At the end of August 2003, the Earth passed by Mars closer than it had in thousands of years, making Mars appear unusually large. Shown above is a composite globe displaying Mars' rotation through a complete Martian day. It was created from 10 images taken during the four weeks surrounding Mars' closest approach using a 155mm Astro-Physics refractor. ©2003

How this image was created is described here. A related map of Mars with surface features and spacecraft landing sites marked is shown here. Other versions of Mars rotating include:

• An anaglyphic (red/blue glasses) 3D view.
• A stereo (left/right images) 3D view.

(Please note that all images shown here are copyrighted and must not be copied on your web site without my written permission!)