A Sad But Memorable Image

This image of Mars is something I worked on a long time ago...the late 1990s!  It uses ground-based color to colorize a cleaned-up version of the first of two images that NASA's Mars Observer took in August 1993, 28 days before it was to enter orbit.  It was lost just prior to entering orbit (likely a fuel line rupture), so it would never send back any more data.  This image is the better looking of the two (just a nicer angle).  Despite its small size and many imperfections, it is still a neat shot.

Processed image Copyright Ted Stryk, Raw Data Courtesy NASA/JPL/MSSS