Here’s what Mars looks like up close!

Here is a detailed explanation of the Hope Probe’s first image and other close-up shots taken of the Red Planet.

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The UAE’s Hope Probe returned its first image of the Red Planet – less than a week after it reached its Martian orbit.

Here is a detailed explanation of the image and other close-up shots taken of the Red Planet.

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The north pole of Mars is in the upper left of the image. In the centre, just emerging into the early morning sunlight, is Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System.

The three large shield volcanoes in a line are Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Arisia Mons. If one looked east, one could see the can see the canyon system, Valles Marineris and is partly covered by clouds.

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Ice clouds are also present over the southern highlands (lower right) as well as surrounding the volcano Alba Mons (upper left). Clouds can also be seen above the limb (top of image and middle right, when looking between the planet and space).

The surface of Mars: What the Red Planet looks like up close.

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A gully in the sand dunes of Matara Crater on the surface of Mars, carved by seasonal dry ice that accumulates each year. Photo Reuters ( Nasa /JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)

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This image, cropped from a larger panoramic image mosaic taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit panoramic camera shows the rover’s destination toward the hills nicknamed the Columbia Hills. Reuters/Nasa

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Cliffs of ancient ice on the surface of Mars, featuring brown dusty cliff walls and light blue ice. Reuters/Nasa

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A view of the Ophir Chasma on the northern portion of the vast Mars canyon system, Vallles Marineris, taken by Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Reuters/Nasa

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Nili Patera, one of the most active dune fields on the planet Mars. Image taken by Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Reuters/Nasa

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An impact crater on Mars is seen in an image taken by Nasa”s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Reuters/Nasa

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The northern-most sand dunes are seen as they begin to emerge from their winter cover of seasonal carbon dioxide (dry) ice. Reuters/Nasa

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A location on Mars associated with the best-selling novel and Hollywood movie, “The Martian” This area is in the Acidalia Planitia region and in the novel and the movie, it is the landing site of a crewed mission named Ares 3. Reuters/Nasa

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A view of the Noctis Labyrinthus region of Mars, perched high on the Tharsis rise in the upper reaches of the Valles Marineris canyon system. Reuters/Nasa

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The surface of the planet Mars inside Gale Crater seen from Curiosity. Reuters/Nasa

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Curiosity appears as a bluish dot near the lower right corner of this enhanced-colour view from Orbiter. Reuters/Nasa

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Part of the wall of Gale Crater. Here, a network of valleys believed to have formed by water erosion enters Gale Crater from the outside. Reuters/Nasa

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Mars’ Victoria Crater at Meridiani Planum. Reuters/Nasa

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An iron meteorite on Mars in an image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. Reuters/Nasa

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Two geologically young craters on the surface of Mars. Photo: Reuters / Nasa

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A field of barchan sand dunes appear turquoise blue on the surface of Mars in this enhanced image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Photo: Reuters / Nasa

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Rough spherical features in an area called Yellowknife Bay. These features are interpreted as concretions, implying they formed in water that percolated through pores in the sediment. Spherical concretions have previously been discovered in other rocks on Mars. Photo: Reuters / Nasa

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