Jason Davis • Nov 09, 2023
The best pictures of Mars from space
We’ve been taking pictures of Mars from space since 1965, when Mariner 4 returned the first pictures of another planet to Earth. Scientists were too anxious to wait for computers to process the first image, so they turned the incoming signal into a color-by-numbers project. Each pixel in the picture received a color value based on its brightness as seen by Mariner 4. The result was a charming combination of art and science:
![Mariner 4 hand-colored first image](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x1420_crop_center-center_82_line/mariner4-color-by-numbers.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x710_crop_center-center_82_line/mariner4-color-by-numbers.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x454_crop_center-center_82_line/mariner4-color-by-numbers.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x340_crop_center-center_82_line/mariner4-color-by-numbers.jpg 576w)
Fortunately, space imaging technology has improved by leaps and bounds since then, providing us with exquisite images of Mars on a regular basis. Below, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite views of Mars from space. They are sorted by type for easier browsing. You can also view a collection of these images in the video below.
The best images of Mars taken from space Spacecraft have been taking pictures of Mars from space since 1965. Here are some of our favorites.
Global views
![Rosetta approaches Mars](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1200_crop_center-center_82_line/mars_globe_rosetta_N20070224T182903840ID30F71_rgb_colormixed.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/mars_globe_rosetta_N20070224T182903840ID30F71_rgb_colormixed.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/mars_globe_rosetta_N20070224T182903840ID30F71_rgb_colormixed.jpg 576w)
![Mars Orbiter Mission's first global image of Mars (processed)](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1261_crop_center-center_82_line/20140929_ByueA70CAAAyt9E.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x807_crop_center-center_60_line/20140929_ByueA70CAAAyt9E.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x605_crop_center-center_60_line/20140929_ByueA70CAAAyt9E.jpg 576w)
![Mars from the Hope spacecraft](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x916_crop_center-center_82_line/mars-from-hope.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x586_crop_center-center_82_line/mars-from-hope.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x439_crop_center-center_82_line/mars-from-hope.jpg 576w)
![Northern summer global view of Mars from Mars Orbiter Mission](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1200_crop_center-center_82_line/20171002_mars_sr_MCC_MRC_20160122T091910184_D_D32_sharpened_color.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/20171002_mars_sr_MCC_MRC_20160122T091910184_D_D32_sharpened_color.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/20171002_mars_sr_MCC_MRC_20160122T091910184_D_D32_sharpened_color.jpg 576w)
Moons over Mars
![Phobos over Mars from Mars Express](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x2610_crop_center-center_82_line/20130714_phobosND_img.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x1670_crop_center-center_60_line/20130714_phobosND_img.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x1253_crop_center-center_60_line/20130714_phobosND_img.jpg 576w)
![Phobos over Mars from MOM in natural color](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1200_crop_center-center_82_line/20161006_MCC_MRC_20141014T112559854_D_GDS-phobos.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/20161006_MCC_MRC_20141014T112559854_D_GDS-phobos.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/20161006_MCC_MRC_20141014T112559854_D_GDS-phobos.jpg 576w)
![Deimos over Mars](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x900_crop_center-center_82_line/hope-deimos-over-mars.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x576_crop_center-center_82_line/hope-deimos-over-mars.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x432_crop_center-center_82_line/hope-deimos-over-mars.jpg 576w)
Wide views
![Mist in the Canyon](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x2718_crop_center-center_82_line/20131209_marineris_fog.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x1739_crop_center-center_60_line/20131209_marineris_fog.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x1304_crop_center-center_60_line/20131209_marineris_fog.jpg 576w)
![Mars’ south pole](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x571_crop_center-center_82_line/20180731_mars-south-pole-mars-express.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x365_crop_center-center_60_line/20180731_mars-south-pole-mars-express.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x274_crop_center-center_60_line/20180731_mars-south-pole-mars-express.jpg 576w)
![Martian volcanoes](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x2192_crop_center-center_82_line/20160126_23843525423_5fd03caf55_o.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x1403_crop_center-center_60_line/20160126_23843525423_5fd03caf55_o.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x1052_crop_center-center_60_line/20160126_23843525423_5fd03caf55_o.jpg 576w)
