Tiny Probe Snaps Fresh Mars Crescent Ahead of Psyche Mission

NASA’s Psyche mission captured Mars as a bright, high-phase crescent from about 3 million miles away ahead of a May 15 gravity assist; the image, taken with a multispectral imager and a very short exposure, illustrates how Mars’ dusty atmosphere broadens the crescent and hints at seasonal clouds near the north polar cap—data used to calibrate cameras for the upcoming Mars approach and the 2029 Psyche asteroid mission.