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Mars Express
title Mars Express
description The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft is depicted in orbit around Mars in this artist's illustration. The spacecraft was launched June 2, 2003, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan and entered Mars orbit in December 2003. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/ESA
Mars Express, 3-D Artist's C …
Title Mars Express, 3-D Artist's Concept
Description The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft is depicted in orbit around Mars in this artist's concept stereo illustration. The spacecraft was launched June 2, 2003, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on a journey to arrive at Mars in December 2003. This red-blue anaglyph artwork can be viewed in 3-D on your computer monitor or in color print form by wearing red-blue(cyan) 3-D glasses. Mars Express is a mission of the European Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., supplied the receiver for the mission's Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding instrument.
Date 10.22.2003
Mars Express, Artist's Conce …
Title Mars Express, Artist's Concept
Description The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft is depicted in orbit around Mars in this artist's concept illustration. The spacecraft was launched June 2, 2003, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on a journey to arrive at Mars in December 2003. Mars Express is a mission of the European Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., supplied the receiver for the mission's Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding instrument.
Date 10.22.2003
Swirling Winds Reflected In …
PIA04895
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Swirling Winds Reflected In Dunes
Original Caption Released with Image Released 1 December 2003 These dark transverse and linear dunes are located in the floor of a crater in the southern highlands. The dunes appear to follow the flow of winds that circle around the crater floor, creating a swirling pattern. Rather than swirling winds, however, the apparent arc may simply be caused by a north to south shift in the relative strengths of two winds that influence these dunes. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -58.1, Longitude 168.8 East (191.2 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.
Swirling Winds Reflected In …
PIA04895
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Swirling Winds Reflected In Dunes
Original Caption Released with Image Released 1 December 2003 These dark transverse and linear dunes are located in the floor of a crater in the southern highlands. The dunes appear to follow the flow of winds that circle around the crater floor, creating a swirling pattern. Rather than swirling winds, however, the apparent arc may simply be caused by a north to south shift in the relative strengths of two winds that influence these dunes. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -58.1, Longitude 168.8 East (191.2 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.
Layer Outcrops and Dunes
PIA04902
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Layer Outcrops and Dunes
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-561, 1 December 2003 This October 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows dark, windblown sand dunes amid outcrops of light-toned, sedimentary rock in a crater in western Arabia Terra. The darkest material in the scene is windblown sand, the steep slopes--the slip faces--of the dunes face toward the southwest (lower left), indicating that wind transport of sand has been from the northeast (upper right). The layered mounds are the remains of sedimentary rock that were once more extensive across this crater floor. The image is located near 8.9°N, 1.2°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Exhuming Crater in Northeast …
PIA04904
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Exhuming Crater in Northeast Arabia
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-563, 3 December 2003 The upper crust of Mars is layered, and interbedded with these layers are old, filled and buried meteor impact craters. In a few places on Mars, such as Arabia Terra, erosion has re-exposed some of the filled and buried craters. This October 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example. The larger circular feature was once a meteor crater. It was filled with sediment, then buried beneath younger rocks. The smaller circular feature is a younger impact crater that formed in the surface above the rocks that buried the large crater. Later, erosion removed all of the material that covered the larger, buried crater, except in the location of the small crater. This pair of martian landforms is located near 17.6°N, 312.8°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the lower left.
Exhumed Crater with Slope
PIA04974
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Exhumed Crater with Slope
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-575, 15 December 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a crater in Arabia Terra that has been exhumed. The picture was acquired less than 1 week ago, on 9 December 2003. The crater was buried beneath layered material, but erosion later brought it back to the surface. A thick blanket of dust mantles the scene, dark streaks have formed as some of this dust slid down the crater walls. Old, dust-covered ripples of windblown sediment occur on the floor of the exhumed crater. The image is located near 20.9°N, 320.7°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Tithonium Chasma's Sedimenta …
PIA04911
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Tithonium Chasma's Sedimentary Rocks
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-565, 5 December 2003 Exposures of light-toned, layered, sedimentary rocks are common in the deep troughs of the Valles Marineris system. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows an example from western Tithonium Chasma. The banding seen here is an eroded expression of layered rock. Sedimentary rocks can be composed of (1) the detritus of older, eroded and weathered rocks, (2) grains produced by explosive volcanism (tephra, also known as volcanic ash), or (3) minerals that were chemically precipitated out of a body of liquid such as water. These outcrops are located near 4.8°S, 89.7°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the lower left.
Devil-Streaked Crater
PIA04903
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Devil-Streaked Crater
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-562, 2 December 2003 This September 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a plethora of dark streaks created during the recent southern spring by dust devils as they passed over and around an old, nearly filled, meteor impact crater. The circular feature is the former crater, the dark dots and specks on its rims are boulders. Dust devils create streaks by removing or disrupting thin coatings of fine, bright, dust on the surface. These are ephemeral features that will disappear before the next spring arrives in 2005. The crater is located near 57.4°S, 234.0°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the upper left.
