NASA Mars Orbiter Snaps ‘Best View’ Of InSight Lander On Red Planet [Photo]

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was able to capture a photo of the agency’s InSight lander as its sitting on the Martian surface. According to NASA, the MRO’s latest photo of the lander is the clearest one yet.

Officially launched in 2005, the MRO has been orbiting the Red Planet for its surveying mission. From time to time, the spacecraft passes over the area where NASA’s InSight landed.

In the latest image shared by NASA, the lander can be seen sitting on the surface of Mars. Although the photo was taken by the orbiter at an altitude of 169 miles from the surface, the distinct shape of the lander can still be clearly seen.

“Taken on Sept. 23, 2019, at an altitude of 169 miles (272 kilometers) above the surface, the new image is NASA's best view yet of InSight from space,” the agency said in a statement. “It clearly shows the two circular solar panels on either side of the lander body, spanning 20 feet (6 meters) from end to end.”

The photo also shows a dark outline around the lander. NASA noted that this was caused by the spacecraft’s thrusters as it analyzed the area before landing.

According to NASA, the photo was taken using the MRO’s onboard HiRISE camera. Using this equipment, the orbiter has been observing InSight’s landing site located in Mars’ Elysium Plantia to identify if there are any changes to the region’s surface.

NASA pointed out that the latest image is clearer and more detailed than one taken in November last year when the InSight first landed. The agency explained that the MRO was able to capture its best photo of the lander due to the ideal environmental conditions on Mars at that time.

“Several factors make this image crisper than a set of images released after InSight's November 2018 landing,” NASA stated. “For one thing, there's less dust in the air this time. Shadows are offset from the lander because this is an oblique view looking west.”

“The lighting was also optimal for avoiding the bright reflections from the lander or its solar panels that have obscured surrounding pixels in other images,” the agency added. “However, bright reflections are unavoidable with the seismometer cover just south of the lander because of its dome shape.”