Viking One: the Landing Site, 30 years after the landing... (1)

Caption NASA originale:"Viking 1 landed 30 years ago, on July 20, 1976. It was the first U.S. landing on Mars and a very exciting time for Mars Exploration. Since that time, 4 additional Spacecrafts have successfully landed on Mars and conducted their science investigations. Today, new missions to the Martian Surface are in the works, with landings expected in 2008 (Phoenix) and 2010 (Mars Science Laboratory).

The Viking 1 Lander is difficult to see in MGS-MOC images. The Western Chryse Planitia Landing Site is often obscured by dust hazes and occasional storms, especially during Northern Winter, which would otherwise be the best time to look for the Lander from orbit because the Sun casts longer shadows in Winter.
When the atmosphere is clearest, in portions of the Spring and Summer, the Sun is higher in the sky as seen from MGS's orbit. The spacecraft always passes over the Landing Site Region around 2 p.m. in the afternoon".