Solar system Exploration - Mars - In pictures
March 19,2017 10:02
176 Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. Named after the Roman god of war, it is often referred to as the Red Planet because the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps of Earth.
Mars Near 2016 Oppostion (Annotated)
On the Shape of Impact Craters - This image acquired by the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a roughly 3-kilometer impact crater, formed on the sloping walls of Tithonium Chasma, part of the large Valles Marineris canyon system. The shape of a crater can depend on factors including the angle of impact and the pre-impact slope and topography.
Wind at Work on the Martian Surface - Wind is one of the most active forces shaping Mars' surface in today's climate. The wind has carved the features we call
Contrasting Colors of Crater Dunes and Gullies - Gullies are relatively common features in the steep slopes of crater walls, possibly formed by dry mass movement, movement of carbon dioxide frost, or perhaps the melting of ground ice.
A Dust Devil on Hilly Terrain - There are many dust devils on Mars -- little twisters that raise dust from the surface.
Dunes in Northern Summer - This dune field formed near the base of the North Polar cap.
Bedrock Exhumed from the Deep - Roadside bedrock outcrops are all too familiar for many who have taken a long road trip through mountainous areas on Earth.
Possible Signs of Ancient Drying in Martian Rock - A grid of small polygons on the Martian rock surface near the right edge of this view may have originated as cracks in drying mud more than 3 billion years ago.
Light Toned Deposit in the Aureum Chaos Region on Mars - The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a light-toned deposit in Aureum Chaos, a 368 kilometer (229 mile) wide area in the eastern part of Valles Marineris, on Jan. 15, 2015, at 2:51 p.m. local Mars time.
The Ares 3 Landing Site: Where Science Fact Meets Fiction - This May 2015 image from the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows a location on Mars associated with the best-selling novel and Hollywood movie,
Relative Positions and Sizes for 1995-2007 Mars Oppositions
Curiosity Self-Portrait at Martian Sand Dune - This self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at
Mars Weather-Station Tools on Rover's Mast - The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover includes temperature and humidity sensors mounted on the rover's mast. One of the REMS booms extends to the left from the mast in this view.
Ten Kilometers and Counting, on Mars - NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used its Navigation Camera (Navcam) to capture this scene toward the west just after completing a drive that took the mission's total driving distance on Mars past 10 kilometers (6.214 miles).
Chasma Boreale and North Polar Ice Cap of Mars - Mars has bright polar caps of ice that are easily visible from telescopes on Earth. A seasonal cover of carbon-dioxide ice and snow is observed to advance and retreat over the poles during the Martian year. Scientists using radar data have found a record of the most recent Martian ice age recorded in the north polar ice cap.
Mars Near 2016 Opposition
The Structure of Mars
Map of Mars Gravity
Your Home Planet, as Seen From Mars
Earth and Mars
Solar system Exploration Mars pictures
