Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Archives

The HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this unusual crater or pit on the surface of Mars. Frozen carbon dioxide gives the region its unique "Swiss cheese" like appearance. Image:NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

What Made this Mysterious Pit on Mars? Impact Crater or Natural Collapse?

9 Jun , 2017 by Evan Gough

An unusual pit on the surface of Mars is a bit of a mystery to scientists: is it the result of an impact, or of the melting of carbon dioxide ice?

Ever Wondered What Final Approach To Mars Might Feel Like?

20 Mar , 2017 by Nancy Atkinson

We’ve posted several ‘flyover’ videos of Mars that use data from spacecraft. But this video might be the most spectacular and realistic. Created by filmmaker Jan Fröjdman from Finland, “A Fictive Flight Above Real Mars” uses actual data from the venerable HiRISE camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and takes you on a 3-D […]

Get Away From It All with these Amazing DTM Views of Mars

1 Feb , 2017 by Nancy Atkinson

By day, Kevin Gill is a software engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. But on nights and weekends he takes data from spacecraft and turns them into scenes that can transport you directly to the surface of Mars. Gill is one of many so-called “amateur” image editing enthusiasts that take real, high-resolution data from spacecraft […]

Outstanding Opportunity Rover Making ‘Amazing New Discoveries’ 13 Years After Mars Touchdown – Scientist Tells UT

31 Jan , 2017 by Ken Kremer

NASA’s truly outstanding Opportunity rover continues “making new discoveries about ancient Mars” as she commemorates 13 Years since bouncing to a touchdown on Mars, in a feat that is “truly amazing” – the deputy chief scientist Ray Arvidson told Universe Today exclusively.

JPL Needs Citizen Scientists To Hunt Martian Polygonal Ridges

27 Jan , 2017 by Matt Williams

NASA is seeking citizen-scientists to help them identify ridge formations on Mars, which could help us to understanding at the geological forces at work there

Martian Spacecraft Spies Earth and the Moon

6 Jan , 2017 by Nancy Atkinson

The incredible HiRISE camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter turned its eyes away from its usual target – Mars’ surface – and for calibration purposes only, took some amazing images of Earth and our Moon. Combined to create one image, this is a marvelous view of our home from about 127 million miles (205 […]

Spiders Growing on the Surface of Mars Right Before Our Eyes!

22 Dec , 2016 by Matt Williams

For the first time, a research team using data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have observed “spider” formations in Mars’ southern polar region,

HiRISE Drops 1,000 Stunning New Mars Images For Your Viewing Pleasure

4 Aug , 2016 by Nancy Atkinson

We frequently call the HiRISE camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter “our favorite camera” and for good reason. HiRISE, the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, is the largest and most powerful camera ever flown on a planetary mission, sending back incredible beautiful, high-resolution images of Mars.

Opportunity Robustly in Action on 12th Anniversary of Red Planet Touchdown

26 Jan , 2016 by Ken Kremer

NASA’s world famous Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity continues blazing a daily trail of unprecedented science first’s, still swinging her robotic arm robustly into action at a Martian “Mining Zone” on the 12th anniversary of her hair-raising Red Planet touchdown this week, a top rover scientist told Universe Today.

Curiosity Reaches Massive Field of Spectacularly Rippled Active Martian Sand Dunes

14 Dec , 2015 by Ken Kremer

After many months of painstaking driving, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has reached the edge of a massive field of spectacular rippled sand dunes located at the base of Mount Sharp that range up to two stories tall. And she has now begun humanity’s first up-close investigation of currently active sand dunes anywhere beyond Earth.

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