Mars Landscape Photography

Black-and-white images of the Martian landscape captured by rovers, showcasing rocky terrains and panoramic views of the Martian surface.

This image shows a sweeping black-and-white panorama of the rounded, knob-like peak of Husband

What Lies Ahead (right-eye)

Visiting 'Voltaire'

This image shows a sweeping black-and-white panorama of the rounded, knob-like peak of Husband

Near 'Endurance' on Sol 115 (right eye)

This image zooms in on the backshell and parachute, about 300 meters to the south of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. In the distance, about 9 miles or 15 kilometers away, is a range of hills..

View Northward from Spirit's Winter Roost (False Color)

A Deep Dish for Discovery

Opportunity View on Sol 109 (left eye)

Rocky Terrain & Airbags

Northern Plains Of Mars

Soil and Rock Yogi

Ma'adim Vallis Revealed

Pitted Rock Named Ender

Spirit Beside 'Home Plate,' Sol 1809

Rover Touchdown on Martian Surface

Smooth surfaces of windblown sand and dust of the 'Rocknest' area signal an appropriate place for NASA's Curiosity to collect and use the mission's first few scoopfuls of soil.

Light-toned soil deposits might be widely distributed on the flanks andvalley floors of the 'Columbia Hills' region in Gusev Crater. The salts may record past presence of water, as they are easily mobilized and concentrated in liquid solution

Making Tracks on Mars (left-eye)

View of 'Bottomless Bay' on Rim of 'Victoria' (Altered Contrast)

This scene combines five frames taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during the 1,871st Martian day, or sol, of Spirit's mission on Mars (April 8, 2009). It spans 180 degrees, with east on the left, south at the center

A Long Way From Home

Approaching 'Endurance' (right eye)

Sojourner Rover View of Cloddy Deposits near Pooh

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity drove 6.2 feet (1.9 meters) during the 100th Martian day, or sol, of the mission (Nov. 16, 2012). The view spans from north at the left to south-southeast at the right. It is presented in a cylindrical projection.

View Ahead After Spirit's Sol 1861 Drive

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took this picture of a rock informally named 'Marquette Island' as the rover was approaching the rock for investigations that have suggested the rock is a stony meteorite.

Rock

These are the first two full-resolution images of the Martian surface from the Navigation cameras on NASA's Curiosity rover, which are located on the rover's 'head' or mast. The rim of Gale Crater can be seen in the distance beyond the pebbly ground.

Scientists Contemplate Tilting of Rock Layers on Mars

Home and Back Again

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to survey these wind-sharpened rocks, called ventifacts, on March 15, 2022, the 3,415th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The team has informally described these patches of ventifacts as gator-back rocks because of their scaly appearance. Ventifacts chewed up Curiosity's wheels earlier in the mission. Since then, rover engineers have found ways to slow wheel wear, including a traction control algorithm. They also plan rover routes that avoid driving over such rocks, including these latest ventifacts, which are made of sandstone &ndsh; the hardest type of rock Curiosity has encountered on Mars. These rocks form the surface of the Greenheugh Pediment, a broad, sloping plain in the foothills of Mount Sharp. The floor of Gale Crater is visible along the edges of the mosaic. When Curiosity's team saw the gator-back rocks, they ultimately decided to turn the rover around and take an alternative path to continue climbing Mount S

First Color Image from Spirit

Windy Summit and Plains in Gusev

This frame (taken from a three-frame animation) aids evaluation of performance of the right-front wheel on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during a drive on the rover's 2,117th Martian day, or sol (Dec. 16, 2009).

This mosaic image shows part of the left side of NASA's Curiosity rover and two blast marks from the descent stage's rocket engines.

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover as the rover drove over a dune spanning 'Dingo Gap' on Mars. The light-toned dome on the right side of the horizon is part of Mount Sharp.

Spirit View of 'Larry's Outcrop'

Spirit's View on Sol 390

Northeast View from Viking Landing Site

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover recorded this view of various rock types at waypoint called 'the Kimberley' shortly after arriving at the location on April 2, 2014. The site offers a diversity of rock types exposed close together.

