

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems



The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX) has been acquiring 6 meters (19.7 feet) per pixel images of Mars since October 2006. To date, more than 20% of Mars has been covered at this scale, and at least 1% more is added each month. This picture of a crater resembling a “happy face” was acquired earlier this week on 28 January 2008. The unnamed crater is about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) across. It is located among the Nereidum Montes, north of the Argyre basin, near 45.1°S, 55.0°W. North is toward the right and sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper right. This is a sub-frame of CTX image P15_007060_1371_XN_42S055W_080128. CTX data are archived with the NASA Planetary Data System every 3 months: http://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/ .

Citation and Credit

The image(s) and caption are value-added products. MSSS personnel processed the images and wrote the caption information. While the image(s) are in the Public Domain, NASA/JPL/MSSS requests that you credit the source of the image(s). Re-use of the caption text without credit is plagiarism. Please give the proper credit for use of the image(s) and/or caption.



Image Credit:

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

—or—

NASA/JPL/MSSS



To cite the image(s) and caption information in a paper or report:

Malin, M. C., J. A. Lougen, D. E. Shean, and K. S. Edgett (2008), Have a Happy Mars, Malin Space Science Systems Captioned Image Release, MSSS-14, http://www.msss.com/msss_images/2008/01/31/.



Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) built and operates the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Mars Color Imager (MARCI) and Context Camera (CTX). MSSS also built and operated the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC). In addition, MSSS built the Mars Odyssey (ODY) Thermal Emission Imaging Spectrometer (THEMIS) Visible (VIS) camera subsystem, which shares optics with the thermal infrared instrument and is operated at Arizona State University (ASU). MSSS built the Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) for the Phoenix Mars Scout lander and in 2008 is designing a camera for the 2011 Juno Mission to Jupiter and is completing camera systems for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover mission and the 2008 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).