Mapping Archives

(Left) North and (right) south polar azimuthal equidistant projection enhanced color-composite maps, , with the blue, green, and red channels assigned to the ul-band, v-band, and p-band. The circumference is the equator. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report

Bundle Adjustment Of Hayabusa2’s ONC Images And Controlled Color Mosaic Map Of Ryugu

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2026March 3, 2026

JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission successfully returned samples from the asteroid Ryugu in December 2020. It executed two touchdowns to collect the surface and subsurface materials, one close to the crater created […]

Image-based query examples for Task 3 (Global Geo-Localization) -- cs.CV

Astrogeology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Status Report

MarsRetrieval: Benchmarking Vision-Language Models for Planetary-Scale Geospatial Retrieval on Mars

by Keith CowingFebruary 20, 2026February 20, 2026

Data-driven approaches like deep learning are rapidly advancing planetary science, particularly in Mars exploration. Despite recent progress, most existing benchmarks remain confined to closed-set supervised visual tasks and do not […]

Quantitative morphological metric extraction results and numerical simulation results. A. Spatial distribution of DAF across the study area, overlaid on a shaded relief base map derived from DTEEC_033165_2195_032875_2195_A01 (26). Colors represent specific DAF values indicated by the color bar on the bottom right. The MBT boundary is shown as a black dashed line. B. Schematic diagram defining the key morphological feature of MBT. The curve represents the terrain tangent of MBT. The yellow shaded areas indicate depression. The dashed line represents the depression threshold elevation (DTE) (see SI Appendix). C-E. HiRISE images of three local MBT in the study area. All three images share the same scale-bar. F-H. Detrended observed elevation data for three MBT areas shown in C-E, respectively (SI Appendix, Fig. S3). The white contour lines, which correspond to DTE values, outline the depression areas. Colors indicate elevation value using a color bar shown to the right of H. The I-K. Simulation results with increasing maximum stone movement rate (𝑣max): 3.25 mm/cycle (I), 3.40 mm/cycle (J) and 3.90 mm/cycle(K).Colors represent the simulated elevation using a common color bar shown to the right of K. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Sculpting Of Martian Brain Terrain Reveals The Drying Of Ancient Mars

by Keith CowingFebruary 5, 2026February 5, 2026

The Martian brain terrain (MBT), characterized by its unique brain-like morphology, is a potential geological archive for finding hints of paleoclimatic conditions during its formation period.

This annotated orbital image depicts the AI-planned (depicted in magenta) and actual (orange) routes the Perseverance Mars rover took during its Dec. 10, 2025, drive at Jezero Crater. The drive was the second of two demonstrations showing that generative AI could be incorporated into rover route planning. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UofA

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Desert Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, People Of Astrobiology, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return

Perseverance Rover Completes First AI-Planned Drive on Mars

by Keith CowingJanuary 31, 2026January 31, 2026

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has completed the first drives on another world that were planned by artificial intelligence. Executed on Dec. 8 and 10, and led by the agency’s Jet […]

Air showers ensuing from very-high-energy cosmic rays can enter Earth’s atmosphere from multiple directions. Credit: Simon Swordy/NASA

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Radiation, Status Report

Cosmic Rays As An Interdisciplinary Earth Observation Tool: From Particle Physics and Atmospheric Processes to Geosciences and Urban Science

by Keith CowingJanuary 28, 2026January 28, 2026

The exploration of cosmic rays, which are high-energy particles originate from space and the atmosphere, has historically been associated with particle physics and astrophysics.

A Tributary channels identified in the northward facing promontory of the Southeast Coprates Chasma and Strahler orders characterizing the geometry of the channel networks in the various drainage basins. B Topographic cross-section drawn from elevation data that is extracted from the DEM along the red line across the promontory. The downward arrows indicate the depth of the local bedrock incision. SFD = scarp-fronted deposit. -- NPJ

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Mars Was Half Covered By An Ocean

by Keith CowingJanuary 15, 2026January 15, 2026

Using images from cameras on Mars orbiters, an international research team led by the University of Bern has discovered structures on Mars that are very similar to classic river deltas […]

ID: ESP_044892_1695 date: 23 February 2016 altitude: 261 km larger image NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Status Report

Mars Orbital Recon: Possible Sulfate Deposits In West Melas Chasma

by Keith CowingDecember 28, 2025December 28, 2025

Melas Chasma is the widest segment of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the Solar System. In this region, hydrated sulfate salts have been detected, and are found extensively throughout […]

Collection of a sea pig crawling across the nodule-covered seafloor in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone. Photo: ROV Isis/SMARTEX

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Deep-sea Species Discovered During Mining Test At 4,000 Meters

by Keith CowingDecember 16, 2025December 17, 2025

There is a high demand globally of critical metals, and many countries want to try extracting these sought-after metals from the seabed. An international study, which has discovered large numbers […]

Elements of the deep water cycle on rocky planets that are discussed in this chapter.

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Water Versus Land On Temperate Rocky Planets

by Keith CowingDecember 15, 2025

Water and land surfaces on a planet interact with gases in the atmosphere and with radiation from the star. These interactions define the environments that prevail on the planet, some […]

A composite view of Europa’s spider-like Manannán Crater (right), taken by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft in May 1998. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Impact events, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Europa’s Spider-like Features And The Potential For Life

by Keith CowingDecember 5, 2025December 5, 2025

From Europa to other icy moons, scientists are studying how surface features form and what they might reveal about the potential for life.

Mapping

Bundle Adjustment Of Hayabusa2’s ONC Images And Controlled Color Mosaic Map Of Ryugu

MarsRetrieval: Benchmarking Vision-Language Models for Planetary-Scale Geospatial Retrieval on Mars

Sculpting Of Martian Brain Terrain Reveals The Drying Of Ancient Mars

Perseverance Rover Completes First AI-Planned Drive on Mars

Cosmic Rays As An Interdisciplinary Earth Observation Tool: From Particle Physics and Atmospheric Processes to Geosciences and Urban Science

Mars Was Half Covered By An Ocean

Mars Orbital Recon: Possible Sulfate Deposits In West Melas Chasma

New Deep-sea Species Discovered During Mining Test At 4,000 Meters

Water Versus Land On Temperate Rocky Planets

Europa’s Spider-like Features And The Potential For Life

The Role Of Minerals In Prebiotic Evolution: Implications For Identifying Worlds With The Potential For Life’s Origin

Gen-EBM: An Energy Balance Model For Terrestrial Planets. Climate Multistability From Snowball To Post-runaway Greenhouse Climates

Astrometric Planet Search Around Southern Ultracool Dwarfs: V. Discovery Of The Exoplanet Candidate PALTA-1 b

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of Active Asteroid (101955) Bennu

SOPHIE And TESS Characterization Of Fourteen TESS Objects Of Interest: Nine Planetary Systems And Five Low-mass Stellar Companions