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Collection:
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NASA Mars Collecton
Collection
NASA Mars Collecton
Collection
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title:
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Spallanzani Crater
title
Spallanzani Crater
title
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Description:
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Although most of the best examples of layered sedimentary rock seen on Mars are found at equatorial and sub-tropical latitudes, a few locations seen at mid- and high-latitudes suggest that layered rocks are probably more common than we can actually see from orbit. One extremely good example of these "atypical" layered rock exposures is found in the 72 km-diameter (45 miles) crater, Spallanzani (58.4°S, 273.5°W). Located southeast of Hellas Planitia, the crater is named for the 18th Century Italian biologist, Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799). Picture A presents a composite of the best Viking orbiter image (VO2-504B55) of the region with 4 pictures obtained June 1999 through January 2001 by the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC). Each MOC narrow angle image is 3 km across. Taken in the MOC's "survey mode," all four images were acquired at roughly 12 meters (39 ft) per pixel. Picture B zooms-in on the portion of the composite image that includes the 4 MOC images (the 100%-size view is 20 m (66 ft) per pixel). Other craters in the region near Spallanzani show features--at Viking Orbiter scale--that are reminiscent of the layering seen in Spallanzani. Exactly what these layers are made of and how they came to be where we see them today are mysteries, but it is possible that they are similar to the materials seen in the many craters and chasms of the equatorial latitudes on Mars.
Images Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Description
Although most of the best examples of layered sedimentary rock seen on Mars are found at equatorial and sub-tropical latitudes, a few locations seen at mid- and high-latitudes suggest that layered rocks are probably more common than we can actually see from orbit. One extremely good example of these "atypical" layered rock exposures is found in the 72 km-diameter (45 miles) crater, Spallanzani (58.4°S, 273.5°W). Located southeast of Hellas Planitia, the crater is named for the 18th Century Italian biologist, Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799). Picture A presents a composite of the best Viking orbiter image (VO2-504B55) of the region with 4 pictures obtained June 1999 through January 2001 by the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC). Each MOC narrow angle image is 3 km across. Taken in the MOC's "survey mode," all four images were acquired at roughly 12 meters (39 ft) per pixel. Picture B zooms-in on the portion of the composite image that includes the 4 MOC images (the 100%-size view is 20 m (66 ft) per pixel). Other craters in the region near Spallanzani show features--at Viking Orbiter scale--that are reminiscent of the layering seen in Spallanzani. Exactly what these layers are made of and how they came to be where we see them today are mysteries, but it is possible that they are similar to the materials seen in the many craters and chasms of the equatorial latitudes on Mars.
Images Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Description
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section:
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Craters
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facet_what:
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Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Surveyor
facet_what
Surveyor
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Crater
facet_what
Crater
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Viking
facet_what
Viking
facet_what
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facet_what:
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crater
facet_what
crater
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
facet_what
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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18th Century
facet_when
18th Century
facet_when
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facet_when:
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June 1999
facet_when
June 1999
facet_when
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facet_when:
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January 2001
facet_when
January 2001
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2001
facet_when_year
2001
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1999
facet_when_year
1999
facet_when_year
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UID:
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SPD-MARS-gallery/cra ters/spallanzani01_j an2001.html
UID
SPD-MARS-gallery/cra ters/spallanzani01_j an2001.html
UID
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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