Gorgeous New Images from Mars Orbiter

Newly released observations from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) astonish, especially those presented in false color, which aids in distinguishing among surface materials and textures. Blue is the new red!

The HiRISE aboard the MRO investigates deposits and landforms. By combining very high resolution and signal-to-noise ratio with a large swath width allows imaging on a variety of scales down to 1 meter. Below the fold: a sampling of images. To see many, many more, head over to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab: go to Multimedia, select Images.

So when are we going to Mars? Can’t wait.

Dr. Kirtland C. Peterson—“Cat” to his friends and colleagues—feeds his left brain with science, his right brain with a rich feast of fiction, including SF/F.

Among his life’s highlights are sitting in the pilot’s seat of a shuttle prepping for launch at the Kennedy Space Center, and accepting Brannon Braga’s invitation to pitch Star Trek scripts at Paramount in LA.

Just finished Roberto Bolano’s The Savage Detectives, quickly followed by Antwerp.