NASA Releases More Than 1,000 New Photos of the Mars Surface (PHOTOS) | The Weather Channel
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It's the best camera that has ever traveled to another planet.

ByNicole BonaccorsoAugust 11, 2016



It's called the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiement (HiRISE), and it's the best camera that has ever traveled to another planet. It sits aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), and has been snapping photos of Mars' surface since 2005. 

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NASA just released a treasure trove of images from HiRISE, 1,035 pictures to be exact. This recent batch shows what Mars looked like on May 22, when Mars and the Sun were on opposite sides of our sky. It was the first time in more than two years that Mars came into opposition in Earth's vision, according to earthsky.org. The sun's direct sunlight on Mars' surface made for beautiful, bright views for MRO's camera. 

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The resulting images show Mars' textured landscape, from valleys to dunes, gullies to craters. HiRISE's photos could be works of abstract art, if you didn't know better. 

Take a look at the breathtaking photos of Mars' uncharted territory, taken by the best camera the planet has seen yet. 

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