The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been exploring Mars' orbit and snapping pictures of the Red Planet since 2005, and sends back a data dump each month. But this inundation of images comes from a rare opportunity for unfettered communication between Mars and Earth, since the two planets are in opposition. For a few weeks, Mars and Earth will be in direct opposition to each other in the sky without any obstructions between them, allowing for quicker and more efficient communication across the lightyears.