science πͺ Mars' first surface pic was black and white
NASA captured the first image of the Red Planet's surface on July 20, 1976, using the Viking 1 lander. This initial shot, taken over Chryse Planitia in Mars' northern hemisphere, was a small, black-and-white patch of rocky ground. The image was grayscale because it was a quick health check before data collection could begin. A day later, on July 21, 1976, Viking 1 sent back the first color image. This pioneering effort paved the way for later rovers like Perseverance.