Viking 2 Lander photograph of the barren, rocky landscape of the planet Mars. Part of the spacecraft is visible in the foreground. The dish aerial is the high-gain antenna, pointed towards Earth. The picture was taken a few days after the Viking 2 Lander settled on the Martian surface on September 3, 1976. It is believed to represent the true colours of Mars, with a slightly pink sky & rust-red soil and rocks.