Stunning images of Red Planet captured by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Stunning images of Mars are captured by NASA’s HiRISE camera onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is the oldest spacecraft currently active around Mars.
On August 12, NASA shared images of Red Planet taken by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to mark the 15th anniversary of orbiter since launch. MRO, one of the oldest spacecraft at the planet Mars has provided glimpses of dust devils, avalanches, a long-distance portrait of planet Earth and more. The veteran spacecraft studies atmospheric temperatures, peers underground with radar and detects minerals on the planet’s surface. (Image: NASA)
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NASA’s HiRISE camera onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter pans over large swaths of Mars' surface. It occasionally discovers surprises like this towering dust devil, which was captured from 185 miles (297 kilometers) above the ground. (Image: NASA)
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HiRISE has captured avalanches in action. As seasonal ice vaporized in the spring, these 1,640-foot-tall (500-meter-tall) cliffs at Mars' north pole began to crumble. Such cliffs reveal the deep time scales on the planet, exposing the many layers of ice and dust that have settled during different eras. Like the rings of a tree, each layer has a story to tell scientists about how the environment was changing. (Image: NASA)
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Mars has a thin atmosphere, just 1 percent as dense as Earth's. As a result, there's less of a protective barrier to burn up space debris. The crater spans approximately 100 feet (30 meters) in diameter and is surrounded by a large, rayed blast zone. (Image: NASA)
According to the MRO’s deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory land changes over time, so having a spacecraft at Mars for years offers a unique perspective. Before MRO, it wasn't clear what on Mars really changed, if anything. "False color" has been added to this image to accentuate certain details, like the tops of dunes and ripples. Many of these landforms are migrating, as they do on Earth. (Image: NASA)
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HiRISE also took detailed image of the Martian moon Phobos. Named for the Greek god of fear, Phobos is one of Mars' two moons – the other one is Deimos, named for the god of terror. Phobos moon is only about 13 miles across. (Image: NASA)
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Dust storms are routine on Mars. This image captured by MARCI in the summer of 2018, darkened the region above the Opportunity rover, depriving its solar panels of sunlight and ultimately leading to the end of the mission. (Image: NASA)
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Based on an image from CTX, this map shows the complete traverse of the Opportunity rover after exploring the planet for more than 15 years. Both HiRISE and CTX are used by scientists to make maps of landing sites for future human and robotic missions as well as to chart the progress of rovers on the ground. (Image: NASA)
HiRISE has frequently been used to snap images of NASA spacecraft on the Martian surface, capturing Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity as well as the stationary landers Phoenix and InSight. (Image: NASA)
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It takes sharp eyes to find unique features on Mars, like recurring slope lineae. These dark streaks appear in the same places at around the same times of year. It was initially proposed they were caused by brine, since salt could allow water to remain liquid in the thin Martian atmosphere. The consensus now, however, is that they're actually caused by dark sand sliding down inclines. (Image: NASA)
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HiRISE captured the composite image of Earth and Moon. MRO hasn't only looked at Mars. (Image: NASA)
![According to the MRO’s deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory land changes over time, so having a spacecraft at Mars for years offers a unique perspective. Before MRO, it wasn't clear what on Mars really changed, if anything. "False color" has been added to this image to accentuate certain details, like the tops of dunes and ripples. Many of these landforms are migrating, as they do on Earth. (Image: NASA)](https://images.moneycontrol.com/static-mcnews/2020/08/8-NASA-MARS-ORBITER-HIRISE-IMAGES.jpg "According to the MRO’s deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory land changes over time, so having a spacecraft at Mars for years offers a unique perspective. Before MRO, it wasn't clear what on Mars really changed, if anything. "False color" has been added to this image to accentuate certain details, like the tops of dunes and ripples. Many of these landforms are migrating, as they do on Earth. (Image: NASA)")
