This page is the start of the tour which explores the surface of Mars. In this tour, we will describe different features found on the surface and the geography of the planet. Use the navigation button at the top of the page to move through the tour. To go to the next page, just press the forward link on the navigation button.
To the left is a movie of a rotating Mars. We will show in this tour that the surface of Mars has many of the same features found on the surface of the Earth; volcanoes, canyons, continental features, and polar caps.
Scientists have found the largest known valleys in the solar system -- on Mars! These valleys lie under a covering of dust, ash, and lava, but they could still be seen by a satellite that uses lasers to...more
Look at the bed below the body of the sleeping man. You can still see where he was lying down. The heat from his body warmed up the bed sheets which are now radiating infrared light toward your eyes....more
All warm objects (not just people) release infrared light. Warmer objects give off more infrared light. Very hot objects radiate other types of light as well. Click on the picture to see the infrared...more
What kinds of light can people see? Our eyes can see visible light. When it passes into our eyes different types of visible light create different sensations that we see as colors. ...more
Imagine you found a pair of special glasses that not only gave you telescopic vision but gave you the ability to see all forms of radiant energy. The universe in visible light contains all the familiar...more
This is a volcano on the island of Miyake in Japan. It has erupted, sending hot lava and ash into the air, a total of ten times. The time after one eruption until the next occurred was about twenty years...more
This is a picture of a galaxy in visible light. A galaxy is a large number of stars, some like our sun, some bigger, some smaller and all moving together through space. This galaxy is called Centaurus...more