UAHiRISE (NASA MRO)

Sometimes Mars’ surface is just beautiful as seen through the eyes of HiRISE. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Enhanced color images are 1 km across. For scale bars and full images, see the below link.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_058593_1710

HiRISE has often imaged inside Kaiser Crater to monitor active sand dunes and gullies. Surrounding these dunes, we often find clean bedrock exposures, because the actively moving sand clears off the dust. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km. For scale bars, use to the link below.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_058616_1330

Steep slopes on Mars have active landslides (also called “mass wasting”), and here we see evidence for two types of activity. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km. For images with scale bars, see the link below.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_058571_1965

We’ve also seen large new dust avalanches associated with new impacts at previous locations on Mars. Say, isn’t that the House Stark banner from “Game of Thrones”? (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_058514_2140

The sizes and densities of impact craters provide an estimate for the age of the landscape. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058600_0990

HiRISE reveals small-scale shapes that often correlate with mineral units and provides information about stratigraphy (i.e., what's on top and relative ages). This image was acquired for co-analysis with a spectrometer instrument also on our spacecraft called CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars). (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058610_1515

The Martian south polar residual cap of carbon dioxide ice rapidly changes, and our comparison images show just how much. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058515_0955

This image captures some of the geologic diversity of Mars. There are hills of ancient terrains on the floor of Juventae Chasma, surrounded by younger sediments, including dark sand sheets and dunes that are likely active today. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058566_1760

This image is entirely over an extensive central peak complex within Hale Crater. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km. For images with scale bars, refer to the link below.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058618_1445

This image was acquired in Ius Chasma, a major section of the giant Valles Marineris trough. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km. For images with scale bars, refer to the link below.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058580_1720

The south polar layered deposits are icy layers that have been deposited over millions of years on Mars. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058538_0960

A puzzle in Mars science is learning if gullies form in the same geologic eras and by the same methods. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058399_1415

You are staring at one of the unsolved mysteries on Mars. Prepare to have your mind blown! (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km. For images with scale bars, consult the link below.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058008_2225

The hills in this image were created from uplifted rocks after an impact. This is within Galle Crater on Mars. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km. For images with scale bars, consult the link below.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058196_1280

Mawrth Vallis has fascinated scientists because of the clays and other hydrated minerals detected from orbit. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058749_2060

Mineral diversity is the feature of this image of a crater in Ladon Basin (Mars). (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058565_1620

The power of HiRISE shows how needed it is when missions are planning to land rovers or, eventually, personnel on the surface. This image shows the bottom of an impact crater located between Isidis Planitia in the north and Hellas Planitia in the south. (Less than 1 km top to bottom and north is to the left. This is a non-narrated clip.) Music: Rolling Hills by Sir Cubworth (Used by permission.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_047721_1700

This part of Melas Chasma (Mars) has been the target for many previous HiRISE images due to its diversity of terrains and materials. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058527_1695

Dust devils on Mars often create long, dark markings where they pull a thin coat of dust off the surface. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058427_1080

Rather than a single impact crater, we see multiple impacts like a shotgun blast, suggesting that the impactor broke up in the atmosphere on entry. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057984_1490

The ancient lava in this image appears to have flowed smoothly around obstructions, almost like water, forming streamlined islands. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057978_1875

The ripples in the sand tell us which way the wind was moving and how it was diverted around these rock formations. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057930_1720

The orientation of these dunes tell us the direction of the prevailing wind. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057071_1890

The geologic history of a planet is written in its layers. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057970_1645

This image features the central uplift a crater near Mawrth Vallis, a region of Mars that has always been mysterious to scientists. Mawrth is the boundary between the southern highlands and northern lowlands of Mars. It is a place where the entire planet suddenly drops in elevation. Music: “Meditation Impromptu 01” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100163 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Impact cratering allows scientists to study the bedrock of Mars that normally lies under a coating of red-colored dust. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057866_1670

Dune shape depends on several factors, including the amount of sand present and the local wind directions. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057903_1390

This image shows a cross-section of a complex crater in Terra Cimmeria, Mars, with plenty of interesting features to study. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_058057_1465

This image shows a new impact crater that formed between July and September 2018 near the South Pole of Mars. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057152_0985

Gullies on Mars probably formed along the bouldery layers in the upper slopes of this unnamed crater within the last few million years. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_057450_1410

Similar regions observed by the THEMIS instrument onboard Mars Odyssey have proven interesting, revealing dunes and bedrock. Our higher resolution gives us a closer look. This image is in the southwestern portion of the impact crater, which is about 15 kilometers in diameter. Audio: “Vespers” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena (used by permission). NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (275 km above the surface, less than 1 km top to bottom and north is to the right. Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_023766_1905

