BEAUTIFUL MARS

HiPOD: A New Impact Crater Exposes Bright Material

We’ve imaged thousands of new impact sites. These are locations with before and after images constraining when the impact happened. We are especially interested in craters that expose shallow ice, which appears as especially bright and relatively blue material.

The new impact imaged here looks like such a crater, but it formed at 3.5 North latitude, almost exactly on the equator, where shallow ice is highly unstable to loss by sublimation. There is also regolith that is bright and relatively blue, perhaps material altered by hot springs or fumaroles. This crater may have revealed an interesting deposit that was hidden by dust. We will monitor this crater over time to see if it fades rapidly as expected for ice.

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_092110_1835 date: 21 March 2026 altitude: 267 km

HiPOD: Bedrock Ridges in Terra Sabaea

This region of Mars has well-exposed bedrock, that is not covered by very much dust or sand. Such exposures are windows into the composition of Mars, as measured by spectrometers.

This region also shows a spectacular array of ridges, that formed first as fractures of faults, then fluids (water or lava) moved through the fractures depositing harder rocks. These hard rocks are resistant to erosion when exposed at the surface, so they are left as elevated ridges.

Colors have been enhanced in the cutout to better show the compositional variations. (Cutout is less than 1 km across. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.)

ID: ESP_092084_1525 date: 19 March 2026 altitude: 256 km

HiPOD: A Dune Field at Herschel Crater

This area is potentially useful for monitoring the wind-generated processes of Hershel Crater. This gorgeous dune field near the center of the image target. HiRISE images have demonstrated that the dunes are not stationary, but have moved over time, so multiple images help to track those changes over time. The crater is jointly named after the 17th/18th century father and son astronomers William Herschel and John Herschel.

ID: ESP_077062_1660 date: 3 January 2023 altitude: 257 km

HiPOD: Frosty Dunes of an Impact Crater

This observation is one of three images requested from HiRISE at this location to monitor frost deposition, evolution and sublimation. The Context Camera was also requested as a “ride along” to assist with frost detection. Our image will also be used for detailed surface measurements.

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across; grayscale cutout is less than 5 km across. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_077070_2410 date: 4 January 2023 altitude: 310 km

HiPOD: East of Aram Chaos

Aram Chaos is of particular scientific interest because it is hypothesized that its chaotic terrain may be the source of water that contributed to the creation of nearby valleys such as Ares Vallis flowing toward Chryse Planitia. Our science goal with this observation is to see more details about these extensive light-toned deposits: could they be more sulfates or other hydrated materials?

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across; grayscale cutout is less than 5 km across. For full image, including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_077054_1825 date: 3 January 2023 altitude: 271 km

HiPOD: Field of Cones

The objective of this observation is to examine a field of light-toned cones that is surrounded by dark material and happens to be free of cones. This image footprint is in Acidalia Planitia, a vast plain in the northern lowlands of Mars.

ID: ESP_077093_2230 date: 6 January 2023 altitude: 301 km

HiPOD: Fan and Ridges in Southern Gale Crater

Our objective with this observation is to study a setting of complex fan and ridge systems in southern Gale Crater. HiRISE stereo was also requested to investigate their stratigraphy and geologic evolution. This footprint is almost directly southeast of the Curiosity rover, close to the base of Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp).

ID: ESP_077088_1745 date: 6 January 2023 altitude: 266 km

HiPOD: Layers on the Floor

The objective of this observation is to examine a nice outcrop of layers on the floor of an impact crater in Arabia Terra. Perhaps, the crater once held a lake. Arabia Terra is one of the oldest surface regions on Mars and contains a large variety of surface features. This scene is also visible in Context Camera image data.

ID: ESP_077080_1900 date: 5 January 2023 altitude: 275 km

HiPOD: Impact Related Deposits and Flows in Noachis Terra

The purpose of this image target is to observe how surface flow patterns in the area vary with distance from the proposed parent crater. This is one of several flow feature observations being suggested in the vicinity of the well-preserved crater to the southeast here in Noachis Terra.

Image cutout is less than 5 km across. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_076922_1505 date: 24 December 2022  altitude: 253 km

HiPOD: Martian Impact Parties: Where Everything Happens in a Cluster 

The HiRISE and Context Camera instruments onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have discovered over 700 recent impact sites on Mars. Some of these sites contain crater clusters where multiple craters are concentrated in a single region.

