Nasa unveils real-life photos from The Martian film location

A photo from Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the Acidalia Planitia region of Mars depicted in The Martian. Photo / Nasa/University of Arizona

Nasa has released images of real regions on Mars where new Hollywood film The Martian takes place.

The novel of the same name used actual locations on Mars for landing sites for its "Ares 3" and "Ares 4" missions. The first is on a Martian plain named Acidalia Planitia and the second is set inside a crater named Schiaparelli.

Western Edge of Marth Crater. Photo / Nasa/University of Arizona

The Ares 4 landing site from the movie, in the south-western corner of Schiaparelli Crater, Mars. Photo / Nasa/The University of Arizona

Nasa has unveiled images of these two sites, and other locations in the fictional story, from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on their Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Ares 3 landing site. Photo / Nasa/University of Arizona

HiRISE has provided important information used in selecting landing sites for Nasa's Curiosity Mars rover and other robotic missions.

- nzherald.co.nz