Mars has been an object of study for NASA scientists for a long time now, and they cannot physically be there, but everything is possible remotely. Ever since the 1990s, NASA has sent multiple rovers to study the soil and learn more about the Red Planet, the celestial body closest to the Earth after the Moon. A trip to send a rover to Mars takes about 10 months, but if the scientists decide to stay in space and not land on the planet, the chances of studying the atmosphere and making discoveries are high.
NASA filled the atmosphere with rovers
The rovers have multiple tasks, such as recording the atmosphere, drilling into rocks, studying the inner layers of the planet, and gathering samples for a future retrieval mission. These are just some of the things they are capable of doing. Even though they have been the main explorers, NASA does not rely just on the vehicles.
While there are rovers on the ground, in orbit, there is another mission going on: the 2001 Mars Odyssey. The satellite has the same name as one of the science fiction movies that changed the genre forever. Responsible for looking at the planet from space, the satellite can see Mount Olympus, the largest volcano in the solar system, frequently, but it recently spotted a new spot that is causing discussions.
NASA registers a new glimpse of the biggest volcano on Mars
One of the largest volcanoes on Mars, the Arsia Mons, was just captured by images through a canopy of clouds before dawn on the Red Planet. This one and the other two volcanoes were seen forming what scientists identify as the Tharsis Montes, a group of mountains surrounded by water ice clouds, especially early in the morning. This particular occasion marks the first time NASA was able to capture an image of the planet’s horizon.
Even though these images are mainly aimed at capturing the upper atmosphere, the Odyssey team has made an effort to frame striking features on the surface, too. In the most recent horizon photo taken on May 2, you can see Arsia Mons rising about 12 miles (20 kilometers) high — that’s nearly twice the height of Earth’s Mauna Loa, which rises 6 miles (9 kilometers) from the ocean floor.
The mission has been active for 24 years
Launched back in 2001 by NASA, Odyssey has been circling Mars longer than any other spacecraft. It wasn’t always meant to take pictures like the one freshly revealed — in fact, it only started capturing these kinds of wide, horizon-style images in 2023. To do it, the spacecraft has to rotate about 90 degrees mid-orbit, pointing its camera — which was originally designed to focus on the surface — sideways, toward the edge of the planet. The result is a unique glimpse of Mars from space that feels closer to what an astronaut might see out of a window aboard the ISS.
Learning how clouds form and behave on Mars helps scientists better understand the planet’s weather, especially how massive dust storms get started. That kind of insight is key for future missions, especially when it comes to tricky phases like entering the atmosphere, landing, or safely descending to the surface.
Scientists are looking for water
According to Jonathon Hill, the operations lead for the Odyssey orbiter’s THEMIS camera at Arizona State University, the team specifically aimed the shot at Arsia Mons, hoping to catch its peak rising above the early morning clouds — and that’s exactly what happened. THEMIS, short for Thermal Emission Imaging System, captures both visible and infrared light, which helps researchers study the planet’s surface and detect underground water ice — a resource that could be vital for future human missions to Mars.