Spirit's View on Sol 147

More Climbing Ahead

. Curiosity Views Gediz Vallis Ridge. NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this 360-degree panorama while parked below Gediz Vallis Ridge (the hill-like slope at right). After three attempts over the course of three years, the rover finally reached the ridge on its fourth try on Aug. 14, 2023, the 3,923rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. On Aug. 19, Curiosity's Mastcam took the 136 individual images that were stitched together into this mosaic after being sent back to Earth. The color has been adjusted to match lighting conditions as the human eye would see them on Earth. Gediz Vallis Ridge was one of the last features to form on Mount Sharp, the 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain that Curiosity has been ascending since 2014. The ridge preserves a record of one of the last wet periods seen on this part of Mars. Reaching the ridge was no easy feat previous forays were stymied by knife-edged gator-back rocks and too-steep slopes. Arriving after one of the most difficult climbs t

Panorama view of Apollo 17 Lunar surface photos for use in presentations to NASA management and for Outreach Education in regard to new NASA initiative for human planetary research. Photo numbers used for this panoramic include: Apollo 17 start frame AS17-136-20745 thru end frame AS17-136-20759. View is of Station 1, taken during the first Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 1.

Perseverance's Navcam Captures Ingenuity. One of the Navcam imagers aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover captured the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on Feb. 26, 2023, the 719th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The helicopter is visible in the upper left of image. Ingenuity had landed there, at Airfield Theta, on the previous sol at the conclusion of its 46th flight on Mars. At the time this enhanced image was taken, the helicopter was approximately 490 feet (150 meters) from the rover. Figure A is the same enhanced image annotated to indicate the location of the Mars Helicopter in the distance. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (Euro

Spirit Switches on Its X-ray Vision

At the Rim, Looking In

Disturbed Soil Along the Path from 'Tyrone' (Close-Up)

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 past 10 kilometers (6.214 miles).

Spirit's Wheels Digging into Soft Ground, Sol 1899

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used one of its Hazard-Avoidance Cameras (Hazcams) to catch this dusty wind gust blowing overhead on March 18, 2022, the 3,418th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Scientists believe it's a wind gust rather than a dust devil since it doesn't appear to have the trademark vorticity, or twisting, of a dust devil. The series of images captured by the Hazcam is viewable in the top image; the bottom image shows the frames after they've been processed by change-detection software, which helps the viewer see how the wind gust moves over time. Movie available at

Spirit Keeps on Trekking (right eye)

Opportunity at the Wall

Curiosity's 360-Degree View of Marker Band Valley. NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used its Mastcam to capture this 360-degree panorama of Marker Band Valley on Dec. 16, 2022, the 3,684th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rover sits in the center of the image; below its raised robotic arm is a spot where it twice attempted to drill into the rocks here. This mosaic is made up of 137 individual images that were stitched together after being sent back to Earth. The color has been adjusted to match lighting conditions as the human eye would perceive them on Earth. The rocks near these attempted drill holes have a rippled texture that was created billions of years ago as waves flowed upon a shallow lake. Despite having climbed through thousands of feet of lake deposits, Curiosity had never previously seen evidence of water and waves this clear. The discovery came as a surprise because this region of Mount Sharp - the 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain Curiosity is climbing - is thou

Layered Outcrops in Gusev Crater

'Perseverance Valley' lies just on the other side of the dip in the crater rim visible in the left half of this 360-degree panorama from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity captured this view from the base of Burns Cliff during the rover's 280th martian day (Nov. 6, 2004). This cliff in the inner wall of Endurance Crater displays multiple layers of bedrock for the rover to examine with its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover team has decided that the farthest Opportunity can safely advance along the base of the cliff is close to the squarish white rock near the center of this image. After examining the site for a few days from that position, the the rover will turn around and head out of the crater. The view is a mosaic of frames taken by Opportunity's navigation camera. The rover was on ground with a slope of about 30 degrees when the pictures were taken, and the view is presented here in a way that corrects for that tilt of the camera. http //photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07039

Spirit Wiggles into Position

Sojourner Doing a Wheelie on Wedge

'Lutefisk' Rock

Stretched View Showing 'Victoria'

This view shows the terrain that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is crossing in a flat area called 'Botany Bay' on the way toward 'Solander Point,' which is visible on the horizon.