Polygons near Lyot Crater
PIA04905
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Polygons near Lyot Crater
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-564, 4 December 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows patterned ground, arranged in the form of polygons, on the undulating plains associated with ejecta from the Lyot impact crater on the martian northern plains. This picture was acquired in October 2003 and shows that the polygon margins are ridges with large boulders--shown here as dark dots--on them. On Earth, polygon patterns like this are created in arctic and antarctic regions where there is ice in the ground. The seasonal and longer-term cycles of freezing and thawing of the ice-rich ground cause these features to form over time. Whether the same is true for Mars is unknown. The polygons are located near 54.6°N, 326.6°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the lower left.
Wind-Eroded Terrain near Oly …
PIA04919
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Wind-Eroded Terrain near Olympus Mons
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-569, 9 December 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows wind-eroded material, possibly sedimentary rock, among the ridges of the Lycus Sulci region west of Olympus Mons. The darker surfaces and the dark-toned ripples on those surfaces indicate there may be windblown sand present in these areas. This October 2003 picture is located near 17.8°N, 143.7°W. The image covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the lower left.
Windblown Sand in West Cando …
PIA05014
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Windblown Sand in West Candor
Original Caption Released with Image 23 December 2003 West Candor Chasma, a part of the vast Valles Marineris trough system, is known for its layered sedimentary rock outcrops. It is less known for dark fields of windblown sand, but that is what occurs in the north-central part of the chasm. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image, obtained in December 2003, shows the interplay of dark, wind-blown sand with buttes and mesas of layered rock in west Candor Chasma. Dark streamers of sand point toward the east/southeast (right/lower right), indicating that dominant winds blow from the west. This picture is located near 5.2°S, 75.7°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
A Dynamic Spirit Site
PIA05122
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title A Dynamic Spirit Site
Original Caption Released with Image 5 January 2004 Two Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images acquired before the spectacular January 2004 landing of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER-A), Spirit, show the area where the lander is currently believed to have touched down. The identification of the area shown in the two pictures above is based on the pictures acquired by Spirit's descent imaging system just before landing. The lower picture was obtained by MGS MOC on 22 July 2003, the upper picture was acquired less than a month ago on 10 December 2003. What is exciting about these two pictures is the differences in the patterns of dark, squiggly streaks. These streaks are believed to have been caused by the removal of bright dust by large, passing dust devils. Comparison of the picture from July 2003 with that of December 2003 show that a different dark streak pattern developed over a period of less than 5 months. These two MOC images suggest that the landing site is a dynamic, changing place on the time scale of several months. MGS MOC has never seen a dust devil occur in Gusev Crater [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA0PIA05119 ], the location of the Spirit landing site [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA0PIA05120 ]. MGS always flies over Gusev around 2 p.m. local time, so this means that dust devils are not believed to be common around 2 p.m. However, the changes in the dark streaks suggest that dust devils definitely have occurred in Gusev Crater over the past 5 to 6 months, and they most likely occur earlier than 2 p.m. (perhaps closer to local 1 p.m. or noon). These two MOC images are simple cylindrical map projections (rotated somewhat, note the north arrow, N) at a scale of about 3 meters per pixel (~10 ft/pixel), the 300 meter scale bar is about two-tenths of a mile long. The images are located near 14.7°S, 184.6°W, and are illuminated from the left.
Mars Exploration Rover (MER- …
PIA05120
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Mars Exploration Rover (MER-A) Spirit Landing Site
Original Caption Released with Image January 2004 Excitement builds as the first Mars Exploration Rover (MER-A), Spirit, prepares to land on Mars just after 8:35 p.m. Pacific Standard Time today, 3 January 2004 (04:35, 4 January 2004 UTC). Today's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture is a mosaic of MOC images of the Spirit landing site. The rover is expected to land somewhere within the approximately 83 km (~52 mi) long by ~10 km (~6 mi) wide ellipse on the floor of Gusev Crater [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05119 ]. Clicking on the image above will show a map of the landing site at 25 meters (82 feet) per pixel. MOC has acquired 71 pictures of the landing site over a period spanning 3 Mars years (from July 1999 through December 2003), and more than 85 pictures were acquired within Gusev Crater specifically to support the Mars Exploration Rover landing site selection process. These pictures were acquired not only in different years, but in different seasons, so the illumination angle, overall brightness, and patterns of ephemeral, dark dust devil streaks and wind streaks are different from image to image within the mosaic. In areas where no MOC coverage exists, gaps were filled using images from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) visible imager, a lower-resolution camera built by Malin Space Science Systems and operated by Arizona State University. The Gusev Crater landing ellipse is centered near 14.8°S, 184.8°W. Sunlight illuminates each image in the mosaic from the left (in some cases, upper left, in others, lower left). Spirit will land at about 2 p.m. local time on Mars. At the same time, Mars Global Surveyor will pass over the site and listen for a transmission of Spirit's entry, descent, and landing data. These data will be relayed back to Earth by the MOC. For more information about the Mars Exploration Rovers, visit NASA/JPL's Mars Exploration Program Web site [ http://marsweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ]. For more information about the work that Malin Space Science Systems and MGS MOC are doing in support of the rover missions, see: http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/ ]. For information about how MSSS will use this mosaic of the landing site to help find Spirit after it touches down, see Finding MERs [ http://www.msss.com/mer_mission/finding_mer/ ].
