Media Information
 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
The Topography of Mars
Explanation:
Mars has its ups and downs. Visible on the above interactive topographic map [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…] of the surface of Mars [ http://www.nineplan…] are giant volcanoes [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], deep valleys [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…valley ], impact craters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], and terrain considered unusual [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] and even mysterious [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Particularly notable are the volcanoes of the Tharsis province [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], visible on the left in (false-color) red and white, which are taller than any mountains on Earth [ http://www.highalpe…]. Just to the left of center is Valles Marineris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], a canyon much longer and deeper than Earth's Grand Canyon [ http://www.nps.gov/…]. On the right in blue is the Hellas Planitia [ http://www.solarvie…], a basin over 2000 kilometers wide that was likely created by a collision with an asteroid [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Mars has many smooth lowlands in the north [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], and many rough highlands in the south [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. This map was created by the Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…] (MOLA) on board the robot Mars Global Surveyor [ http://mars.jpl.nas…] currently orbiting Mars [ http://www.sciam.co…]. MOLA measures heights on Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] by precisely determining the time it takes for a low power laser beam [ http://www.howstuff…] to bounce off [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…] the surface. Zoom in by clicking anywhere on the above map [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…].
Credit and Copyright:
MOLA [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…] Science Team [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…], MGS [ http://mars.jpl.nas…], NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov/]
keyword:
Mars
keyword:
surface
keyword:
topography
facet_where:
Mars
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_what:
Earth
facet_what:
Mars
facet_what:
Surveyor
facet_what:
Altimeter
facet_what:
Beam
facet_what:
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap010628

The Topography of Mars
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