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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)

#1

Dunes Dubbed Kolhar

Dunes Dubbed Kolhar

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Prachi Adesara
Community Member
10 years ago

Shut up that's a towel

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    #2

    Steep Slopes Of Hebes Chasma

    Steep Slopes Of Hebes Chasma

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    Silvia Fabi
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    It looks like a cliff touched by the ocean. Amazing

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    #3

    Cryptic Terrain

    Cryptic Terrain

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    Shaxx Sart
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    Dalmatian

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    #4

    Irregular Basin Floor Materials

    Irregular Basin Floor Materials

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    Ashley Purser
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    Sunweathered bricks

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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
    9 years ago

    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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    Olivia Mioch
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    Vienetta for dessert

    #7

    Slope Monitoring In Aram Chaos

    Slope Monitoring In Aram Chaos

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    Khoa Le
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    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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    Silvia Fabi
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    Like a drop of ink on watercolour paper

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    #9

    Monitor Gullies In Heaviside Crater

    Monitor Gullies In Heaviside Crater

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    Rhea Punsalan
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    looks like a chocolate ice cream about to melt

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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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    Yvonne Bernal
    Community Member
    9 years ago

    Looks like a metal scrap! Amazing

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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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    Yvonne Bernal
    Community Member
    9 years ago

    Looks more like UNDER water than above water

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    #13

    Spider Terrain

    Spider Terrain

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    Yvonne Bernal
    Community Member
    9 years ago

    OMGoodness! It REALLY does look like spiders!!

    #14

    Syria Planum Bedform And Albedo Changes

    Syria Planum Bedform And Albedo Changes

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    Raquel Prymak
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    Wow! looks like an ocean

    #15

    Deposits In Noctis Labyrinthus

    Deposits In Noctis Labyrinthus

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    10 years ago

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

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    #16

    Polar Erg

    Polar Erg

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    Rhea Punsalan
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    i like the color , like candy

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    #17

    Sinus Meridiani Dune Monitoring

    Sinus Meridiani Dune Monitoring

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    Yvonne Bernal
    Community Member
    9 years ago

    I see a Bored Panda on the left side!

    #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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    Kaye Plair
    Community Member
    7 years ago

    My favorite so far!

    #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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    Yvonne Bernal
    Community Member
    9 years ago

    Looks like under a microscope

    #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
    10 years ago

    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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    Yvonne Bernal
    Community Member
    9 years ago

    Looks like the ocean

    #27

    Cryptic Terrain

    Cryptic Terrain

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    Daria B
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    Looks like chocolate....

    #28

    Proctor Crater Dune Gullies

    Proctor Crater Dune Gullies

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    Yvonne Bernal
    Community Member
    9 years ago

    A fingerprint!

    #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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    #35

    Dunes Dubbed Tleilax

    Dunes Dubbed Tleilax

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    Ed Vardas
    Community Member
    10 years ago

    Just love the names )

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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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