Pavonis Mons
PIA05243
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Pavonis Mons
Original Caption Released with Image 18 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle color composite image, obtained in December 2003, shows the middle of the three Tharsis Montes, Pavonis Mons. This is a broad shield volcano--similar to the volcanoes of Hawaii--located on the martian equator at 113°W. The volcano summit is near 14 km (~8.7 mi) above the martian datum (0 elevation), the central caldera (crater near center of image) is about 45 km (~28 mi.) across and about 4.5 km (~2.8 mi.) deep. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Mars Express, 3-D Artist's C …
PIA04803
Title Mars Express, 3-D Artist's Concept
Original Caption Released with Image The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft is depicted in orbit around Mars in this artist's concept stereo illustration. The spacecraft was launched June 2, 2003, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on a journey to arrive at Mars in December 2003. This red-blue anaglyph artwork can be viewed in 3-D on your computer monitor or in color print form by wearing red-blue(cyan) 3-D glasses. Mars Express is a mission of the European Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., supplied the receiver for the mission's Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding instrument.
Mars Express, Artist's Conce …
PIA04802
Title Mars Express, Artist's Concept
Original Caption Released with Image The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft is depicted in orbit around Mars in this artist's concept illustration. The spacecraft was launched June 2, 2003, from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on a journey to arrive at Mars in December 2003. Mars Express is a mission of the European Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., supplied the receiver for the mission's Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding instrument.
Clouds Near Mie Crater
PIA04930
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Clouds Near Mie Crater
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-572, 12 December 2003 Mie Crater, a large basin formed by asteroid or comet impact in Utopia Planitia, lies at the center of this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) red wide angle image. The crater is approximately 104 km (65 mi) across. To the east and southeast (toward the lower right) of Mie, in this 5 December 2003 view, are clouds of dust and water ice kicked up by local dust storm activity. It is mid-winter in the northern hemisphere of Mars, a time when passing storms are common on the northern plains of the red planet. Sunlight illuminates this image from the lower left, Mie Crater is located at 48.5°N, 220.3°W. Viking 2 landed west/southwest of Mie Crater, off the left edge of this image, in September 1976.
Crater in Marte Vallis
PIA04912
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Crater in Marte Vallis
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-566, 6 December 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a streamlined tail-pointing toward the upper right (northeast)--in the lee of a meteor impact crater in Marte Vallis, a large valley and channel complex southeast and east of the Elysium volcanic region. The fluid that went through Marte Vallis, whether water, mud, lava, or otherwise, created this form as it moved from the lower left (southwest) toward the upper right. The crater is located near 19.0°N, 174.9°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated from the left.
West Arabia Sedimentary Rock …
PIA06977
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title West Arabia Sedimentary Rocks
Original Caption Released with Image 31 October 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows sedimentary rock outcrops within a crater in western Arabia Terra near 8.8°N, 1.3°W. These are eroded from the same rocks as seen in an earlier MOC Picture of the Day from 1 December 2003 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04902 ]. The repeated nature of these layers indicate episodic changes took place in the sedimentary depositional environment. The sediments may have been deposited in an intracrater lake. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left/upper left.
Disappearing Act
PIA04900
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Disappearing Act
Original Caption Released with Image Released 2 December 2003 Just across Ares Vallis from Aram Chaos lies a heavily eroded crater filled by material that is on its way out. This two-frame mosaic of THEMIS VIS images shows the floor of a crater that was filled by material of unknown origin. That material is now being eroded in a manner that is quite enigmatic. Note that the irregular depressions have varying depths across the scene. It appears that the crater fill material begins to erode through the formation of depressions that then deepen over time. Why the depressions form in the first place is a mystery. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 2.4, Longitude 343.6 East (16.4 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.
Disappearing Act
PIA04900
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Disappearing Act
Original Caption Released with Image Released 2 December 2003 Just across Ares Vallis from Aram Chaos lies a heavily eroded crater filled by material that is on its way out. This two-frame mosaic of THEMIS VIS images shows the floor of a crater that was filled by material of unknown origin. That material is now being eroded in a manner that is quite enigmatic. Note that the irregular depressions have varying depths across the scene. It appears that the crater fill material begins to erode through the formation of depressions that then deepen over time. Why the depressions form in the first place is a mystery. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 2.4, Longitude 343.6 East (16.4 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.
