Celestial Bodies and Craters

Images of celestial surfaces featuring craters and geological formations from various planets and moons, showcasing textured gray landscapes.

Inside Eminescu

The crater identified in this NAC image was named in November 2008 for Ronald Moody, a 20th century Jamaican sculptor and painter. Moody features a central peak or peak-ring structure and an annulus of dark material on its outer floor (green arrows).

Details of Dominici

Crater with Wind Streak

This image of Marcia AV-L-12, from the atlas of the giant asteroid Vesta, was created from images taken as NASA's Dawn mission flew around the object, also known as a protoplanet.

Tune in to NASA's News Conference today, November 29, 2012, at 2 p.m. EST for new findings about Mercury's polar regions. a href= http //www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html rel= nofollow www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html /a Due to its nearly vertical spin axis, Mercury's north pole is never fully sunlit. If it were, it might look something like this image, which is an orthographic projection of a global mosaic. The dark area towards the center of the image contains the north pole. The MESSENGER spacecraft is the first ever to orbit the planet Mercury, and the spacecraft's seven scientific instruments and radio science investigation are unraveling the history and evolution of the Solar System's innermost planet. Visit the Why Mercury section of this website to learn more about the key science questions that the MESSENGER mission is addressing. During the one-year primary mission, MESSENGER acquired 88,746 images and extensive other data sets. MESSENGER is now in a yearlong

A Multitude of Rays

Spirit Traverse Map, Sol 680

Ganymede - Close Up Photos

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took two images of the larger of Mars' two moons, Phobos, within 10 minutes of each other on March 23, 2008. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Abedin's Ejecta

Windstreaks located in Chryse Planitia as seen by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

These images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft are located in Urbinia quadrangle, in Vesta's southern hemisphere.

The southern hemisphere of Saturn's moon Tethys is seen in this updated polar stereographic maps, mosaicked from the best-available images obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

One of the strangest landforms spotted by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft when it flew past Pluto last July was the 'bladed' terrain just east of Tombaugh Regio, the informal name given to Pluto's large heart-shaped surface feature.

NASA's New Horizons views the informally named Sputnik Planum on Pluto (top) and the informally named Vulcan Planum on Charon (bottom).

This set of images from the radar instrument on NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows a relatively 'fresh' crater called Sinlap (left) and an extremely degraded crater called Soi (right).

This image was obtained by NASA's Dawn spacecraft on July 31, 2018 from an altitude of about 31 miles (50 kilometers). The center of this picture is located at about 45.4 degrees south latitude and 252.8 degrees east longitude.

A Volcanic Crater in an Impact Crater

This image of asteroid Vesta from NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows part of a large crater with a relatively fresh rim located in Vesta's Numisia quadrangle, near the equator.

Riddles in the Dark

As NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft sped by Mercury on January 14, 2008, the Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) captured this shot looking toward Mercury's north pole.

This image, which is composed of data obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft, shows the topography of a mountain known as Janiculum Dorsa on the Saturnian moon Dione.

In this image from NASA's Dawn spacecraft, bright material extends out from the crater Canuleia on asteroid Vesta. The bright material appears to have been thrown out of the crater during the impact that created it.

NASA's Mariner 10 shows a close-up view of one-half of a circular basin the largest observed on Mercury. Hills and valleys extend in a radial fashion outward from the main ring.

Ares Valles: Night and Day

Spirit's View on Sol 142 (Vertical)

This anaglyph from NASA's Dawn spacecraft image shows the topography of asteroid Vesta's southeastern region. You need 3D glasses to view this image.

These images show part of asteroid Vesta's equatorial region, which contains impact craters and troughs (linear depressions).

Craters, Peaks, and Chains

The Complex Geology of Geddes Crater

The inset perspective view from NASA's Dawn space of Ceres' bright spot Occator Crator is overlaid with data concerning the composition. Red signifies a high abundance of carbonates, while gray indicates a low carbonate abundance.

Mitten shaped region of Chaotic Terrain on Europa

Perspective View of HiRISE First Image

He (or She) Who Shall Be Named

Flung Far from Home

Peaking Out -- in 3-D!

Bacolor Crater is a magnificent impact feature about 20 kilometers (12 miles) wide. This image is part of an 'All Star' set marking the occasion of NASA's Mars Odyssey as the longest-working Mars spacecraft in history.

Crater Brilliance

Young Volcanism on Mercury

Martian Crater

ISS009-E-05944 (7 May 2004) --- The Pinacates Biosphere Reserve is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 9 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). The Pinacatesa moon-like volcanic landscape that lies in the Sonoran Desert in Mexico just a few miles from the border with Arizonais one of the most unique and striking landscapes in North America. The volcanic range is surrounded by one of North Americas largest dune fields, Gran Desierto. The natural history of the region includes thousands of years of human occupation; it is the aboriginal homeland of the OOdham tribe, also known as the Papago. The region also served as an early training site for Apollo astronauts in the mid-late 1960s. The name Pinacate is derived from pinacatl, the Aztec name for the desert stink beetle which is common in the region. The natural and cultural resource management of the region, including the archeological sites and the high biodiversit

Valleys much younger than well-known ancient valley networks on Mars are evident near the informally named 'Heart Lake' on Mars. This map based on NASA's MGS data presents color-coded topographical information overlaid onto a photo mosaic.

