Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter sends home photos from the Red Planet

Photos

Login / Sign Up

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Gold / Forex

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter sends home photos from the Red Planet

See dust storms, craters and avalanches in action on the Red Planet

Published: August 14, 2020 14:30 Gulf News Report

1 of 9

20200720 hope probe — Every two years, the planets are positioned such that the travel time from Earth to Mars is at its shortest. 2020 was just such a year and it saw space missions including UAE’s Hope Probe take off to the Red Planet. But there is a predecessor to the Hope Probe. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter left 15 years ago, and now is providing photos and cues to what’s on the mysterious planet. Here’s a look at a few of the images the orbiter's top-of-the-class cameras threw up. Image Credit: Reuters

2 of 9

MARS — Dust storms are routine on Mars. Most are limited to small regions and are not as dramatic as what's portrayed in movies. But once or twice a decade, a series of regional storms will create a domino effect, lifting enough dust for winds to cover the surface in what's called a "planet-encircling dust event." This one, captured by Mars Color Imager (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 Credit: NASA

3 of 9

Earth to Mars — As the camera High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) 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. The length of this whirlwind's shadow indicates that it was more than half a mile (800 meters) high – about the size of the United Arab Emirate's Burj Khalifa, the tallest building on Earth. Image Credit: NASA

4 of 9

5 of 9

6 of 9

7 of 9

8 of 9

9 of 9

Latest In

Invitation Day champs at the Creek are Kron & Borjesson

17 minutes ago
Explained: Green Visa holders can sponsor family in UAE

20 minutes ago
King Charles III lands in Berlin for first state visit

1 hour ago
Musk, others urge AI pause, cite ‘risks to society’

1 hour ago
Yousaf sworn in as Scotland’s new leader amid row

1 hour ago

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.

Photos News

Trending