Hematite Outlier and Sand Du …
PIA04906
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Hematite Outlier and Sand Dunes
Original Caption Released with Image Released 4 December 2003 This image shows a crater just south of the edge of the famous hematite-bearing surface, which is visible in the context image as a smooth area to the north. The crater has two features of immediate note. The first is a layered mound in the north part of the crater floor. This mound contains hematite, and it is an outlying remnant of the greater deposits to the north that have otherwise completely disappeared in this crater. The second feature is a dune field in the center of the crater floor, with dark dunes indicating winds from the northwest. The dunes grade into a dark sand sheet with no coherent structure, indicating that the sand layer thins out to the south and east. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -4.4, Longitude 357.3 East (2.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Hematite Outlier and Sand Du …
PIA04906
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Hematite Outlier and Sand Dunes
Original Caption Released with Image Released 4 December 2003 This image shows a crater just south of the edge of the famous hematite-bearing surface, which is visible in the context image as a smooth area to the north. The crater has two features of immediate note. The first is a layered mound in the north part of the crater floor. This mound contains hematite, and it is an outlying remnant of the greater deposits to the north that have otherwise completely disappeared in this crater. The second feature is a dune field in the center of the crater floor, with dark dunes indicating winds from the northwest. The dunes grade into a dark sand sheet with no coherent structure, indicating that the sand layer thins out to the south and east. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -4.4, Longitude 357.3 East (2.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Nili Fossae in Color
PIA04901
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Nili Fossae in Color
Original Caption Released with Image Released 3 December 2003 An unusual mix of orange and gray hues are on display in this approximately true color [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04872 ]THEMIS VIS image. Using the pixel-averaging mode of the camera to allow for increased coverage (at lower spatial resolution), the scene spans over 190 km of the region known as Nili Fossae in NE Syrtis Major. Note how the orange hues tend to occur on upland terrain while the gray hues are mostly on the lowlands. This may be due to the action of gray, basaltic sand moving along the lowland terrain and scouring away the oxidized or weathered orange-brown surfaces. Initial image processing and calibration by THEMIS team members J. Bell, T. McConnochie, and D. Savransky at Cornell University, additional processing and final color balance by space artist Don Davis. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 21.4, Longitude 76.6 East (283.4 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.
Nili Fossae in Color
PIA04901
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Nili Fossae in Color
Original Caption Released with Image Released 3 December 2003 An unusual mix of orange and gray hues are on display in this approximately true color [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04872 ]THEMIS VIS image. Using the pixel-averaging mode of the camera to allow for increased coverage (at lower spatial resolution), the scene spans over 190 km of the region known as Nili Fossae in NE Syrtis Major. Note how the orange hues tend to occur on upland terrain while the gray hues are mostly on the lowlands. This may be due to the action of gray, basaltic sand moving along the lowland terrain and scouring away the oxidized or weathered orange-brown surfaces. Initial image processing and calibration by THEMIS team members J. Bell, T. McConnochie, and D. Savransky at Cornell University, additional processing and final color balance by space artist Don Davis. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 21.4, Longitude 76.6 East (283.4 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.
Dust in the Wind
PIA05010
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Spectromete …
Title Dust in the Wind
Original Caption Released with Image This plot shows the estimated change in dust levels from December 2003 to early January 2004 at Gusev Crater (red curve) and Meridiani Planum (black curve), the two Mars Exploration Rover landings sites. The measurements, retrieved from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer, indicate that a large regional dust storm beginning in mid-December raised significant dust near Meridiani. Smaller amounts of dust were spread globally by winds, the effects of which were seen at Gusev Crater. For comparison, a dust optical depth value of 1.0 would correspond to a very smoggy day in Los Angeles or Houston, and a value of 0.1 to a relatively clear day in Los Angeles.
New Impact Crater Formed Bet …
PIA09026
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater Formed Between April 2001 and December 2003
Original Caption Released with Image These Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images show a young impact crater that formed in Arabia Terra near 22.2°N, 345.5°W, some time between 2 April 2001 and 11 December 2003. This image and figure A are sub-frames of MOC image S16-01199, acquired on 13 March 2006. This image has been colorized using a look-up table derived from color data acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. The site features a crater about 24.0 ± 3.0 meters (about 79 feet) across. In other words, one can compare a 100 yard U.S. style football field with this 26 yards wide crater. The "blast zone" around the crater is much larger and includes combination of rays and chains of small secondary impacts. Figure B: This picture shows how the timing of the impact event was constrained. The first picture is a sub-frame of MOC red wide angle image E03-00127, obtained on 2 April 2001. The white circle indicates the impact site. The second picture, obtained after the impact occurred, is MOC red wide angle camera image R12-01350, acquired on 11 December 2003. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ].
