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Credit & Copyright: Mars Express,
ESA
Explanation:
Hurtling toward its destination, the high resolution camera
on board ESA's
Mars Express spacecraft recorded
this tantalizing view
of the Red Planet earlier this month on December 3rd.
Seen from a distance of 5.5 million kilometers,
features across part of Mars' western
hemisphere are bathed in sunlight.
The
Martian night
side is also prominent
from the spacecraft's perspective, a view not possible for
Earthbound telescopes.
Launched on an
interplanetary voyage of exploration
in early June, Mars Express carries with it the
Beagle 2 lander, scheduled to
be released from Mars Express tomorrow, December 19th.
Mars Express and Beagle 2 will then continue the journey separately,
but both are scheduled to reach Mars on December 25th, with
Mars Express entering an elliptical
orbit
and Beagle 2 descending to the
Martian surface.
Two more invaders from Earth, NASA's
Mars
Exploration Rovers, will arrive in January.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mars - Mars-Express
Publications with words: Mars - Mars-Express
See also:
- APOD: 2024 December 3 Á Ice Clouds over a Red Planet
- APOD: 2024 November 10 Á Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars
- APOD: 2024 September 9 Á Mars: Moon, Craters, and Volcanos
- APOD: 2024 June 5 Á Shadow of a Martian Robot
- Ares 3 Landing Site: The Martian Revisited
- The Shadow of Ingenuity s Damaged Rotor Blade
- APOD: 2023 November 7 Á A Martian Dust Devil Spins By