Birds on the Brain

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First Image From Mars

Taken by the Viking 1 lander shortly after it touched down on Mars, this image (full-size) is the first photograph ever taken from the surface of Mars. It was taken on July 20, 1976. The primary objectives of the Viking mission, which was composed of two spacecraft, were to obtain high-resolution images of the Martian surface, characterize the structure and composition of the atmosphere and surface and search for evidence of life on Mars. (NASA)