New Impact Crater Formed Bet …
PIA09026
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater Formed Between April 2001 and December 2003
Original Caption Released with Image These Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images show a young impact crater that formed in Arabia Terra near 22.2°N, 345.5°W, some time between 2 April 2001 and 11 December 2003. This image and figure A are sub-frames of MOC image S16-01199, acquired on 13 March 2006. This image has been colorized using a look-up table derived from color data acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. The site features a crater about 24.0 ± 3.0 meters (about 79 feet) across. In other words, one can compare a 100 yard U.S. style football field with this 26 yards wide crater. The "blast zone" around the crater is much larger and includes combination of rays and chains of small secondary impacts. Figure B: This picture shows how the timing of the impact event was constrained. The first picture is a sub-frame of MOC red wide angle image E03-00127, obtained on 2 April 2001. The white circle indicates the impact site. The second picture, obtained after the impact occurred, is MOC red wide angle camera image R12-01350, acquired on 11 December 2003. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ].
New Impact Crater Formed Bet …
PIA09026
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater Formed Between April 2001 and December 2003
Original Caption Released with Image These Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images show a young impact crater that formed in Arabia Terra near 22.2°N, 345.5°W, some time between 2 April 2001 and 11 December 2003. This image and figure A are sub-frames of MOC image S16-01199, acquired on 13 March 2006. This image has been colorized using a look-up table derived from color data acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. The site features a crater about 24.0 ± 3.0 meters (about 79 feet) across. In other words, one can compare a 100 yard U.S. style football field with this 26 yards wide crater. The "blast zone" around the crater is much larger and includes combination of rays and chains of small secondary impacts. Figure B: This picture shows how the timing of the impact event was constrained. The first picture is a sub-frame of MOC red wide angle image E03-00127, obtained on 2 April 2001. The white circle indicates the impact site. The second picture, obtained after the impact occurred, is MOC red wide angle camera image R12-01350, acquired on 11 December 2003. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ].
New Impact Crater Formed Bet …
PIA09026
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater Formed Between April 2001 and December 2003
Original Caption Released with Image These Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images show a young impact crater that formed in Arabia Terra near 22.2°N, 345.5°W, some time between 2 April 2001 and 11 December 2003. This image and figure A are sub-frames of MOC image S16-01199, acquired on 13 March 2006. This image has been colorized using a look-up table derived from color data acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. The site features a crater about 24.0 ± 3.0 meters (about 79 feet) across. In other words, one can compare a 100 yard U.S. style football field with this 26 yards wide crater. The "blast zone" around the crater is much larger and includes combination of rays and chains of small secondary impacts. Figure B: This picture shows how the timing of the impact event was constrained. The first picture is a sub-frame of MOC red wide angle image E03-00127, obtained on 2 April 2001. The white circle indicates the impact site. The second picture, obtained after the impact occurred, is MOC red wide angle camera image R12-01350, acquired on 11 December 2003. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ].
New Impact Crater Formed Bet …
PIA09026
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater Formed Between April 2001 and December 2003
Original Caption Released with Image These Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images show a young impact crater that formed in Arabia Terra near 22.2°N, 345.5°W, some time between 2 April 2001 and 11 December 2003. This image and figure A are sub-frames of MOC image S16-01199, acquired on 13 March 2006. This image has been colorized using a look-up table derived from color data acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. The site features a crater about 24.0 ± 3.0 meters (about 79 feet) across. In other words, one can compare a 100 yard U.S. style football field with this 26 yards wide crater. The "blast zone" around the crater is much larger and includes combination of rays and chains of small secondary impacts. Figure B: This picture shows how the timing of the impact event was constrained. The first picture is a sub-frame of MOC red wide angle image E03-00127, obtained on 2 April 2001. The white circle indicates the impact site. The second picture, obtained after the impact occurred, is MOC red wide angle camera image R12-01350, acquired on 11 December 2003. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ].
