Extraordinary images reveal the mysteries of Mars

From H.G. Wells’ Alien Invaders space war to MartianAs abandoned astronauts, we have long been inspired by the idea that there could be life on Mars, human or otherwise. Thanks to flybys, orbiters, and landers, including NASA’s Perseverance rover and its companion Ingenuity, Mars has become one of the best-understood planets in the solar system. Now, more than ever, we are closer to answering the question: could there be life there?

new book, Mars: Photos from NASA archivescelebrates missions that have deepened our understanding of Mars and looks to the future when humans explore the Red Planet.

Main photo, taken from above: Dingo Gap in Gale Crater, which NASA’s Curiosity rover passed through. An impact crater in the Meridiani Planum photographed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment Camera. Mars’ surface temperatures, ranging from cold blue to warm red, captured by the Mars Odyssey spacecraft’s thermal imaging system. Perseverance photographed the parachute used to delay the landing. A rocket-powered stage will lower Perseverance to Mars under the control of a “sky crane.”