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Team Finally Sees First Image Of Mars

July 16, 2015

This archival clip captures the moment when the Science Imaging team, led by Principal Investigator Robert Leighton of Caltech, finally see a print the first image of Mars.

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This panorama captured by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover shows a location nicknamed “Pontours” where scientists spotted preserved, ancient mud cracks believed to have formed during long cycles of wet ...
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover found preserved, ancient mud cracks that scientists believe were formed after long cycles of wet and dry conditions over many years.
Curiosity Views Mud Cracks in the Clay-Sulfate Transition Region
Scientists think that these bands of rocks may have been formed by a very fast, deep river – the first of its kind evidence has been found for on Mars. NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this ...
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Mosaic made up of 203 individual images that were stitched together after being sent back from Mars.
Curved Bands of Rocks at 'Skrinkle Haven'
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took this close-up view of a rock nicknamed “Terra Firme” that looks like the open pages of a book on April 15, 2023, the 3,800th Martian day, or sol, of the mission usi...
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This image was taken by Curiosity on Sol 3800 and shows a close-up view of a rock nicknamed "Terra Firme" that looks like the open pages of a book.
Curiosity Finds a Book-Like Rock
This image of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at “Airfield Mu” was taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard Perseverance on April 14, 2023, the 764th Martian day, or sol, of the rover’s mission.
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This image of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter at “Airfield Mu” was taken by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard Perseverance on April 14, 2023, the 764th Martian day, or sol, of the rover’s mission.
Ingenuity at 'Airfield Mu'
This feather-shaped iridescent cloud was captured just after sunset on Jan. 27, 2023, the 3,724th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's mission. Studying the colors in iridescent clouds tells scienti...
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This feather-shaped iridescent cloud was captured just after sunset on Jan. 27, 2023, the 3,724th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity’s mission.
Curiosity Views Feather-Shaped Iridescent Cloud
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to take this image of the location where three of its 10 sample tubes will be deposited.
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to take this image of the location where three of its 10 sample tubes will be deposited.
Three of Perseverance's Depot Locations
NASA’s Perseverance rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to capture this enhanced color view of the eroded eastern edge of the delta within Mars’ Jezero Crater on April 7, 2022, the 402nd Martian day, o...
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NASA’s Perseverance rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to capture this enhanced color view of the eroded eastern edge of the delta within Mars’ Jezero Crater on April 7, 2022, the 402nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Mastcam-Z Views the Eastern Edge of Jezero's Delta
The location where NASA’s Perseverance will begin depositing its first cache of samples is shown in this image taken by the Mars rover on Dec. 14, 2022, the 646th Martian day, or sol, of the missio...
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This enhanced color image was taken by the rover’s Mastcam-Z camera and is not representative of the way the scene would look to the human eye.
Perseverance Views Depot in the Distance
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to view Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, on Jan. 12, 2022, the 319th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to view Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, on Jan. 12, 2022, the 319th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Perseverance Views Phobos
Intriguing Martian rocks surround NASA’s Perseverance rover in this panorama showing an ancient river delta, made from images captured by the Mastcam-Z camera system. 
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Intriguing Martian rocks surround NASA’s Perseverance rover in this panorama showing an ancient river delta, made from images captured by the Mastcam-Z camera system.
Detailed Panorama of Mars' Jezero Crater Delta
This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rock and soil collected from the Martian surface by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover.
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This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rock and soil collected from the Martian surface by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover.
Mars Sample Return Concept Illustration
Perseverance’s backshell, supersonic parachute, and associated debris field is strewn across the Martian surface in this image captured by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight on...
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Perseverance’s backshell, supersonic parachute, and associated debris field is strewn across the Martian surface in this image captured by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight on April 19, 2022.
Debris Field From Perseverance Landing Gear Seen by Mars Helicopter
This image of the backshell and supersonic parachute of NASA’s Perseverance rover was captured by the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight on Mars on April 19, 2022. 
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This image of the backshell and supersonic parachute of NASA’s Perseverance rover was captured by the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight on Mars on April 19, 2022.
