HiRISE is the high-resolution camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The name stands for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. Operated by the University of Arizona, HiRISE photographs Mars’s surface in visible wavelengths and can resolve features about a metre across from orbit, with resolution varying by observing conditions and altitude.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter entered Mars orbit in 2006. HiRISE has imaged landing sites, dunes, gullies, impact craters, polar deposits, and changes caused by dust and frost. Its pictures have also helped mission planners choose safe routes and scientifically valuable targets for landers and rovers.
HiRISE is often confused with other Mars cameras. MOC flew on Mars Global Surveyor, CTX is another camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter with a wider field of view, and THEMIS is an instrument on Mars Odyssey. HiRISE provides the exceptionally detailed close-up views.