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Mind-blowing photo series of Mars surface published by Nasa – revealing stunning alien landscapes

INCREDIBLE photos of eerie Martian landscapes have been released online by scientists.

Snapped by a Nasa probe orbiting the Red Planet, the pictures show some of the breathtaking scenery of Earth's mysterious neighbour.

Sedimentary rock at the Meridiani Planum region, near the Martian equator
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Sedimentary rock at the Meridiani Planum region, near the Martian equatorCredit: NASA/JPL/UArizona

They span several years and showcase the dusty world's many wonders.

In one photo, cascading sedimentary rock is pictured in stunning orange and blue at the Meridiani Planum region, near the Martian equator.

In another, a topographical heat map of the planet's surface reveals the many hills and craters that dot its barren landscape.

One snap even shows Curiosity - Nasa's $2billion rover that has roamed the planet since 2012 - trundling across Martian soil on one of its missions.

One snap shows Curiosity - Nasa's $2billion rover that has roamed Mars - trundling across Martian soil on one of its missions
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One snap shows Curiosity - Nasa's $2billion rover that has roamed Mars - trundling across Martian soil on one of its missions
A topographical heat map of the planet's surface reveals the many hills and craters that dot its barren landscape
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A topographical heat map of the planet's surface reveals the many hills and craters that dot its barren landscapeCredit: NASA/MOLA/USGS
Steep slopes on Mars reveal underground ice (highlighted in blue) hidden below
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Steep slopes on Mars reveal underground ice (highlighted in blue) hidden below
A 'dust devil' on the Martian surface
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A 'dust devil' on the Martian surface

The pictures were captured by Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has been in orbit around the Red Planet since 2006.

The space probe is tasked with sending back detailed pictures of the Martian surface to help scientists study its geology and climate.

MRO is also assisting Nasa in finding future landing sites for Mars missions.

To take photos, MRO uses HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) - the most powerful camera ever sent to another planet.

This image captures the landing site and parachute of the 2004 rover Opportunity
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This image captures the landing site and parachute of the 2004 rover Opportunity
Flowing streams of sand, possibly left behind by ancient waterways, within the inner slope of a Martian crater
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Flowing streams of sand, possibly left behind by ancient waterways, within the inner slope of a Martian crater

Nasa's Opportunity rover discovered spherules of hematite called 'blueberries' that indicate water was once present on the planet
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Nasa's Opportunity rover discovered spherules of hematite called 'blueberries' that indicate water was once present on the planetCredit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
 An area with 'unusual texture', as Nasa puts it, on the southern floor of Gale Crater
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 An area with 'unusual texture', as Nasa puts it, on the southern floor of Gale Crater

A team at the University of Arizona, where scientists help to maintain HiRISE operations, regularly uploads photos snapped by the camera online.

"HiRISE one of six instruments onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter," scientists write on the .

"Our camera’s high resolution capability (imaging up to 30 centimeters per pixel) remains unprecedented for any existing orbiter in the study of the Red Planet.

"As well as being an indispensable instrument for helping to select landing sites for robotic and future human exploration."

Mars facts

Here's what you need to know about the Red Planet...

  • Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun
  • It is named after the Roman god of war
  • The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth but due to the difference in gravity you could jump three times higher there than you can here
  • Mars is mountainous and hosts the tallest mountain known in the Solar System called Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Everest
  • Mars is considered to be the second most habitable planet after Earth
  • It takes the planet 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun
  • So far, there has been 39 missions to Mars but only 16 of these have been successful
Ancient Martian rivers revealed in stunning detail by new Nasa satellite images

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In other news, it emerged this week that the US military is developing a secretive network of spy satellites that will one day blanket Earth's orbit.

Brits took stunning snaps of Starlink satellites passing over the UK in April.

And, Nasa astronauts will launch into space from US soil this month for the first time in nearly a decade.

What do you think of Nasa's photos? Let us know in the comments!

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