Color image of Mars from Viking Orbiter 1

This image was created with three frames each with a different filter (red, green, violet) taken by VIking Orbiter 1 on June 18th 1976. 9 secnds elapsed between each frame and the reconstruction was done during image processing at the US Geologic Survey Image Processing Facility in Flagstaff, AZ. The caption from this NASA image includes the description: Just below the center of the picture and near the morning terminator is the large impact basin Agyre. The interior of the basin is bright, suggesting ground frost or a ground haze. Bright area south of Argyre probably is an area of discontinuous frost cover near the south pole. The pole itself is in the dark at the lower left. North of Argyre, the "Grand Canyon" of Mars, called Vallis Marineris, can be seen near the terminator. Markings elsewhere on the planet are mostly due to differences in brightness, however, color differences are present, suggesting compositional differences. Area at top is the eastern side of the Tharsis volcanic region and is bright because of cloud activity. These findings are significant when we realize that "discoveries" announced years later have ommitted these Viking observations altogether or have not cited the significant work of the Viking team and supporting institutes such as the USGS.