New Images of Mars’ Landscape, Sky and Moons Captured by NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey Orbiter
In a groundbreaking development, NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has captured rare and stunning images of the Martian landscape, including clouds and dust in Mars’ skies, as well as one of its two tiny moons. The images were taken by the spacecraft’s Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) last May and have provided scientists with an unprecedented view of the red planet.
At an altitude of about 250 miles, the orbiter provided a perspective that is comparable to the view from the International Space Station above Earth. According to Jonathon Hill, the operations lead of THEMIS, “If there were astronauts in orbit over Mars, this is the perspective they would have. No Mars spacecraft has ever had this kind of view before.”
The Odyssey, which completed its 22nd year orbiting Mars last month, is expected to continue capturing similar pictures in the future to study the Martian atmosphere in different seasons. Additionally, the orbiter’s latest images of Mars’ moon, Phobos, have provided valuable insight into the composition and physical properties of the moon. These images will contribute to further studies that aim to determine whether Phobos is a captured asteroid or an ancient chunk of Mars that was blasted off the surface by an impact.
“We got a different angle and lighting conditions of Phobos than we’re used to,” said Hill. “That makes it a unique part of our Phobos dataset.”
The rare and captivating images captured by the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter will undoubtedly enhance our understanding of Mars and its intriguing landscape and moons, providing valuable insights that will contribute to ongoing and future research about the red planet.