Google Mars is a spin-off of Google Earth that shows interactive maps of the Red Planet's surface.
The feature was released in 2009 as part of the free downloadable Google Earth app, but until now, most of the satellite images were low-resolution.
The program received a major update this week, thanks to high-definition images beamed back from the Context Camera on board NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Now, Earth-bound folks can hone down to 20 feet per pixel on the planet's surface.
That's a crisper picture than most areas of our planet covered by Google Earth, which typically have a resolution of 50 feet per pixel, Wired's Adam Mann points out.
Ready for a tour?
To start exploring, click on the orange Saturn icon at the top of the Google Earth screen and select "Mars."
For a more detailed view, turn on the CTX Mosaic listed under "Global Maps" on the left-hand side.
Previously, only small patches of the planet's surface could be seen from images taken by the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow Science on Twitter and Facebook.