NASA's New Horizons scientists have discovered a striking contrast between one of the fresh craters on Pluto's largest moon Charon and a neighboring crater. The crater, informally named Organa, caught scientists' attention.

Rock Moved by Mars Lander Arm

This recent image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, acquired to certify a landing site for NASA'a InSight mission, shows a distinctive crater with a very sharp rim and ejecta.

This anaglyph from NASA's Dawn spacecraft shows degraded craters shows partially degraded craters and ridges in asteroid Vesta's Pinaria quadrangle. You need 3D glasses to view this image.

Standing Out in a Crowd

Examining Eminescu

This final traverse map for NASA's Opportunity rover shows where the rover was located within Perseverance Valley on June 10, 2018, the last date it made contact with its engineering team. Visible in this map is a yellow traverse route beginning at Opportunity's landing site, Eagle Crater, and ranging 28.06 miles (45.16 kilometers) to its final resting spot on the rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover was descending down into the crater in Perseverance Valley when the dust storm ended its mission. This map is made from several images taken by the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Those images are B02_010486_1779_XN_02S005W, P15_006847_1770_XN_03S005W, and P13_006135_1789_XN_01S005W. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates the camera.

Spirit's Trip to the Hills

Spirit's Route in Black and White

Artwork of the terminator on the Moon, showing shadows cast by the mountains and crater rims.

This global digital map of Rhea was created using data taken during NASA's Cassini and Voyager spacecraft flybys.

Changing Stripes

This image shows the quadrangle where NASA's Curiosity rover landed, within the expansive Gale Crater. The mission's science team has divided the landing region into several square quadrangles, or quads, of interest about 1-mile (1.3-kilometers) wide.

NASA's Mariner 10 shows a close-up view of craters Vyasa and Stravinsky on Mercury. Stravinsky is a smooth-floored crater partially seen overlying the rim of the larger, rougher crater Vyasa in the center and left.

Mars Pathfinder Landing Ellipses

AS15-97-13168 (31 July-2 Aug. 1971) --- A view of the flow structure on the rim and edge of the crater Tsiolkovsky in the highlands of the lunar farside, as photographed from lunar orbit by astronaut Alfred M. Worden in the Apollo 15 Command and Service Module (CSM). Note the scarp at the edge of the flow and elongated grooves on the flow surface. While astronauts David R. Scott and James B. Irwin descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Falcon to explore the moon's Hadley-Apennine landing site, Worden remained with the CSM in lunar orbit.

This 3-D image taken by the left and right eyes of the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the odd rock formation dubbed 'Cobra Hoods' (center). 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Ejecta from Copernicus

Mercury in Bronze

The Subtle Colors of Eros

Shown here are color views of the plains near Rudaki crater.

Hello Hollows

AS16-119-19161 (16-27 April 1972) --- The prominent rille feature running through the area is Herigonius I. The coordinates for the center of the area pictured are 14.7 degrees south latitude and 36.4 degrees west longitude. The photo was taken by the Apollo 16 astronauts from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. While astronauts John W. Young and Charles M. Duke Jr. descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Orion to explore the Descartes highlands region of the moon, astronaut Thomas K. (Ken) Mattingly II, remained with the CSM Casper in lunar orbit.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this anaglyph image is a close up view of Copernicus crater. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Bright Peaks, Big Crater

. From Orbit, Looking toward Mercury's Horizon

S72-01711 (July 1972) --- A vertical view of the Apollo 17 landing site in the Taurus-Littrow area of the lunar nearside, with an overlay showing the Lunar Roving Vehicle traverse proposed for the first extravehicular activity. The scale at the bottom is measured in kilometers. One kilometer equals 0.6214 statute mile. The coordinates of the Apollo 17 touchdown point are 30 degrees 44 minutes 58 seconds east longitude and 20 degrees 9 minutes 50 seconds north latitude. This photograph was taken from lunar orbit on an earlier Apollo mission.

This image from NASA's Dawn mission shows the topography of the northern and southern hemispheres of the giant asteroid Vesta, updated with pictures obtained during Dawn's last look back. Around the time of Dawn's departure from Vesta in the late summer of 2012, dawn was beginning to creep over the high northern latitudes, which were dark when Dawn arrived in the summer of 2011. The three craters that make up Dawn's 'snowman' feature can be seen at the top of the northern hemisphere map on the left. A mountain more than twice the height of Mount Everest, inside the largest impact basin on Vesta, can be seen near the center of the southern hemisphere map on the right.

You Can Crater on Me. This is a composite image from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft.

These images from NASA's Dawn spacecraft are located in asteroid Vesta's Marcia quadrangle, just south of Vesta's equator.

MESSENGER Image Compilation from 2010

Color Close-Up of Kuiper

Precise 3D Measurements of Objects at Apollo 14 Landing Site

S69-38667 (July 1969) --- A photographic illustration comparing the size of Apollo Landing Site 2 with that of the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. Site 2 is one of three Apollo 11 lunar landing sites. This will be the landing site if Apollo 11 is launched on July 16, 1969, as scheduled. Site 2 is located at 23 degrees 42 minutes 28 seconds east longitude and 0 degrees 42 minutes 50 seconds north latitude in southwestern Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility). (The white overlay is printed over a lunar surface photograph taken from Apollo 10 during its lunar orbit mission and is numbered AS10-31-4537.)

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