Mars Landscapes Include Red Planet's Craters, Hills, Rocks (PHOTOS)

On the Red Planet, the Mars rover Curiosity is facing brilliant hillsides, bold craters, and possibly sand dunes, not to mention the vast beds of Martian rocks.

For years, NASA scientists have seen glimpses of the Red Planet's terrain in some photos taken by Mars exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It's definitely alien, but not so alien that we aren't reminded a bit of terrestrial landscapes.

NASA has a special section on its website comparing the Earth and Mars— in some aspects, like climate, our planets are remarkably similar. For some space enthusiasts, however, it might be difficult to look beyond the planet's bright red dirt and rock, which is a result of oxidized iron saturating the planet's surface material.

Click through the photos below for a look at the landscapes on Mars.