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We've always been led to believe that Mars is red. That's why it's nicknamed The Red Planet. But as you can see from these stunning new images recently released by NASA, the surface of Mars is actually a lot more colorful than we think.

The images were taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has been rotating the not-so-red planet since it was launched into space in 2005. Thousands of images have been beamed back to earth since then, but few are as impressive as this latest batch of pictures. Several factors (such as the sun's position to Mars, Mars' position to earth, and the Mars equinox) conspired to make photography conditions just right for the MRO, and the Orbiter was able to snap a total of 1,035 images with an incredible level of clarity. From gullies to dunes, valleys to slopes, the pictures reveal a very different Mars to the one of our imagination. Here's a list of some of our favorites. You can find the full collection here. (h/t: mymodernmet)

#2

Steep Slopes Of Hebes Chasma

Steep Slopes Of Hebes Chasma

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#5

Edge Of Mesa Near Idaeus Fossae

Edge Of Mesa Near Idaeus Fossae

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Yvonne Bernal
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As rivers age they can meander and occasionally these meanders get so pronounced that the river cuts off these curving loops at their narrow end leaving them as isolated as oxbow lakes.

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#6

Russell Crater Dunes

Russell Crater Dunes

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#7

Slope Monitoring In Aram Chaos

Slope Monitoring In Aram Chaos

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Khoa Le
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If these are really from Mars... I'm just tearing up with emotion... Cant believe in this time and age, sitting here on earth, and seeing the surface of a planet nearly 55 mil km away. Its just amazing!! ????

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#8

Candidate Recent Impact Site

Candidate Recent Impact Site

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#9

Monitor Gullies In Heaviside Crater

Monitor Gullies In Heaviside Crater

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#10

Cratered Layered Terrain And Wall Slopes In Melas Chasma

Cratered Layered Terrain And Wall Slopes In Melas Chasma

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#11

Valley With Flows In Noachis Terra

Valley With Flows In Noachis Terra

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#12

Well-preserved 2-kilometer Crater On Steep Slope In Tithonium Chasma

Well-preserved 2-kilometer Crater On Steep Slope In Tithonium Chasma

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#13

Spider Terrain

Spider Terrain

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#14

Syria Planum Bedform And Albedo Changes

Syria Planum Bedform And Albedo Changes

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#15

Deposits In Noctis Labyrinthus

Deposits In Noctis Labyrinthus

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Daria B
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see some kind of ghostly face shape a little bit right from the middle.

#16

Polar Erg

Polar Erg

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#17

Sinus Meridiani Dune Monitoring

Sinus Meridiani Dune Monitoring

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#18

Steep Slope In Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus

Steep Slope In Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus

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#19

Bedrock Bright In Night Infrared

Bedrock Bright In Night Infrared

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#20

Variety Of Spider Features

Variety Of Spider Features

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#21

Dune Forms In Viking

Dune Forms In Viking

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#22

Dune Field With Bright Fans

Dune Field With Bright Fans

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#23

Slope Monitoring

Slope Monitoring

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#24

Rock With Terrace And Shadow

Rock With Terrace And Shadow

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#25

Crater In Hesperia Planum

Crater In Hesperia Planum

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Ashley Purser
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Both craters look like Mickey mouse! They should call it that.

#26

Steep Slopes Of Hebes Chasma

Steep Slopes Of Hebes Chasma

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#27

Cryptic Terrain

Cryptic Terrain

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#28

Proctor Crater Dune Gullies

Proctor Crater Dune Gullies

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#29

Landforms Of Arsia Sulci

Landforms Of Arsia Sulci

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#30

Gully Monitoring

Gully Monitoring

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#31

Sinus Meridiani Dune Monitoring

Sinus Meridiani Dune Monitoring

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#32

Impact Crater Exposing Bedrock

Impact Crater Exposing Bedrock

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#33

Yardangs South Of Olympus Mons

Yardangs South Of Olympus Mons

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#34

Possible Phyllosilicates In Area Of Fretted Terrain

Possible Phyllosilicates In Area Of Fretted Terrain

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#36

Steep Slopes

Steep Slopes

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#37

Crater With Central Mound

Crater With Central Mound

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#38

Variety Of Spider Features

Variety Of Spider Features

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#39

Cryptic Terrain

Cryptic Terrain

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