**NASA's Odyssey Captures Stunning Panorama of Arsia Mons on Mars**

NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter has delivered an unprecedented view of the colossal Martian volcano Arsia Mons. This landmark image, taken on May 2, 2025, just before dawn, offers a breathtaking perspective of one of the Red Planet's largest volcanic formations, which stands almost twice as high as Earth's Mauna Loa.

This new panorama highlights Arsia Mons emerging through a blanket of early morning clouds, a rare sight only previously viewed from a similar vantage point by astronauts aboard the International Space Station looking down on Earth. The image not only showcases the volcano but also reveals a greenish atmospheric haze—an indication of the water ice clouds that frequently form around the Tharsis Montes chain, which includes Arsia Mons.

Odyssey, launched in 2001, remains the longest-running mission orbiting another planet. Since 2023, it has been capturing high-altitude images of the Martian horizon by rotating its camera—a device initially designed to study the Martian surface—90 degrees while in orbit. The result is a spectacular series of horizon images that allow scientists to observe Martian atmospheric dynamics and seasonal changes.

Arsia Mons is the southernmost volcano in the Tharsis Montes region. Standing at 12 miles (20 kilometers) high, it towers over the Martian landscape, forming part of a trio of enormous volcanoes. Its clouds are particularly thick when Mars reaches its farthest point from the Sun, known as aphelion, contributing to the planet's aphelion cloud belt phenomenon.

The data from these stunning images is vital for understanding Mars' atmospheric conditions and weather patterns, including the genesis of dust storms. Such insights are crucial for planning future missions, especially those involving entry, descent, and landing operations on Mars.

According to planetary scientist Michael D. Smith from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the differences in Mars' atmosphere over various seasons are becoming more apparent through these horizon images. This knowledge advances our understanding of Martian atmospheric evolution and will aid in preparatory work for future explorations.

The THEMIS camera aboard Odyssey, which can capture both visible and infrared light, plays a significant role in these observations. It not only helps identify subsurface water ice, a potential resource for future Martian explorers, but also studies the surface composition of Mars' moons, Phobos and Deimos.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Mars Odyssey Project as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. The spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin Space, with THEMIS developed and operated by Arizona State University.

In this latest endeavor, the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter continues to extend the frontiers of Martian exploration, providing invaluable data and captivating perspectives of our enigmatic planetary neighbor.