Where In the Universe #33

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Here's your image for this week's "Where In The Universe" challenge. Take a look and see if you can name where in the Universe this image is from, and also guess what exactly this image is -- there are a few different features here -- just what are they? Give yourself extra points if you can name the spacecraft responsible for the image. The image will be posted today, but we won't reveal the answer until tomorrow. Post your guess in the comment section, and then check back tomorrow and see how you did. Good luck!

UPDATE (12/12): The answer has now been posted below. If you haven't made your guess yet, no peeking before you do!!

This is an image of springtime clouds over a crater on Mars, taken by the Mars Odyssey Themis (Thermal Emission Imaging System).

Here's the link to the THEMIS page for more information.

Thanks for being more discreet in adding your guesses in the comment section (no one put any links this time!) The readers don't have to name their sources! Thanks for playing, and I hope you'll play again next week!

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com