New Impact Crater in Arabia …
PIA09022
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater in Arabia Terra
Original Caption Released with Image http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ]., The images of new martian impact craters reveal many details about the impact event that result from the manner in which the impact process interacted with the dusty surface and thin planetary atmosphere, these data are sure to keep scientists busy for years. Of the 20 new impact craters found on Mars by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in 2006, the one shown here is perhaps the prettiest. The darkened "blast zone" around the crater exhibits considerable details about how the energy transferred from the impact to the surrounding atmosphere and dust-mantled surface interacted. Wispy dark rays and dark, annular (nearly-circular) zones surround the crater, while several chains of dark spots formed by secondary impact radiate away for hundreds of meters from the tiny crater. This impact site has a single crater of about 22.6 ± 1.7 meters (about 75 feet) in diameter. Compare this with the typical 100 yard U.S.-style football field: 75 feet is about 24.7 yards. The crater is located in Arabia Terra near 26.4°N, 336.5°W. This picture is a colorized view of the crater. The image is a sub-frame of MOC narrow angle camera image S16-01674, obtained on 20 March 2006. The color comes from a look-up table derived from the colors of Mars as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. Figures A and B: These pictures are grayscale composites of portions of MOC images S16-01674, S17-00795, S17-02191, and S18-01407, showing the impact site and the extensive rays developed during the impact event. These data were acquired during March, April, and May 2006. Figure C: This picture shows how the age of the crater was constrained. The first (left) is a portion of MOC red wide angle camera image R12-00786, acquired on 8 December 2003. The white circle indicates the location of the impact site, but the impact had not yet occurred. The second picture (right) shows the same MOC red wide angle image, overlain by a portion of an image from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ]. The THEMIS image is an infrared picture (I17523014, band 9, ~12.6 micrometers) acquired on 26 November 2005. In the infrared image, the impact site shows up as a bright spot because it is warmer than its surroundings during the day. These two pictures, thus, tell us that the impact occurred some time between 8 December 2003 and 26 November 2005. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see
New Impact Crater in Arabia …
PIA09022
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater in Arabia Terra
Original Caption Released with Image http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ]., The images of new martian impact craters reveal many details about the impact event that result from the manner in which the impact process interacted with the dusty surface and thin planetary atmosphere, these data are sure to keep scientists busy for years. Of the 20 new impact craters found on Mars by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in 2006, the one shown here is perhaps the prettiest. The darkened "blast zone" around the crater exhibits considerable details about how the energy transferred from the impact to the surrounding atmosphere and dust-mantled surface interacted. Wispy dark rays and dark, annular (nearly-circular) zones surround the crater, while several chains of dark spots formed by secondary impact radiate away for hundreds of meters from the tiny crater. This impact site has a single crater of about 22.6 ± 1.7 meters (about 75 feet) in diameter. Compare this with the typical 100 yard U.S.-style football field: 75 feet is about 24.7 yards. The crater is located in Arabia Terra near 26.4°N, 336.5°W. This picture is a colorized view of the crater. The image is a sub-frame of MOC narrow angle camera image S16-01674, obtained on 20 March 2006. The color comes from a look-up table derived from the colors of Mars as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. Figures A and B: These pictures are grayscale composites of portions of MOC images S16-01674, S17-00795, S17-02191, and S18-01407, showing the impact site and the extensive rays developed during the impact event. These data were acquired during March, April, and May 2006. Figure C: This picture shows how the age of the crater was constrained. The first (left) is a portion of MOC red wide angle camera image R12-00786, acquired on 8 December 2003. The white circle indicates the location of the impact site, but the impact had not yet occurred. The second picture (right) shows the same MOC red wide angle image, overlain by a portion of an image from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ]. The THEMIS image is an infrared picture (I17523014, band 9, ~12.6 micrometers) acquired on 26 November 2005. In the infrared image, the impact site shows up as a bright spot because it is warmer than its surroundings during the day. These two pictures, thus, tell us that the impact occurred some time between 8 December 2003 and 26 November 2005. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see
New Impact Crater in Arabia …
PIA09022
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater in Arabia Terra
Original Caption Released with Image http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ]., The images of new martian impact craters reveal many details about the impact event that result from the manner in which the impact process interacted with the dusty surface and thin planetary atmosphere, these data are sure to keep scientists busy for years. Of the 20 new impact craters found on Mars by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in 2006, the one shown here is perhaps the prettiest. The darkened "blast zone" around the crater exhibits considerable details about how the energy transferred from the impact to the surrounding atmosphere and dust-mantled surface interacted. Wispy dark rays and dark, annular (nearly-circular) zones surround the crater, while several chains of dark spots formed by secondary impact radiate away for hundreds of meters from the tiny crater. This impact site has a single crater of about 22.6 ± 1.7 meters (about 75 feet) in diameter. Compare this with the typical 100 yard U.S.-style football field: 75 feet is about 24.7 yards. The crater is located in Arabia Terra near 26.4°N, 336.5°W. This picture is a colorized view of the crater. The image is a sub-frame of MOC narrow angle camera image S16-01674, obtained on 20 March 2006. The color comes from a look-up table derived from the colors of Mars as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. Figures A and B: These pictures are grayscale composites of portions of MOC images S16-01674, S17-00795, S17-02191, and S18-01407, showing the impact site and the extensive rays developed during the impact event. These data were acquired during March, April, and May 2006. Figure C: This picture shows how the age of the crater was constrained. The first (left) is a portion of MOC red wide angle camera image R12-00786, acquired on 8 December 2003. The white circle indicates the location of the impact site, but the impact had not yet occurred. The second picture (right) shows the same MOC red wide angle image, overlain by a portion of an image from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ]. The THEMIS image is an infrared picture (I17523014, band 9, ~12.6 micrometers) acquired on 26 November 2005. In the infrared image, the impact site shows up as a bright spot because it is warmer than its surroundings during the day. These two pictures, thus, tell us that the impact occurred some time between 8 December 2003 and 26 November 2005. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see
