Nasa

Get Mars Photos

get_mars_photos

Read-onlyIdempotent

"Show me photos from the Mars rover" / "Perseverance images from sol 1000" / "latest pictures from Mars" — raw images from NASA's Perseverance rover (Mars 2020), straight off the mars.nasa.gov feed. Filter by Martian sol and by camera. Returns image URLs at four resolutions, the sol, the UTC and Mars-local capture times, and the camera instrument. Keyless. Covers Perseverance only — Curiosity, Opportunity and Spirit have no live public image feed. Example: get_mars_photos({ sol: 1000, camera: "NAVCAM_LEFT" })

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`sol`	No	Martian sol (mission day) to retrieve images from, e.g. 1000. Perseverance landed on sol 0 (2021-02-18) and is past sol 1900. Omit for the most recent images.
`limit`	No	Max images to return (default 20, max 100).
`camera`	No	Camera instrument, exact: "NAVCAM_LEFT", "NAVCAM_RIGHT", "FRONT_HAZCAM_LEFT_A", "FRONT_HAZCAM_RIGHT_A", "REAR_HAZCAM_LEFT", "REAR_HAZCAM_RIGHT", "MCZ_LEFT"/"MCZ_RIGHT" (Mastcam-Z), "SHERLOC_WATSON", "SUPERCAM_RMI", "SKYCAM", "PIXL_MCC", "CACHECAM". Short forms FHAZ/RHAZ/NAVCAM/MAST are accepted. Optional.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`sol`	No
`count`	No	Total number of photos retrieved
`rover`	No
`camera`	No
`photos`	No	List of Mars rover photos (up to 20)
`total_matching`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed22 schema fields changedJul 30, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "_apiKey": "your-nasa-api-key",
-    "camera": "FHAZ",
-    "sol": 1000
-  },
-  {
-    "_apiKey": "your-nasa-api-key",
-    "sol": 3000
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "camera": "NAVCAM_LEFT",
+    "sol": 1000
+  },
+  {
+    "limit": 10,
+    "sol": 1500
+  }
+]

removedInput schema / properties / _apiKey

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "NASA API key (optional, defaults to DEMO_KEY)",
-  "type": "string"
-}

changedInput schema / properties / camera / description

Previous value: -"Camera abbreviation: \"FHAZ\" (front hazard), \"RHAZ\" (rear hazard), \"MAST\" (mast), \"CHEMCAM\", \"MAHLI\", \"MARDI\", \"NAVCAM\" (optional)"New value: +"Camera instrument, exact: \"NAVCAM_LEFT\", \"NAVCAM_RIGHT\", \"FRONT_HAZCAM_LEFT_A\", \"FRONT_HAZCAM_RIGHT_A\", \"REAR_HAZCAM_LEFT\", \"REAR_HAZCAM_RIGHT\", \"MCZ_LEFT\"/\"MCZ_RIGHT\" (Mastcam-Z), \"SHERLOC_WATSON\", \"SUPERCAM_RMI\", \"SKYCAM\", \"PIXL_MCC\", \"CACHECAM\". Short forms FHAZ/RHAZ/NAVCAM/MAST are accepted. Optional."

addedInput schema / properties / limit

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Max images to return (default 20, max 100).",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / sol / description

Previous value: -"Martian sol (day) to retrieve photos from, e.g. 1000 (default: 1000)"New value: +"Martian sol (mission day) to retrieve images from, e.g. 1000. Perseverance landed on sol 0 (2021-02-18) and is past sol 1900. Omit for the most recent images."

addedOutput schema / properties / camera
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "null"
+}
```

removedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / camera_full_name

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Full name of the camera",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / credit
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / filter
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / full_res_url
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
changedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / id / type
```
Previous value: -"number"New value: +"string"
```
addedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / mars_time
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / page_url
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

removedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / rover

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Name of the rover (Curiosity, Opportunity, Spirit)",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / rover_status

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Current status of the rover",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / thumbnail_url
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / properties / title
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

removedOutput schema / properties / photos / items / required

Removed value: -[
-  "id",
-  "sol",
-  "camera",
-  "camera_full_name",
-  "image_url",
-  "earth_date",
-  "rover",
-  "rover_status"
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / rover
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / sol
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "null"
+}
```
addedOutput schema / properties / total_matching
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "number"
+}
```

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "count",
-  "photos"
-]

First observedJun 26, 2026

TDQS

A4.9/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already indicate read-only, open-world, idempotent, non-destructive. Description adds keyless access, image resolution details, and capture time fields, enriching the behavioral context without contradiction.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with query examples, but slightly verbose. Every sentence adds value, though a minor trim could improve conciseness.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a query tool with an output schema, the description fully covers input, constraints, and examples. No missing context for an agent to invoke correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters5/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, and description adds context like default limit, short forms for cameras, and explanation of sol meaning. Examples further clarify usage.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool retrieves raw images from NASA's Perseverance rover with filtering by sol and camera. It distinguishes itself from siblings like search_nasa_images by specifying it covers only Perseverance.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides explicit query examples and guidance on when to omit parameters. Explicitly excludes other rovers (Curiosity, Opportunity, Spirit), telling the agent when not to use this tool.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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