This pock-marked terrain is within a large impact crater that is side-by-side with another crater. This image is located to northwest of the Hellas impact basin in the southern latitudes of Mars. Music: “Strange Ways” by Silent Partner (used by permission). NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (256 km above the surface, less than 5 km across.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_037516_1550

Claritas Fossae is a densely-dissected highland terrain on the Tharsis Rise of Mars, located immediately south of the Tharsis Montes. The fossae of this region are many superposed swarms of graben (depressions that run parallel along faults.) Music: “Invariance” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100847 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (248 km above the surface, less than 5 km across.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_023689_1530

The objective of this observation is to examine a group of thin layers in a floor deposit of an old crater in the northern mid-latitudes. Audio: “Ether” by Silent Partner (used by permission). NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (303 km above the surface, less than 5 km across.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_054143_2230

Now that Jezero Crater has been selected as the exploration site for the Mars 2020 Mission, we’re highlighting one of the 30 images HiRISE acquired to help that decision. While the future rover may not be in this exact area, the high resolution capability of our camera makes it an indispensable tool for missions to determine areas that are the best spots to land and study. Music: “Dark Fog” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300031 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (321 km above the surface, less than 5 km across.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_042315_1985

One of the oldest valleys on Mars, Mawrth Vallis holds special interest because of the presence of clay minerals which form only in the presence of water. Music: “I Am Running a Marathon with Thousands of Other Highly” by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/honor/ Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/ NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (284 km above the surface, less than 5 km across.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_016486_2000

This image is within Capri Chasma, in the eastern part of the Vallis Marineris canyon system (Mars). Hematite has been detected along this crater wall, a reddish-black mineral consisting of ferric oxide. It is an important ore of iron. Music: “Cylinder Two” by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/cylinders/ Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/ NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (269 km above the surface, less than 5 km across.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_020575_1665

This is a patch of relatively bright ground in Noctis Labyrinthus (Mars). The transition along edges look wind-driven. Does this and other equatorial patterned ground have a wind-blown origin? Music: “It Maintains, Eyes Change” by Puddle of Infinity. (Used by permission.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (263 km above the surface, less than 5 km across.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_017267_1720

This is a crater within Schiaparelli Crater (Mars), filled in with layered rock. This outcrop is so neatly concentric that it may be hard to determine whether layers are horizontal or draped. Music: “Open Sea Morning” by Puddle of Infinity (used by permission). NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (297 km above the surface, less than 1 km across.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_016406_1790

Prior to acquiring this observation of the Meridiani region (Mars) in 2010, we didn’t have any images of this particular area. It was also selected as good place for a nadir observation, which is when the camera is pointing straight down. Music: “Court and Page” by Silent Partner (used by permission) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (270 km above the surface, less than 1 km top to bottom and north is to the right.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_016248_1820

This image shows great exposures of layered rocks in Argyre region (Mars). Is it evidence for a lake or sea? The Argyre region is in the southern highlands of Mars, and the name refers to a mythical island of silver in Greek mythology. Music: “Retro Dreamscape” by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://www.twinmusicom.org/song/283/retro-dreamscape Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (256 km above the surface, less than 5 km top to bottom and north is to the right.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_014167_1300

Fine details in the bedding might indicate their origin. Ganges Mensa is in the Coprates quadrangle of Mars, to the northwest of Valles Marineris. Music: Porches and Universes by Puddle of Infinity (used by permission) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (265 km above the surface, less than 1 km top to bottom and north is to the right.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_012993_1725

This bright, mottled material inside a crater is probably sedimentary crater fill. NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (271 km above the surface, less than 5 km across) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_013835_1845

The chain of pits likely formed by volcanic processes, such as the collapse of a lava tube after it drained. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_056026_2050

How did this feature get here if it looks so different than its surroundings? (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_055022_2035

Some regions of Mars are not very colorful, but we can be surprised by local features. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona Source: https://uahirise.org/ESP_055541_1815

This observation covers a part of Juventae Chasma, Mars. The distance across is about 1 kilometer. Music: Long Note Three by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100424 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (269 km above the surface). Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_011899_1755

The South Polar residual cap is composed of carbon dioxide ice that persists through each Martian summer. Note: The vertical lines (called furrows) are caused by a saturation of the image along our camera’s CCD channels, likely exacerbated by the summer dust storm that affects lighting conditions. (Audio: www.tregibbs.com. Black and white images are 5 km across; enhanced color images are 1 km.) NASA/JPL/University of Arizona https://uahirise.org/ESP_056205_0935

This image captures the margin of the fluvial system in Eberswalde Crater, Mars, where it transitions onto the plains. NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (284 km above the surface and 5 km across) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_012610_1560

There is clay-rich terrain in this degraded crater, which itself seems to be part of a possible double-impact. NASA/JPL/University of Arizona (281 km above the surface. Less than 1 km top to bottom and north is to the right.) Source: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_019837_1865 ​