Images: Google maps life on Mars

The easiest way to use the map is to click on a category on top and then click on the matches. Under "Spacecraft" you can find the landing site of the Mars Rover Spirit.

Google Mars

For a shaded relief map of Mars, click on "Visible" and you'll get a mosaic of images from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor.

Google Mars says it chose a gray-scale to better highlight images over the planet's true color which looks like butterscotch.

Google Mars

The infrared map is taken from wavelengths that are invisible to the human eye. Higher resolution mosaics are highlighted within the image.

Google Mars

To find out about Martian geographical features, click on a category and then one of the search results. Clicking on the feature's name will bring up a NASA article which explains the feature in more detail.

Google Mars

This map shows where the "Face on Mars" was found and lets you read the story behind its legend.

Google Mars

From the farthest zoom back, you can see the map repeats three times.

Google Mars