Photos: An 'intriguing' Martian vista

NASA's Spirit rover, working from the top of a series of Martian hills, has been delivering photos described by the agency as "intriguing" and "tempting." This image was taken on Aug. 23, 2005, just as the rover completed its climb up "Husband Hill," which is named for Rick Husband, the astronaut commander who died in the Columbia disaster.

This view to the south from Husband Hill, which is the tallest in the "Columbia Hills" range, shows previously hidden terrain. NASA hopes to send Spirit in this direction in the future.

This view to the east of Husband Hill shows the rim of the "Thira Crater" about nine miles away. In the image's foreground are rippled piles of sand, the result of a shallow saddle, or depression, that slopes down into an area known as "Tennessee Valley," located to the north (left). Sandy materials have blown up the valley and into the saddle.

The hillside to the right is the summit of Husband Hill. This image was taken from a lower point in the Columbia Hills range, about 330 feet away.