Rover Landing Gear Seen From the Air by Mars Helicopter
NASA's InSight lander snapped a series of images of the Sun rising and setting on Mars using the camera on its robotic arm on April 10, 2022, the 1,198th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
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NASA's InSight lander snapped a series of images of the Sun rising and setting on Mars using the camera on its robotic arm on April 10, 2022, the 1,198th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
InSight Captures a Martian Sunrise and Sunset
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to survey these wind-sharpened rocks, called ventifacts, on March 15, 2022, the 3,415th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The team h...
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to survey these wind-sharpened rocks, called ventifacts, on March 15, 2022, the 3,415th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Curiosity Finds 'Gator-Back' Rocks on 'Greenheugh'
Smaller than a penny, the flower-like rock artifact on the left was imaged by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on the end of its robotic arm. 
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Smaller than a penny, the flower-like rock artifact on the left was imaged by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on the end of its robotic arm.
Curiosity Finds a Martian 'Flower'
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this scene of a drill hole named “Edinburgh.” The images used to create the scene were taken on March 22 and 23, 2020, which...
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this scene of a drill hole named “Edinburgh.” The images used to create the scene were taken on March 22 and 23, 2020, which were the 2,711th and 2,712th Martian days, or sols, of the mission.
Curiosity Mastcam's View of 'Edinburgh'
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took this 360-degree selfie using the Mars Hand Lens Imager, or MAHLI, at the end of its robotic arm. The selfie comprises 81 individual images taken on Nov. 20, 2021 – ...
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took this 360-degree selfie using the Mars Hand Lens Imager, or MAHLI, at the end of its robotic arm. The selfie comprises 81 individual images taken on Nov. 20, 2021 – the 3,303rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Two Versions of a Curiosity Selfie: Narrow and Wide
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its black-and-white navigation cameras to capture panoramas of this scene at two times of day. Blue, orange, and green color was added to a combination of both pano...
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its black-and-white navigation cameras to capture panoramas of this scene at two times of day. Blue, orange, and green color was added to a combination of both panoramas for an artistic interpretation of the scene.
A Picture Postcard From Curiosity's Navcams
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie over a rock nicknamed “Rochette,” on September 10, 2021, the 198th Martian day, or sol of the mission. Two holes can be seen where the rover used its...
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Perseverance Mars rover took a selfie over a rock with two holes where the rover used its robotic arm to drill rock core samples.
Perseverance's Selfie at "Rochette"
NASA's Perseverance rover took this image of the Martian rock nicknamed "Rochette" on Aug. 27, 2021, shortly after it abraded a circular patch known as "Bellegarde."
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This is a colored image taken by the Perseverance rover of the Martian rock nicknamed "Rochette" after it abraded a circular patch known as "Bellegarde." The patch is about 0.39 inches (10 millimeters) deep and about 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter. The main image was taken by one of the rover's Hazard Avoidance Cameras. A secondary image in which part of the rover deck is visible shows the abrasion patch from the point of view of a Navigation Camera on Perseverance's mast.
Abrasion Patch on 'Rochette'
The drill hole from Perseverance's second sample-collection attempt can be seen, in this composite of two images taken on Sept. 1, by one of the rover’s navigation cameras. 
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The drill hole from Perseverance's second sample-collection attempt can be seen, in this composite of two images taken on Sept. 1, by one of the rover’s navigation cameras.
Perseverance's Navigation Camera Captures Sample Borehole
A close-up of the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” that the Perseverance science team will examine in order to determine whether to take a rock core sample from it.
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A close-up of the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” that the Perseverance science team will examine in order to determine whether to take a rock core sample from it.
Perseverance at ‘Rochette'
This composite image of Perseverance’s first borehole on Mars was generated using multiple images taken by the rover’s WATSON imager.  
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This composite image of Perseverance’s first borehole on Mars was generated using multiple images taken by the rover’s WATSON imager.
WATSON Image of Perseverance's First Borehole
This series of images from a navigation camera aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover shows a gust of wind sweeping dust across the Martian plain beyond the rover’s tracks on June 18, 2021 (the 117th sol...
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This series of images from a navigation camera aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover shows a gust of wind sweeping dust across the Martian plain beyond the rover’s tracks on June 18, 2021 (the 117th sol, or Martian day, of the mission).
Perseverance Captures a Gust of Martian Dust

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