Next time I have a month spare (!) I’m going to spend a large chunk of it going through the HiRISE images. HiRISE is the main camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and it produces stunning images of the surface. In fact, the images are so good that if they were of Earth they’d be classified. The detail in each and every one is, as you might imagine, stunning, but one of their latest just knocked me flat. Here it is.
That’s what an avalanche looks like from above. The bright spots on the left are fresh snow, and the fall of snow or ice has kicked up dust over on the right. They’ve even found a before and after image. Like I said, stunning – and think what must be in the other 16.8 TB (yes, TeraBytes) of data that they’ve released.
Update : The entry above was written on the train this morning, and as Bunny pointed out in the comments, I missed an image that is equally stunning. This is what happens when you look home from Mars:
Will Gater's science writing and astronomy on March 4, 2008
The Sky At Night – Return to the Moon…
If you didn’t catch last night’s Sky At Night programme then you should try and watch it in the next 7 days on BBC iPlayer or when it is repeated on BBC 2 this Saturday at 13:30*.
The episode is an hour long special called ‘Return to…
Bunny Burton-Bradford on March 4, 2008
Stunning! Saw this and was filled with awe – have you also seen the Earth/Moon shot, released at the same time Chris??
Giles Smith on March 4, 2008
I only came across the HiRISE website yesterday and was absolutely blown aways with some of the recent images that have come back!
Being able to compare activity on our planet to another to such detail will enable us to learn so much more about not only Mars but our own planet too
KPM on March 4, 2008
And the battle rages on why cut back on science it’s not that costly 10 less fighter jets?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7274956.stm
madge on March 4, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7274956.stm
Have you seen this? It sucks BIG TIME!
Adam Primus on March 5, 2008
It’s always good to start with a joke – “next time I have a month spare”. But your link (before & after) doesn’t appear to be working… I dare say I can find HiRISE myself.
p.s. The 1st image here does look remarkably like satellite photos of Earth, particularly reminiscent of the Namibian coastline.