In a breathtaking cosmic snapshot, NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has captured Arsia Mons, one of Mars’ tallest volcanoes, appearing to rise majestically above a veil of greenish atmospheric haze. The image was taken just before dawn on May 2, 2025, offering a rare and awe-inspiring glimpse of the Red Planet’s horizon.
The photograph presents a scene eerily reminiscent of Earth — a massive peak breaking through morning clouds — but it’s on Mars, highlighting the alien beauty of our planetary neighbor. The volcano, Arsia Mons, towers roughly 20 kilometers high and stretches over 400 kilometers wide, making it one of the solar system’s largest.
A New Angle on the Red Planet
This unique image was made possible when Odyssey’s THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System) instrument pivoted 90 degrees to capture a side-on view of the Martian atmosphere and surface. Although THEMIS was originally designed to study surface composition, scientists began repurposing it in 2023 to explore Mars’ upper atmosphere by photographing the horizon.
By doing so, researchers can now observe seasonal variations in clouds and dust, offering valuable clues about atmospheric dynamics on Mars — data crucial for future manned missions and climate studies.
With this latest achievement, Mars Odyssey, the longest-serving spacecraft in orbit around another planet, continues to expand humanity’s understanding of Mars, not just from above, but from perspectives that mirror the view astronauts might one day see.
