2-860-691 - Heritage Space/Heritage Images

Viking 2 image of Mars Utopian Plain, September 3, 1976. The boulder-strewn field of red rocks reaches to the horizon nearly two miles from the Viking 2 spacecraft. Scientists believe the colours of the Martian surface and sky in this image represent their true colours. Fine particles of red dust have settled on spacecraft surfaces. The salmon colour of the sky is caused by dust particles suspended in the atmosphere. Colour calibration charts for the cameras are mounted at three locations on the spacecraft. Note the blue star field and red stripes of the US flag. The circular structure at top is the high-gain antenna, pointed toward Earth. Viking 2 landed some 4600 miles from its twin, Viking 1, which touched down on July 20, 1976.