Images

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft captured this high-resolution enhanced color view of Pluto on July 14, 2015. The image combines blue, red and infrared images taken by the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera (MVIC). Pluto's surface sports a remarkable range of subtle colors, enhanced in this view to a rainbow of pale blues, yellows, oranges, and deep reds.

The LOLA and Kaguya Teams have created an improved lunar digital elevation model (DEM) covering latitudes within ±60°, at a horizontal resolution of 512 pixels per degree (∼59 m at the equator) and a typical vertical accuracy ∼3 to 4 m.

The Agnesi quadrangle (V–45), named for centrally located Agnesi crater, encompasses approximately 6,500,000 km² extending from lat 25° to 50° S. and from long 30° to 60° E. The V–45 quadrangle lies within Venus’ lowland broadly between highlands Ovda Regio to the northeast and Alpha Regio to the west.

USGS SIM 3309: Bedrock Geologic and Structural Map Through the Western Candor Colles Region of Mars

By Chris H. Okubo

Map package and all GIS materials are available from the USGS Publications Warehouse: https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3309

This global geologic map of Mars, which records the distribution of geologic units and landforms on the planet's surface through time, is based on unprecedented variety, quality, and quantity of remotely sensed data acquired since the Viking Orbiters.

USGS scientist Ren Thompson (in yellow) explaining the geology of Wild and scenic Rivers to the astronauts and fellow instructors and NASA staff.

This publication provides a geological map of Lada Terra quadrangle (V–56), a portion of the southern hemisphere of Venus that extends from lat 50° S. to 70° S. and from long 0° E. to 60° E.

Ganymede is the largest satellite of Jupiter, and its icy surface has been formed through a variety of of impact cratering, tectonic, and possibly cryovolcanic processes.

A cluster of cones with summit depressions in Coprates Chasma, Mars. These structures, morphologically speaking, resemble cinder cones. More likely, they are mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes occur when a slurry of liquid, gas, and sediment is forced to the surface from a depth of several meters to several kilometers.

July 09, 2013

Original Caption Released with Image:

USGS SIM 3177: Geologic Map of the North Polar Region of Mars

By Kenneth L. Tanaka and Corey M. Fortezzo

Map and all associated documents are available through the USGS Publications Warehouse: https://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3177/

This image is from the last sequence of images NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained of the giant asteroid Vesta, looking down at Vesta's north pole as it was departing. When Dawn arrived in July 2011, Vesta's northern region was in darkness. After more than a year at Vesta, the sunlight has now made it to Vesta's north pole, which is in the middle of the image.

Io, discovered by Galileo Galilei on January 7–13, 1610, is the innermost of the four Galilean satellites of the planet Jupiter (Galilei, 1610).

Dual-sided lunar image used in support of the Astrogeology Science Center ROLO project.

Mosaic of the Valles Marineris hemisphere of Mars projected into point perspective, a view similar to that which one would see from a spacecraft. The distance is 2500 kilometers from the surface of the planet, with the scale being .6km/pixel. The mosaic is composed of 102 Viking Orbiter images of Mars.

A photo of the Remote Lunar Observatory (ROLO) telescope, located in Flagstaff, Arizona.

A photo of the Remote Lunar Observatory (ROLO) telescope, located in Flagstaff, Arizona.

A photo of the Remote Lunar Observatory (ROLO) telescope, located in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The image is from the Martian southern polar region. CO2 ice shown here is about 10 feet thick, and the semi-circular depressions are about 200 ft across. 

Taking measurements of arid soil with a field spectrometer.