Mars in HD: First People's Choice Images Released [PICS]

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The first eight images below from the HiWish program have been released by the space agency, giving us incredible close-up views of planetary features on Mars's surface.

Alfred McEwen, HiRise's chief investigator, said the initiative brought "fresh thinking outside the box" and is resulting in scientifically relevant imagery that simply would not have been chosen otherwise. Thanks to technology combined with creativity, the images you see below are truly a unique crowd-sourced view of the fourth planet from the sun.

1. Samara Valles

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This shot of dunes lining the valley floor is from Samara Valles, one of the longest ancient valley systems on the planet.

2. Palos Crater

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This image depicts deposits on the floor of Mars's Palos Crater.

3. Mars North Pole

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A shot of ice sheets at the Martian north pole.

4. Deuteronilus Mensae

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This image shows mesas and lobate debris thought to be rich in ice in the Deuteronilus Mensae region.

5. Zephyria Tholus

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Outside the rim of an impact crater near a Martian hill dubbed Zephyria Tholus (who gets the job of coming up with these awesome names?).

6. Aureum Chaos

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Surface textures of mesas and knobs in a Mars region named Aureum Chaos.

7. Edge of Olympus Mons

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This is from the northern edge of the largest volcano in the solar system, Mars's Olympus Mons.

8. Northern Utopia Planitia

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This image depicts a boulder-strewn northern plain pockmarked by impact craters.

[img credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona]

[via Kurzweil AI and CNet]