Scientists got a rare look at the curving Martian landscape thanks to images captured by NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter, the space agency announced Tuesday.
NASA recently unveiled a series of fresh panoramic images showcasing clouds and dust in the Martian skies, along with a captivating glimpse of one of the planet’s diminutive moons. These snapshots were skillfully captured by the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), the camera aboard the Odyssey spacecraft, during its mission last May.
The rare images were taken from an altitude of about 250 miles, the same altitude at which the International Space Station flies above Earth, according to NASA. the curving Martian
“If there were astronauts in orbit over Mars, this is the perspective they would have,” said Jonathon Hill, the operations lead of THEMIS. “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 take similar pictures in the future to try and capture the Martian atmosphere in different seasons, NASA said.
In its latest effort, THEMIS captured images of Mars’ little moon, Phobos, that has provided insight into the composition and physical properties of the moon, according to NASA.