These clusters are thought to have formed when an incoming impactor fragmented in the Martian atmosphere, with the resulting debris creating newer craters in close proximity. Investigating these recently formed crater clusters provides valuable insights into the atmospheric fragmentation processes and the characteristics of the impacting bodies.

Our HiRISE image shows one such site where several meter-sized craters were formed between 2009 and 2011. The craters also contain very distinctive dark blast zones, suggesting the removal or disturbance of surface material. The arcing patterns around the crater indicate an oblique impact angle, with the bolide likely coming from the southwest.

ID: ESP_055581_1985 date: 5 June 2018  altitude: 277 km

HiPOD: The Spring Awakening of Martian Polar Dunes

During the Martian winter, carbon dioxide ice (dry ice) blankets various landforms, including dunes, in the northern high latitudes. As spring arrives, the ice sublimates, causing unique changes on the surface.

This HiRISE image captures a site featuring a North Polar scarp and nearby dune field, showing the early to mid-stages of defrosting during northern spring. In areas without dunes, the ice remains a continuous layer, while on the dunes, dark defrosting spots appear as the surface material beneath the ice is mobilized and deposited on top.

In some cases, this mobile material also cascades down the steep dune faces, leading to the formation of dark streaks that can be easily identified in our enhanced color cutout. This dynamic interaction between the sublimating ice and the underlying surface provides us a unique glimpse at the seasonal processes that shape the landscape on present-day Mars.

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_087131_2640 date: 26 February 2025 altitude: 316 km

HiPOD: Ejecta as Art

This image footprint is part of the massive ejecta blanket of Arandas Crater. The inner ejecta layer runs up against the rim of a pre-existing crater, and has produced several compressional ridges on the blanket. In addition, there are radial grooves that are typical of the inner layer of a double layer ejecta crater. This image will help resolve the timing of groove formation relative to the interaction of the ejecta layer and any obstacles.

Grayscale cutout is less than 5 km across; enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_077067_2220 date: 4 January 2023 altitude: 300 km

HiPOD: Landforms in Utopia Planitia

This observation features landforms that resemble cratered-cones, but are morphologically distinct and may have a different formation mechanism. At HiRISE resolution, we can look for textures that may provide clues on how these features formed.

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across; grayscale is less than 5 km. For full image, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_077063_2110 date: 4 January 2023 altitude: 290 km

HiPOD: The Floor of East Candor Chasma

This target location is an interesting area, with possible soft sediment deformation of lacustrine (lake-based) sediment. This observation was requested to support geologic mapping.Candor Chasma is one of the largest canyons that make up Valles Marineris. The floor of Candor Chasma includes a variety of landforms, including layered deposits, dunes, landslide deposits and steep sided cliffs and mesas.

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across; grayscale is less than 5 km. For full image, visit the source link.

HiPOD: The Scalloped Terrain of Utopia Planitia

This image footprint is in a region of abundant scalloped depressions. Their formation most likely involves development of oval- to scalloped-shaped depressions that may coalesce together, leading to the formation of large areas of pitted terrain. Scalloped pits typically have a steep pole-facing scarp and a gentler equator-facing slope.

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across; grayscale is less than 5 km. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_077037_2240 date: 2 January 2023 altitude: 299 km

HiPOD: Fluvial Erosion in Phlegra Montes

This public target via HiWish suggests to observe possible fluvial erosion that could help understand the climate history of Mars. Context Camera data and previous HiRISE images show faint, but possible channels. Phlegra Montes is a range of gently curving mountains and ridges on Mars, extending from the northeastern portion of the Elysium volcanic province to the northern lowlands.

ID: ESP_076823_2195 date: 16 December 2022 altitude: 296 km

HiPOD: Layers in West Melas Chasma

This stunning image shows well-exposed layers of a canyon wall in Melas Chasma. Our science goal is to see if we can constrain layer orientations, pinchout patterns and unconformities that can help determine layer origins. A stereo pair will help us to measure layer orientations.

Enhanced color cutout is less than 1 km across; grayscale is less than 5 km. For full image including scale bar, visit the source link.

ID: ESP_077043_1715 date: 2 January 2023 altitude: 264 km