HiRISE is the most powerful camera ever sent to another planet, showing us Mars in astonishing detail. Featuring an outstanding and never-before-published collection of HiRISE high-resolution color images with explanatory captions in twenty-four languages, this book offers a unique volume produced from an active NASA mission.Mars enthusiasts will appreciate these perfect snapshots of our current understanding of Mars, with soon-to-be classic pictures that have come to define our vision of the Red Planet. These images and their interpretations will be held as a yardstick for future exploration as we learn more about the surface and geologic processes of the fourth planet from the Sun.
With tantalizing and artistic glimpses at actively eroding slopes, impact craters, strange polar landscapes, avalanches, and even spectacular descent pictures of probes like the Phoenix Lander and the Mars Science Laboratory, we see what researchers are seeing.
Through vivid and beautiful images, this book underscores the need for such a camera on future orbiters, especially as more landing missions are planned. Mars: The Pristine Beauty of the Red Planet provides a stunning keepsake of one of humanity's greatest accomplishments in space travel.
Alfred S. McEwen is a professor of planetary science within the Lunar and Planetary Lab of the University of Arizona. He is principal investigator of HiRISE for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
Candice Hansen-Koharcheck is a planetary scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. She is the deputy principal investigator of HiRISE.
Ari Espinoza is the media contact, outreach lead, and content producer for HiRISE at the University of Arizona. He is also the coordinator of HiRISE's Beautiful Mars Project.