NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE Images – March 27, 2013

– Possible Hydrated Minerals on the Plains of Terra Sirenum http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_023335_1560

This image shows a small light-toned exposure of rock on the plains of Terra Sirenum, in a heavily cratered region of the Southern hemisphere of Mars.

– Clay Minerals Near Mawrth Vallis http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_023422_2000

This particular image is part of a collection of observations to support assessment of potential future rover landing sites.

– A Crater with a Surrounding Bench http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_023593_1845

The crater’s original rim appears to have been eroded, mainly above a resistant layer.

– Small Mid-Latitude Crater http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_030916_1250

Although this crater looks fresh, it is already showing signs that it is being filled in and eroded.

All of the HiRISE images are archived here: http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/

Information about the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is online at http://www.nasa.gov/mro. The mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, of Denver, is the prime contractor and built the spacecraft. HiRISE is operated by the University of Arizona. Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp., of Boulder, Colo., built the HiRISE instrument.