates the area where a large subsurface deposit rich in water ice was assessed using the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instru...
More
Diagonal striping on this map of a portion of Mars' Utopia Planitia region indicates the area where a large subsurface deposit rich in water ice was assessed using the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The deposit holds about as much water as Lake Superior.
Location of Large Subsurface Water-Ice Deposit in Utopia Planitia, Mars
This observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a sand dune field in the Nili Fossae region of Mars. The dark lines swirling over the surface of the dunes are the tracks of dust devi...
More
This observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a sand dune field in the Nili Fossae region of Mars. The dark lines swirling over the surface of the dunes are the tracks of dust devils.
Dust Devils on Mars
Is frozen carbon dioxide a key to features in some Martian gullies? To find out, scientists grabbed a bag of dry ice and took a road trip.
More
Dry Ice Moves on Mars
Dry Ice Moves on Mars
This image shows an example of layers in the Martian north polar deposits. These deposits, part of the Planum Boreum dome, are composed mainly of water ice and small amounts of dust.
More
This image shows an example of layers in the Martian north polar deposits. These deposits, part of the Planum Boreum dome, are composed mainly of water ice and small amounts of dust. The layers within these deposits are exposed by shallowly-sloping troughs that cut into them. This image is particularly interesting because it crosses complicated trough geometry, making the layers appear curved and exposing multiple stratigraphic levels. Note that layers of different thicknesses are visible. Layer thickness is directly related to the accumulation rate of the layer; a higher accumulation rate will lead to a thicker layer. However, a myriad of factors work together to influence accumulation rate, such as the amount of sunlight reaching the surface and the amount of water in the contemporaneous atmosphere.
Stratigraphy of the North Polar Deposits
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows Aram Chaos, an ancient impact crater that lies within in the Southern Highlands of Mars. Uplifted blocks are composed largely of the iron-ox...
More
This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows Aram Chaos, a 280-kilometer-wide impact crater in the Southern Highlands. Uplifted blocks of hematite and water-altered silicates indicate that this crater once held a lake.
Uplifted Blocks of Light-Toned Layered Deposits
This image features an exhumed crater in Meridiani Planum, an equatorial region where the rover Opportunity has been exploring the Martian surface since January 2004. An exhumed crater is one that ...
More
This image features an exhumed crater in Meridiani Planum, an equatorial region where the rover Opportunity has been exploring the Martian surface since January 2004.
Crater in Meridiani Planum (2.3 N, 356.6 W) [3-D]
Stokes Crater, pictured here, is one of at least nine craters in the northern lowlands of Mars with exposures of hydrated minerals detected from orbit, according to a June 25, 2010, report.
More
Stokes Crater, pictured here, is one of at least nine craters in the northern lowlands of Mars with exposures of hydrated minerals detected from orbit.
Hydrated Minerals Exposed at Stokes, Northern Mars
This image acquired on March 29, 2011 by NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows dunes with ripples on their upwind slopes and dark streaks on their downwind slopes.
More
PIA22869: Active Dunes in Wirtz Crater
Active Dunes in Wirtz Crater
This global map of Mars was acquired on July 31, 2012, by the Mars Color Imager instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
More
This global map of Mars was acquired on July 31, 2012, by the Mars Color Imager instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Mars Weather Map, July 31
This annotated image shows where features seen in an observation by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have been interpreted as hardware from the Dec. 25, 2003, arrival at Mars of the United Kingdo...
More
This annotated image shows where features seen in an observation by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have been interpreted as hardware from the Dec. 25, 2003, arrival at Mars of the United Kingdom's Beagle 2 Lander.
Components of Beagle 2 Flight System on Mars
The Cerberus Fossae are a group of troughs in the Cerberus region of Mars that run roughly parallel to one another. They formed due to extension of the crust in the region. Some of the troughs, suc...
More
The Cerberus Fossae are a group of troughs in the Cerberus region of Mars that run roughly parallel to one another.
Vent in the Cerberus Region (3-D)
The long, sinuous raised ridges on this fan of material are thought to be inverted stream channels. These ridges may have been low-lying streambeds that hardened and then turned into ridges when th...
More
The long, sinuous raised ridges on this fan of material are thought to be inverted stream channels.
Fan in the Aeolis Region (3-D)
Before and after images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter illustrate occurrence of new streaks on the slip face of a dark san...
More
Changes on Dune Slip Face, Nili Patera, Mars
Changes on Dune Slip Face, Nili Patera, Mars
This image acquired on December 8, 2018 by NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows erosion of the surface revealing several shades of light toned layers, likely sedimentary deposits.
More
This image acquired on December 8, 2018 by NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows erosion of the surface revealing several shades of light toned layers, likely sedimentary deposits.
Layered History

You Might Also Like

The agency is asking the NASA community to work together to develop a revised plan that leverages innovation and proven technology.
More
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs
NASA has proven powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds, just as the Wright brothers proved it was possible on Earth.
More
After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
The agency established the board in May 2023 to evaluate the technical, cost, and schedule plans prior to confirmation of the mission’s design.
More
NASA Releases Independent Review's Mars Sample Return Report
NASA Releases Independent Review's Mars Sample Return Report
A pair of quakes in 2021 sent seismic waves deep into the Red Planet’s core, giving scientists the best data yet on its size and composition.
More
NASA InSight Study Provides Clearest Look Ever at Martian Core
NASA InSight Study Provides Clearest Look Ever at Martian Core
Ten sample tubes, capturing an amazing variety of Martian geology, have been deposited on Mars’ surface so they could be studied on Earth in the future.
More
NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot
NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot
Filled with rock, the sample tube will be one of 10 forming a depot of tubes that could be considered for a journey to Earth by the Mars Sample Return campaign.
More
NASA's Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface
NASA's Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface