Mars Pictures: NASA's Most Extraordinary Images EVER (PHOTOS)

NASA's HiRISE camera, the most powerful camera ever sent into space, has snapped breathtaking portraits of Mars.

From 'trees' on Mars to an 'organic cemetery,' see the 'Red Planet's' craters, dunes, gullies, and even avalanches in stunning detail in the slideshow below.

1 of 14

1 of 15

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

Colorful Streaks [in impact crater]

7 Ways You Might Be Oversharing On Facebook

19 Wildly Specific Subreddits

gadgets/slideshows/221347/slide_221347_883610_small.jpg

9 Best Google Glass Parodies

Fired Over Facebook: 10 Posts That Got People

8 Forgotten Technology Founders

gadgets/slideshows/223468/slide_223468_920967_small.jpg

Future Cars

Colorful Streaks [in impact crater]

comments(97)

Total comments: 97 | Post a Comment

1 of 15

Rate This Slide

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Average Out Of This WORLD

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Mars Pictures

loading...

Mars Pictures

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[taandersson]

04:22 AM on 02/06/2010

If Mars had an atmosphere in the past, why hasn't anyone considered that Phobos and Deimos may have been one satellite at some point in time.

[taandersson]

04:56 PM on 02/18/2010

If Mars had an atmosphere in the past, why hasn't anyone considered that Phobos and Deimos may have been part of a Martian moon 3.9 billion years ago or remnants of an object that hit it which would have created enough debris for the Late Heavy Bombardment. What makes me wonder is the theory that both objects were captured by Mars (which seems unlikely since they orbit around the planet's equator) and the fact that a large chunk from this collision could be underneath the Tharsis Bulge. Would it be right to assume that the introduction of a large piece of moon could have alter the Martian core since I've read somewhere that it did lose it's magnetosphere around the same time.

[Adartist777]

12:25 AM on 01/28/2010

These are wonderful images. I never get tired of them.

You can be cynical all you want, but I'm glad we all get to see this. It's also good for our children to see these images. It could inspire the new generation.

[nikto]

10:15 PM on 01/27/2010

OK, so Mars has giant asparagus patches, and other zones that
look like they were sculpted by HR Giger.

So what?

We need that money right down here on Earth,
to use on better missiles and bombs to blow up thwe evil terrorists with.

As long as even 1 terrorist remains "un-blown-up", we have no money to spare
for frivolous Mars missions.

Weapons NOW;Exploration SOMEDAY.

It's OUR money.

[700rpm]

12:55 PM on 03/17/2010

I hope you're not serious.

[AndyWitmyer]

03:21 PM on 03/17/2010

Oh come on, you can't be serious! Of course he was being serious! I'm not sure where you are getting these very pragmatic and realistic ideas of his are somehow the work of sarcasm? Let's face it, instead of using taxpayer dollars to photograph some useless hunk of rock out in space we should be using that money to kill all terrorists! Money well spent!

(Sarcasm) (And no, I don't think Nikto was being serious in the slightest, haha.)

[norkas]

08:44 AM on 03/22/2010

I agree with some of the post that say what is the point. Humanity is aggressive still wants to kill in the name of there religious beliefs.

Hate for or differences in cultures and color still play a roll today but we are getting better.

Spiritual growth is happening with many today but the process takes time and we have to mature and learn to evolve as humans before looking for potential life on other planets.

The odds are a millions to one in favor that other advanced civilizations existing. Another-wards is almost a fact that advanced civilizations exist elsewhere.

I suggest we grow up a little more and we can make a profound difference if we recognize that religion as it is today in some cases has not changed for over a thousand years because of the constant killing in the name of a religious leaders or their religion.

[VietnamVeteran]

09:57 PM on 01/27/2010

I did not watch the videos. As one of the biggest wastes of taxpayer money, look for the complete trashing of this program. Let's get those engineers engaged with this planet, saving it, and energy and oceans. That one photo might make a great screen saver though.

[Newthron]

09:55 PM on 01/22/2010

Breathsucking, amazing, amazed, puzzled, it's unusual, totally, completely extraterrestrial.

Never saw more intriguing picture in my life. What life was like, and which kind of species existed or still exist up there?

[LastStar]

05:17 PM on 01/22/2010

So if water on mars is a given today and perhaps has had huge quantities of water for millions of years in the past....what are the odds that we eventually will find fossilized microscopic life? I believe once water formed on earth and pools of warm water emerged primitive single cell microbes burst on the scene fairly rapidly. Exciting stuff here. The burning question of how life began may be answered....shazaam did it.

[coco38]

12:02 PM on 01/22/2010

i just hope these are not heavily doctored pics of mars as i know NASA is having a hell of a time with gov't funding since jobs and healthcare have been on the table.........the ecology of funding can make agencies do things if you know what i mean..........

[Norge]

11:48 AM on 01/22/2010

Oh ja absolutely, it certainly is mars. Mars is written all over those so called sand dunes, the beautiful
abstract pictures. No question about it , it really is mars. .with out the faintest question of a doubt we know that is Mars. NASA said it was.

Get your Mars poster at your local wallmart tomorrow and support the next Billion dollar tour and the lively hoods of all of those who work with careers for NASA:

Hurry now, be the first.

[Gover]

10:15 AM on 01/22/2010

Listen all you people dreaming of going to Mars:

It's f***ing pointless because there's nothing there. Nothing. It's a big dusty cold rock in a universe full of them. There's nothing we need there, nothing we could do about it if there was, and nothing to learn by sending a human when we can send a robot for a fraction of the price (or many robots).

Mars is a science fiction pipe dream and a complete waste of time. Not to mention, there are moral questions about even sending someone because they're likely to get a dose of radiation so high it will guarantee their untimely death.

The moon and the asteroids, boring dead rocks that aren't "pretty" should be the priorities. They are far, far closer, safer, and easier to reach and they contain an abundance of resources relative rare on Earth.

[ColleenHarper]

11:40 AM on 01/22/2010

I see your point that sending robotic craft to explore is far more sensible, and I fully agree. It's much more effective, more economical, and we can spend a far greater length of time per mission than could a manned mission.

That said, there is still the desire within the human spirit to explore, to go to new destinations. Mars makes sense it that regard, as it will be possible to achieve THAT step with our current scientific capabilities. Returning to the moon for various long-term missions also is a viable goal. I don't see that sending a manned mission to asteroids will be quite as sensible.

Let people dream of Mars! It will keep interest in NASA. It will challenge us to think of space as our next great exodus!

[Gover]

12:26 PM on 01/22/2010

Yes but PLANETS are not going to be our first permanent step off the planet. Ever. The laws of physics and economics simply make this an impossibility.

Mars can not sustain life. Period. The Atacama desert is closer, has more water, air you can breathe, life, more sun, an ionosphere and it's a lot closer. So why aren't people out living in the Atacama desert? Because that's f***ing stupid that's why. It sucks to live the Atacama desert so no one does it. It's a lot easier to live somewhere else.

Mars serves no other purpose whatsoever than makes us say "cool." "Cool" is not a reason to invest billions of dollars and risk people's lives.

Do you know how much the smallest near-earth metallic asteroid is worth? $20 Trillion dollars in metal. The SMALLEST asteroid near us has more metal than all the metal we've ever mined from the Earth since the dawn of man. And there are thousands of them.

What would you rather see NASA accomplish? Planting a flag, kick up some dust, grab a few rocks and head home? Or go after 2 times the USA's annual GDP in Asteroid Gold which could serve as the raw material source for permanent space colonies and massive interplanetary ships in the future?

I dream all right but not of Mars.

[VietnamVeteran]

09:59 PM on 01/27/2010

Go Gover. The only thing I want from mars is a screen saver picture.

[levoyageur]

09:28 AM on 01/22/2010

i see blue aliens!!! =)

beautiful pictures. i wonder how long it will take NASA to be able to send astronauts there

[leanjhuls]

07:07 AM on 01/22/2010

I love seeing pictures like these. The universe is always facinating. It never gets old.

[lushGreen]

04:31 AM on 01/22/2010

And when Man, attempts to; yet again (like in the time of Babel); take to the Stars and Conquer It - Behold the END!

[ColleenHarper]

07:00 AM on 01/22/2010

LOL! You're cute in your simplicity!

Are you truly this simple-minded?

And can you show me the archaeological site of Babel?

[ConfuciusSay-]

08:50 AM on 01/22/2010

So during biblical times, humanity was attempting to reach for the stars?

How unfortunate that in 2010 we can merely send a probe to the closest neighboring planet!

[Catfish1968]

03:13 AM on 01/22/2010

We don't need NASA, or these pictures

[pathenry]

03:32 AM on 01/22/2010

... and your reason is ... ?

[ColleenHarper]

03:52 AM on 01/22/2010

Must we simply look for all our answers for the big questions from our Bible? Or Quran? Or Book of Mormon? Shall we shun all scientific inquiry? Are we to turn our backs on 2,500 years of philosophical examination and development?

Sorry, but I'm human. I'm not able to put away my inquisitiveness. I want to KNOW! And my Bible is grossly wrong on several subjects, such as the shape of the Earth (it's roughly spherical, not flat), the position of the Earth (it orbits the sun, not the reverse), the age of the Earth (it's 4.3 Billion years old, not about 6 Thousand), etc.

I'm thankful that NASA is exploring the Earth and the other planets of the solar system! The discoveries they make tell us more about the physics that affect this planet and that therefore affect our weather and our ability to plan our crops to feed people. They give us accurate warnings about hurricanes and their landfall, with the expected force and danger they threaten.

And I haven't even started tallying the cost/benefit analysis that we get from money spent on NASA! Each dollar spent on NASA is an investment with fiscal returns of nearly 800%. The federal government can't even get that kind of return on investment on Wall Street! Therefore it's money well spent!

[James Ballard]

06:44 PM on 01/22/2010

@ "ColleenHarper"
5:40 PM CST

...I keep seeing bright lights shining from within the Black Forest.

I hope it is not too late.

Fanned.

J.B.
1/22/10

[DominickJ]

10:43 PM on 01/22/2010

Colleen, a wonderful reply. Thank you, I could not have said it better!!!

[ipastor01]

01:48 AM on 01/22/2010

I want to go.

[dobberdoss]

12:45 AM on 01/22/2010

And the most beautiful thing? NO humans!

[LetsGetDumbAmerica]

05:55 AM on 01/22/2010

ahaha- my thoughts exactly. (Marked as favorite.)