NASA’s Psyche mission, which is mostly known for heading to a metal asteroid, decided to take a scenic detour past Mars on May 15, 2026, and snapped some pretty pictures while it was at it. The spacecraft’s multispectral imager grabbed four images over six minutes, stitching them into an enhanced-color mosaic that shows off Mars’ rugged southern highlands with the kind of detail that would make a geologist weep with joy.

The images, taken as Psyche cruised from right to left (that’s northeast to southwest for you cartographers), vary in resolution from 381 meters per pixel on the right to 440 meters per pixel on the left. Using near-infrared, green, and blue filters, the imager highlighted craters, ridges, wind streaks, and volcanic plains materials - because even a flyby deserves a full makeup session.

The mosaic covers part of the Iapygia region, spanning from about 62 degrees east to 78 degrees east longitude and 4 degrees north to 14 degrees south latitude. The largest crater, named Fournier, is a modest 71 miles (114 kilometers) in diameter and sits just below center. And if you look left of center, you’ll spot a linear feature running top to bottom - that’s part of the Oenotria Scopuli, a long irregular cliff system that’s part of the Isidis impact basin’s circular structure to the northeast. Because nothing says “I’m on a mission to an asteroid” like stopping to admire the scenery.