New Impact Crater in Arabia …
PIA09022
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater in Arabia Terra
Original Caption Released with Image http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ]., The images of new martian impact craters reveal many details about the impact event that result from the manner in which the impact process interacted with the dusty surface and thin planetary atmosphere, these data are sure to keep scientists busy for years. Of the 20 new impact craters found on Mars by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in 2006, the one shown here is perhaps the prettiest. The darkened "blast zone" around the crater exhibits considerable details about how the energy transferred from the impact to the surrounding atmosphere and dust-mantled surface interacted. Wispy dark rays and dark, annular (nearly-circular) zones surround the crater, while several chains of dark spots formed by secondary impact radiate away for hundreds of meters from the tiny crater. This impact site has a single crater of about 22.6 ± 1.7 meters (about 75 feet) in diameter. Compare this with the typical 100 yard U.S.-style football field: 75 feet is about 24.7 yards. The crater is located in Arabia Terra near 26.4°N, 336.5°W. This picture is a colorized view of the crater. The image is a sub-frame of MOC narrow angle camera image S16-01674, obtained on 20 March 2006. The color comes from a look-up table derived from the colors of Mars as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. Figures A and B: These pictures are grayscale composites of portions of MOC images S16-01674, S17-00795, S17-02191, and S18-01407, showing the impact site and the extensive rays developed during the impact event. These data were acquired during March, April, and May 2006. Figure C: This picture shows how the age of the crater was constrained. The first (left) is a portion of MOC red wide angle camera image R12-00786, acquired on 8 December 2003. The white circle indicates the location of the impact site, but the impact had not yet occurred. The second picture (right) shows the same MOC red wide angle image, overlain by a portion of an image from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ]. The THEMIS image is an infrared picture (I17523014, band 9, ~12.6 micrometers) acquired on 26 November 2005. In the infrared image, the impact site shows up as a bright spot because it is warmer than its surroundings during the day. These two pictures, thus, tell us that the impact occurred some time between 8 December 2003 and 26 November 2005. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see
New Impact Crater in Arabia …
PIA09022
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater in Arabia Terra
Original Caption Released with Image http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ]., The images of new martian impact craters reveal many details about the impact event that result from the manner in which the impact process interacted with the dusty surface and thin planetary atmosphere, these data are sure to keep scientists busy for years. Of the 20 new impact craters found on Mars by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in 2006, the one shown here is perhaps the prettiest. The darkened "blast zone" around the crater exhibits considerable details about how the energy transferred from the impact to the surrounding atmosphere and dust-mantled surface interacted. Wispy dark rays and dark, annular (nearly-circular) zones surround the crater, while several chains of dark spots formed by secondary impact radiate away for hundreds of meters from the tiny crater. This impact site has a single crater of about 22.6 ± 1.7 meters (about 75 feet) in diameter. Compare this with the typical 100 yard U.S.-style football field: 75 feet is about 24.7 yards. The crater is located in Arabia Terra near 26.4°N, 336.5°W. This picture is a colorized view of the crater. The image is a sub-frame of MOC narrow angle camera image S16-01674, obtained on 20 March 2006. The color comes from a look-up table derived from the colors of Mars as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. Figures A and B: These pictures are grayscale composites of portions of MOC images S16-01674, S17-00795, S17-02191, and S18-01407, showing the impact site and the extensive rays developed during the impact event. These data were acquired during March, April, and May 2006. Figure C: This picture shows how the age of the crater was constrained. The first (left) is a portion of MOC red wide angle camera image R12-00786, acquired on 8 December 2003. The white circle indicates the location of the impact site, but the impact had not yet occurred. The second picture (right) shows the same MOC red wide angle image, overlain by a portion of an image from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ]. The THEMIS image is an infrared picture (I17523014, band 9, ~12.6 micrometers) acquired on 26 November 2005. In the infrared image, the impact site shows up as a bright spot because it is warmer than its surroundings during the day. These two pictures, thus, tell us that the impact occurred some time between 8 December 2003 and 26 November 2005. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see
New Impact Crater in Arabia …
PIA09022
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title New Impact Crater in Arabia Terra
