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Scale Image for Mars

Scale Image for Mars

About the Object

  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    On May 12, 2016, Mars was 0.53 astronomical unit (50 million miles or 80 million kilometers) away from Earth.

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    Data were provided by the HST proposal 14499 taken by the Hubble Heritage Team: Z. Levay (PI), M. Mutchler, J. Mack, R. Avila, C. Christian, L. Frattare, J. Green, C. Martlin, S. Meyett, and S. Porter (STScI/AURA), K. Noll (NASA/GSFC), J. Bell (ASU), and M. Wolff (Space Science Institute). Additional data processing support was provided by G. Bacon (STScI).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    May 12, 2016
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F275W (275nm), F410M (410nm), F502N (502nm), and F673N (673nm)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Mars
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Planet
  • Release Date
    May 19, 2016
  • Science Release
    Hubble Takes Mars Portrait Near Close Approach
    Read the release
  • Credits
    NASA, ESA, and L. Frattare (STScI)

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Scale Image for Mars
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3/UVIS instrument. Several filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Purple: F275W (275nm) Blue: F410M (410nm) Green: F502N (502nm) Red: F673N (673nm)

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

Mars Near 2016 Opposition

Mars Near 2016 Opposition

Bright, frosty polar caps, and clouds above a vivid, rust-colored landscape reveal Mars as a dynamic seasonal planet in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope view taken on May 12, 2016, when Mars was 50 million miles from Earth. The Hubble image reveals details as small as 20 to 30...

Mars Near 2016 Oppostion (Annotated)

Mars Near 2016 Oppostion (Annotated)

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Details

Last Updated
Feb 27, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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