Layered Mesa in Nepenthes Mensae
HiRISE PICTURE OF THE DAY: 15 SEPTEMBER 2026

An Interesting Mesa

The objective of this observation is to examine a layered mesa with an interesting cone-shaped hill at its top. The mesa seems to have several thick layers in a Context Camera image that HiRISE can resolve in better detail. This footprint is in Nepenthes Mensae, which is the largest mensae on Mars, covering 2,176 kilometers (1,352 miles) in length.



100,000 Image of Mars!
On 7 October 2025, the HiRISE camera aboard MRO acquired an image of the Syrtis Major plains that marks over 100,000 images of Mars, which is a fabulous milestone!
HiRISE Image of Exocomet 3I/ATLAS
On 2 October 2025, MRO turned away from Mars to image 3I/ATLAS, only the third interstellar object ever observed passing through our solar system!

HiRISE Instrument News
HiRISE Instrument News
Since mid-2023, our RED4 CCD has operated only intermittently due to a hardware issue, creating gaps in the middle of some image products and reducing the color swath to 1 CCD width. We continue to command RED4 in all observations and it returns data approximately 50% of the time

Crater Ejecta in Northern Arabia Terra
The objective of this observation is to examine ejecta from a well-preserved crater. This is a good place to image because there is little dust cover, so many details are visible. Context Camera image data hints at many small channels that are more easily seen with a HiRISE image. Also, just beyond the ejecta are many round mounds that may have something to do with the hot ejecta melting ground ice.