Space Oddity
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- Written by:
- Kayvon Sharghi
- View full credits
We know that Mars is the Red Planet. But when observed with a heat-sensitive camera, its monochromatic landscape is transformed into a strange, multicolored world. The THEMIS instrument aboard NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft has taken hundreds of thousands of images of Mars since it entered orbit around the planet in 2001. The instrument is able to capture portraits in visible and thermal infrared wavelengths, the latter of which our eyes are unable to see. Scientists colorize the infrared images to bring out similarities and differences in features on Mars’ surface. The images have been used to study the planet’s terrain, determine the chemical make up of its rocks and minerals, and help select the landing sites for future robotic missions. Explore the images to see infrared views of Mars taken by Mars Odyssey.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Images courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
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Writer
- Kayvon Sharghi (USRA) [Lead]