HiRISE Image Reveals Colorful Rocks in Mars' Southern Highlands
A HiRISE image of the Martian Southern Highlands uses enhanced color to distinguish subtle differences across ancient rocky terrain.
FlyMarshall Newsroom1 min read
Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
HiRISE, a camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, captured an image of rocky terrain in Mars’ Southern Highlands. Enhanced color brings out differences among the rocks, rather than showing the scene as human eyes would see it.
Key details
- The image depicts an ancient rocky hill or plain in Mars’ Southern Highlands.
- Blue and green tones may indicate pyroxenes or olivine, while yellow, orange and red areas may include minerals linked to past interactions with liquid water.
- Researchers use mineral identification to study Mars’ geological history and look for evidence of past water.
The image was captured by HiRISE aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Why it matters
Color differences can help researchers identify minerals in Martian terrain. Those minerals offer clues about the planet’s geological history and environmental conditions when liquid water may have been present.
What happens next
Continued study of HiRISE imagery can help researchers map Mars’ varied geology and investigate its watery past. What other clues might the planet’s rocks reveal?
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