Keyz's Photos

What it would be like to fly over Mars? Combining terrain data from the orbiting Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft with information about the robotic Spirit rover currently rolling across Mars has resulted in a digital movie that shows what a flight over the Columbia Hills might look like. Dark rippled sand dunes are highlighted against the Columbia Hills in the above opening image. Clicking on the above image though will launch you across Mars approaching the Columbia Hills. On the far side of the hills the dark sand dunes come into view. Soon you pass an unusual whiterimmed structure slightly raised known as Home Plate the origin of which is currently unknown and being researched. Turning you reapproach the hills from a different angle this time zooming in on Spirit a curious alien rover sent from planet Earth. A final zoom pans out over the region.Animated Illustration Credit Doug Ellison Randolph Kirk USGS MSSS MER NASA