Animal trials were truly a strange part of Europe’s medieval history
This picture displays the bottom of Mount Sharp, also known as Aeolis Mons, on Mars. The mountain stands at a height of 5.5 km (3.4 miles) above the surrounding valley.
This image captures a canyon on Mars, specifically in the northern part of the planet's extensive canyon system.
Nili Patera, situated atop a lava bed on the grounds of an ancient volcano, stands as one of Mars' most active dune fields.
These flow features, resembling moraines on Earth, are located in the mid-latitudes of Mars. This indicates that the deposits may contain ice or have had ice in the past.
These spherical shapes in Yellowknife Bay are believed to be concretions, suggesting that water seeped through sediment pores to create them.
An orbiter captured this image of an impact crater on Mars.
This rock outcrop, known as Link, displays rounded gravel fragments, or clasts, ranging in size up to a few centimeters.
These are the sand dunes of Mars' northernmost region, visible as they appear after being covered by seasonal carbon dioxide (dry) ice during winter.
This plain is depicted as the fictional touchdown location for a crewed mission called Ares 3 in the popular novel and film 'The Martian.'
The width of the channels in the Hellas Planitia basin varies from 1 to 10 meters (3.3 feet to 33 feet).
Located on the Tharsis rise in the upper part of Valles Marineris, this area is recognized for its intricate network of deep valleys with steep walls.
This crater, thought to be around 3.5 to 3.8 billion years old, is likely a dry lake located near the northwestern region of the Aeolis quadrangle.
The rover designed to explore Gale crater, which is about the size of a car, can be seen as a blue dot in the lower right corner of the image.
This photo shows a section of the wall of Gale crater, where a system of valleys, thought to be created by water, enters the crater from the surrounding area.
This rock formation's name is Shaler.
The Robotic Arm of the Phoenix lander dug these two trenches.
This impact crater found in the Meridiani Planum plain has a width of approximately 730 meters (2,395 feet)and is named after a ship from Ferdinand Magellan's fleet, the first to sail around the world.
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity took this photo of an iron meteorite on Mars.
This photograph shows the Columbia Hills, a collection of small hills situated in Gusev crater.
This picture displays narrow streaks approximately 100 meters (328 feet) long that are believed to be created by flowing water.
These dark, narrow streaks emerging out of the walls of Garni crater are called recurring slope lineae.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this circular depression on the surface of Mars in February 2015.
This is one of the initial color photographs of the surface of Mars captured after the Phoenix Mars lander spacecraft safely touched down on May 25, 2008. It marked the historic first landing near Mars's northern pole.
This is the percussion drill located at the tip of the Curiosity Robotic Arm, as it contacts the rock surface on January 27, 2013.
This image displays a view from a different angle of a mountain located in eastern Hellas Planitia. The mountain harbors sizable glaciers beneath rocks.
This is an alternative view of the mountain in the eastern Hellas Planitia, which revealed the presence of sizable glaciers concealed beneath fragmented rocks.
This mound appears to have blocked the path of dunes as they move south (to the right of this image).
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured an intriguing rugged cliff edge in this image.
Small pits are visible in the bright residual layer of carbon dioxide ice near a larger, circular feature that extends through the ice and dust. This may be an impact crater or a pit created by collapse.
The NASA Hubble Space Telescope captured this remarkable image of the Red Planet.
Nili Fossae, situated on the northwest edge of Isidis Planitia crater, is a vibrant area on Mars.
A plane is visible flying by, while the crescent moon and planets Venus and Mars can be seen close by.
The Opportunity rover captured an intriguing rock formation in this photograph.
This photo taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter displays frost covering Mars's surface.
This evenly-layered rock formation displays a pattern typical of a lake-floor sedimentary deposit, suggesting a lake once filled this crater.
The Curiosity rover bored into a rock nicknamed Cumberland.
The Martian landscape serves as the backdrop for the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer in this image.
Cape Verde, a landscape with rocky cliffs, stands on the edge of Victoria crater. These cliffs were named after the country, as a tribute to Ferdinand Magellan who had explored Cape Verde during his round-the-world journey.
This marks the highest point of Bathurst Inlet, a rock situated on the surface of Aeolis Palus within the Gale crater.
These water flows are observed during the spring and summer on a slope within the Newton crater.
This is a rock formation found at the Sheepbed, a deposit of mudstone located in the Yellowknife Bay region within Gale crater.
Marquette Island is a rock about the size of a basketball whose texture and composition suggest it came from deep inside the Martian crust.
The pattern in this sedimentary bedrock within Becquerel crater suggests rhythmic bedding.
The descent of NASA's Phoenix lander to the Martian surface with the attached parachute is visible.
Valles Marineris serves as Mars's counterpart to the Grand Canyon.
The Reull Vallis was likely formed by water. The valley got its name from the Gaelic word for planet.
This aerial photograph displays the Echus Chasma, which is among the largest water source regions on Mars.
This circular topographic view, known as Sleepy Hollow, was discovered in the Gusev Crater on Mars.
This photo depicts NASA's Mars Pathfinder probe surveying the planet's landscape in 1997.
Waterfalls may have cascaded down these towering cliffs in the past, which stand at a staggering 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). The remarkably even valley floor indicates that it was subsequently submerged by basaltic lava.
This image depicts the Phoenix lander arriving on the Red Planet, as envisioned by an artist.
This high-definition image captures the detailed features of Mars, while it was positioned approximately 100 million km (60 million miles) away from Earth.
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Stunning Mars photos that reveal the Red Planet like never before
The lovely vistas of our celestial neighbor
LIFESTYLE Space
Explore the beautiful landscapes of our neighboring planet by browsing through this gallery of breathtaking images. Click through to get started.