ESA’s Mars Express orbiter celebrated its 25,000th orbit by capturing a stunning high-altitude image of Mars, featuring the Tharsis region and Phobos. Over two decades, the mission has extensively mapped Mars’s atmosphere, studied its moons, and provided new insights into its surface and geological features, significantly advancing our understanding of the planet.
The new high-altitude view was taken by Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera . It features many of Mars’s towering volcanoes and even includes a surprise appearance from the planet’s largest moon, Phobos. This new image is no exception. It focuses on the Tharsis region, which covers about one-quarter of the planet’s surface and is home to Mars’s famously colossal volcanoes. Many volcanoes can be seen here: Olympus, Arsia, Pavonis and Ascraeus Mons, and Jovis, Biblis and Ulysses Tholus. Olympus Mons is the largest, reaching nearly 22 km high .