Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

July 14, 1997
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download 
 the highest resolution version available.

Mars: Twin Peaks In Stereo
Credit: IMP Team JPL, NASA

Explanation: Get out your red/blue glasses and gaze across the surface of Mars in stereo. You are looking south of west across an ancient flood channel, Ares Vallis, landing site of the Mars Pathfinder. A rover deployment ramp and lander petal define the foreground in this 3D-view while a field of rocks seems to stretch to the horizon. At the upper right, over half a mile distant, are the hills known as the "Twin Peaks". Today is Sol 10, the tenth day the Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover have been operating on the martian surface. Over that period, the mission has been returning a wealth of images and data. The otherwise successful rover activities have been recently hampered by some communication and computer difficulties.

Tomorrow's picture: Vega


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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Technical Rep.: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA/ GSFC
&: Michigan Tech. U.