This mosaic scene combining five images from the navigation camera (Navcam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows a view from inside the upper end of Perseverance Valley on the inner slope of Endeavour Crater's western rim. The valley is the main destination for the current two-year extension of the 13-year-old Opportunity mission on Mars. It was likely carved long ago by a fluid, such as water, water-lubricated debris or wind. The rover team is using Opportunity to learn more about the processes that shaped the valley. Plans call for driving the rover down the full length of the valley, about twice the length of a football field. Opportunity entered the top end of Perseverance Valley after studying the area just outside the crater rim above the valley during the spring and early summer of 2017. The images combined into this scene were taken on July 7, 2017, during the 4,782nd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. Opportunity had driven about 45 feet (13.8 mete

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this image on with its Hazcam just after completing a drive that took the mission's total driving distance past the 1 kilometer (0.62 mile) mark.

Mars Surface near Viking Lander 1 Footpad

Digging in Snow

Spirit Says Goodbye to 'Home Plate' (False Color)

Opportunity Examining Composition of 'Cook Islands' Outcrop

Yogi the Rock

This full-circle panorama of the landscape surrounding NASA's Curiosity Mars rover on July 31, 2014, offers a view into sandy lower terrain called 'Hidden Valley'

Possible Meteorites in the Martian Hills (False Color)

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this view of a sulfate-bearing region ahead of its current location. Dark boulders near the center of the panorama are thought to have formed from sand deposited in ancient streams or ponds. Scattered gray rocks covering the hillside on the right are all that remain of a sandstone capping unit that once covered this area. This panorama is made up of 10 individual images that were captured by Curiosity's Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on May 2, 2022, the 3,462nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The images were stitched together after they were sent back to Earth. Behind the dark boulders - in the middle of the image - is a mountain that makes up part of the sulfate-bearing region; layers within this region can be seen as stripes across the mountainside. These layers represent an excellent record of how Mars' water and climate changed over time.

Conductivity Probe after Trench-Bottom Placement

This northeast-facing view from the lower edge of the pale 'Pahrump Hills' outcrop at the base of Mount Sharp includes wind-sculpted ripples of sand and dust in the middle ground. It was taken by Curiosity's Navcam on Nov. 13, 2014.

This 180-degree mosaic of images from the navigation camera on the NASA Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the rover close to the outcrop called 'Copper Cliff,' which is in the center of this scene.

X-ray Machine on Mars

Disturbed Soil Along the Path from 'Tyrone'(Panorama)

Apollo 16 image of lunar surface.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity used its front left Hazard-Avoidance Camera for this image of the rover's arm over the drilling target Cumberland during the 275th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (May 15, 2013).

Frost on Mars

Flat

Circular Signs of the Rock Abrasion Tool

Preparation for Moving a Rock on Mars

After a Spirit Drive West of 'Home Plate'

Phoenix Makes an Impression on Mars

Sojourner Rover Leaving the Rock

Detailed View of Mountain and Craters at Tohil, Io

Beyond a dark sand dune closer to the rover, a Martian dust devil passes in front of the horizon in this frame from an animation from NASA's Curiosity Mars rover.

Examining the Soil of Mars

'Engineering Flats'

View From Above Spirit on Mars-2

On the Rim of 'Victoria Crater'

Close-up of Moe - Left Eye

NASA's Opportunity Mars rover passed near this small, relatively fresh crater in April 2017, during the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 16 mission to the moon. The rover team chose to call it Orion Crater, after the Apollo 16 lunar module. The rover's Panoramic Camera (Pancam) recorded this view. The crater's diameter is about 90 feet (27 meters). From the small amount of erosion or filling that Orion Crater has experienced, its age is estimated at no more than 10 million years. It lies on the western rim of Endeavour Crater. For comparison, Endeavor is about 14 miles (22 kilometers) in diameter and more than 3.6 billion years old. This view combines multiple images taken through three different Pancam filters. The selected filters admit light centered on wavelengths of 753 nanometers (near-infrared), 535 nanometers (green) and 432 nanometers (violet). The three color bands are combined here to show approximately true color. The component images were taken on April 26, 2017, during the

'Endurance' All Around (Left Eye)

Sojourner's APXS at Work

'Twin Peaks' are modest-size hills to the southwest of NASA's Mars Pathfinder landing site. They were discovered on the first panoramas taken by the IMP camera on the 4th of July, 1997. 3D glasses are necessary to identify surface detail.

Verbascum Thapsus (Aaron's Rod), circa 1922, by Dr Leonard Cockayne F.R.S.

Along Endurance Crater's Inner Wall (Right Eye)

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