Layered Mesas near Hrad Vallis
HiRISE PICTURE OF THE DAY: 6 JULY 2026

The Ripple Effect

The objective of this observation is to examine layered mesas. They may have been inside of craters that have since eroded away, creating this ripple effect on the surface. This footprint is located near Hrad Vallis, which originates on the northwest margin of the Elysium Volcanic complex and flows into Utopia Planitia. Hrad Vallis is 825 kilometers (513 miles) long.



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

A Fissure near Cerberus Fossae
The linearity of the volcanic vent in this observation, along with evidence of lava flow from the vent, suggests control by combined volcano-tectonic processes.