![Hellas Basin from Mars Express](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x1383_crop_center-center_82_line/20170725_cowart-hellas-mex.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x691_crop_center-center_82_line/20170725_cowart-hellas-mex.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x442_crop_center-center_60_line/20170725_cowart-hellas-mex.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x332_crop_center-center_60_line/20170725_cowart-hellas-mex.jpg 576w)
![Borealis Planitia - Mars Express](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x775_crop_center-center_82_line/20190130_borealis-planitia-mars-express.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x387_crop_center-center_82_line/20190130_borealis-planitia-mars-express.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x248_crop_center-center_60_line/20190130_borealis-planitia-mars-express.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x186_crop_center-center_60_line/20190130_borealis-planitia-mars-express.jpg 576w)
![Viking Orbiter 1 - Valles Marineris](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1290_crop_center-center_82_line/20180507_VikingOrbiter1-VallesMarineris.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x826_crop_center-center_60_line/20180507_VikingOrbiter1-VallesMarineris.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x619_crop_center-center_60_line/20180507_VikingOrbiter1-VallesMarineris.jpg 576w)
Closeups
![Oblique view of Victoria crater from HiRISE](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1313_crop_center-center_82_line/20140101_377896main_mroA-20090811-browse.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x840_crop_center-center_60_line/20140101_377896main_mroA-20090811-browse.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x630_crop_center-center_60_line/20140101_377896main_mroA-20090811-browse.jpg 576w)
![Martian Dunescape](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x474_crop_center-center_82_line/20200416_MRO-Del-Mar-Dunes-ESP_063407_2600_RGB_NOMAP.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x303_crop_center-center_60_line/20200416_MRO-Del-Mar-Dunes-ESP_063407_2600_RGB_NOMAP.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x227_crop_center-center_60_line/20200416_MRO-Del-Mar-Dunes-ESP_063407_2600_RGB_NOMAP.jpg 576w)
![Recurring slope lineae in Newton Crater, Mars](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x1783_crop_center-center_82_line/20130717_ESP_022689_1380_red_crop.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x891_crop_center-center_82_line/20130717_ESP_022689_1380_red_crop.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x570_crop_center-center_60_line/20130717_ESP_022689_1380_red_crop.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x428_crop_center-center_60_line/20130717_ESP_022689_1380_red_crop.jpg 576w)
![Martian Avalanche!](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x776_crop_center-center_82_line/20140413_mars_avalanche.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x496_crop_center-center_60_line/20140413_mars_avalanche.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x372_crop_center-center_60_line/20140413_mars_avalanche.jpg 576w)
![Mars impact crater from MRO](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x434_crop_center-center_82_line/mars-impact-crater-mro.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x325_crop_center-center_82_line/mars-impact-crater-mro.jpg 576w)
Space hardware
![Color version of the 'Phoenix Descending' HiRISE image](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_2400x1179_crop_center-center_82_line/20140201_PSP_008579_9020_cut_b.jpg 2400w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x589_crop_center-center_82_line/20140201_PSP_008579_9020_cut_b.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x377_crop_center-center_60_line/20140201_PSP_008579_9020_cut_b.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x282_crop_center-center_60_line/20140201_PSP_008579_9020_cut_b.jpg 576w)
![Opportunity's landing site in color for the first time from HiRISE](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_1200x1800_crop_center-center_82_line/20170421_opportunity-landing-site-in-color.jpg 1200w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x1152_crop_center-center_60_line/20170421_opportunity-landing-site-in-color.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x864_crop_center-center_60_line/20170421_opportunity-landing-site-in-color.jpg 576w)
![Tianwen-1 above Mars](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x576_crop_center-center_82_line/tianwen-1-in-mars-orbit.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x432_crop_center-center_82_line/tianwen-1-in-mars-orbit.jpg 576w)
![Curiosity travels across the Dingo Gap](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_537x537_crop_center-center_line/20140403_ESP_035350_1755_RED_crop_detail.jpg 537w)
![Rosetta was here](https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_768x768_crop_center-center_60_line/20130131_CIVA_Mars_30_H.jpg 768w, https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/_576x576_crop_center-center_60_line/20130131_CIVA_Mars_30_H.jpg 576w)
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