Original Caption Released with Image http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html [ http://www.msss.com/mgs/moc/index.html ]., The images of new martian impact craters reveal many details about the impact event that result from the manner in which the impact process interacted with the dusty surface and thin planetary atmosphere, these data are sure to keep scientists busy for years. Of the 20 new impact craters found on Mars by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in 2006, the one shown here is perhaps the prettiest. The darkened "blast zone" around the crater exhibits considerable details about how the energy transferred from the impact to the surrounding atmosphere and dust-mantled surface interacted. Wispy dark rays and dark, annular (nearly-circular) zones surround the crater, while several chains of dark spots formed by secondary impact radiate away for hundreds of meters from the tiny crater. This impact site has a single crater of about 22.6 ± 1.7 meters (about 75 feet) in diameter. Compare this with the typical 100 yard U.S.-style football field: 75 feet is about 24.7 yards. The crater is located in Arabia Terra near 26.4°N, 336.5°W. This picture is a colorized view of the crater. The image is a sub-frame of MOC narrow angle camera image S16-01674, obtained on 20 March 2006. The color comes from a look-up table derived from the colors of Mars as seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) [ http://berlinadmin.dlr.de/Missions/express/indexeng.shtml ]. Figures A and B: These pictures are grayscale composites of portions of MOC images S16-01674, S17-00795, S17-02191, and S18-01407, showing the impact site and the extensive rays developed during the impact event. These data were acquired during March, April, and May 2006. Figure C: This picture shows how the age of the crater was constrained. The first (left) is a portion of MOC red wide angle camera image R12-00786, acquired on 8 December 2003. The white circle indicates the location of the impact site, but the impact had not yet occurred. The second picture (right) shows the same MOC red wide angle image, overlain by a portion of an image from the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) [ http://themis.asu.edu/ ]. The THEMIS image is an infrared picture (I17523014, band 9, ~12.6 micrometers) acquired on 26 November 2005. In the infrared image, the impact site shows up as a bright spot because it is warmer than its surroundings during the day. These two pictures, thus, tell us that the impact occurred some time between 8 December 2003 and 26 November 2005. The Mars Global Surveyor mission is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, developed and operates the spacecraft. Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, Calif., built and operates the Mars Orbiter Camera. For more information about images from the Mars Orbiter Camera, see
Clouds near Phlegra Montes
PIA05201
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Clouds near Phlegra Montes
Original Caption Released with Image 14 January 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle red image shows mid-winter, afternoon cloud patterns over the northern end of the Phlegra Montes near 46°N, 192°W. The image, acquired in December 2003, covers an area approximately 579 km (354 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Ascraeus Lava Flows
PIA06288
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Ascraeus Lava Flows
Original Caption Released with Image 29 May 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows lava flows on the middle west flank of the large martian volcano, Ascraeus Mons. The flows ran downslope from the lower right (southeast) toward upper left (northwest). These flows are located near 11.9°N, 105.5°W. This December 2003 image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across, sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Sediments of Ophir
PIA04978
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Sediments of Ophir
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-579, 19 December 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image, acquired in December 2003, shows light-toned sedimentary rocks (bottom half of image) and dark-toned sand dunes and ripples (top half of image). The light-toned, wind-eroded rocks are formed of ancient sediments, while the dark-toned, wind-blown dunes and ripples are modern sediments. This picture is located in Ophir Chasma near 4.4°S, 71.1°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Portion of Beagle 2 Landing …
PIA09592
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
Title Portion of Beagle 2 Landing Ellipse in Isidis Planitia
Original Caption Released with Image This image (PSP_002347_1915 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_002347_1915 ]) was targeted to a dark spot seen in a MOC image that was suggested to be the Beagle 2 landing site (see Beagle 2 Landing Site Located [ http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00000321/ ] for more information). The dark spot corresponds to an impact crater, shown here in color. The European Beagle 2 lander was carried by the Mars Express orbiting spacecraft and released into the Martian atmosphere in December 2003, but Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 1 January 2007 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 11.7 ° Degrees longitude (East): 90.7 ° Range to target site: 278.3 km (173.9 miles) Original image scale range: 27.8 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~84 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 3.3 ° Phase angle: 51.9 ° Solar incidence angle: 55 °, with the Sun about 35 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 173.1 °, 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.
Small Dust Storm in Syria/Cl …
PIA04914
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Small Dust Storm in Syria/Claritas
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-567, 7 December 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle image shows a small dust storm, and several other smaller dust plumes, billowing up from the light-toned plains near the boundary between Syria Planum and the Claritas Fossae. This (text missing) is monitored by MOC several times a week because it is frequently the site of small dust storms and extremely large dust devils. The image covers an area approximately 125 km (78 mi) wide and is illuminated from the left/lower left.
Fretted Terrain Valley Floor
PIA05025
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Fretted Terrain Valley Floor
Original Caption Released with Image 30 December 2003 This December 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows lineated textures on the floor of a valley in the Deuteronilus region of Mars. Deuteronilus, and neighboring Protonilus and Nilosyrtis, have been known since the Mariner 9 mission as regions of "fretted terrain." In this context, "fretted" does not mean "worried," it means "eroded." The fretted terrains of Mars are regions along the boundary between cratered highlands and northern lowland plains that have been broken-down into mesas, buttes, and valleys. On the floors of some of these valleys occurs a distinctive lineated and pitted texture--like the example shown here. The cause of the textures is not known, although for decades some scientists have speculated that ice is involved. While this is possible, it is far from a demonstrated fact. This picture is located near 40.1°N, 335.1°W, and covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
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