NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection

All of Mars

From pole [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] to pole [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], from east to west, this is all of Mars [ http://www.nineplan…]. The above picture [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…] was digitally reconstructed from over 200 million laser altimeter measurements [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…] taken by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft [ http://mars.jpl.nas…] currently orbiting Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. The image strips Mars [ http://www.solarvie…] of its clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] and dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], and renders the whole surface visible simultaneously in its true daytime color. Particularly notable are the volcanoes [ http://www.geo.mtu.…] of the Tharsis province [ http://volcano.und.…html ], visible on the left, which are taller than any mountains on Earth. Just to the left of center is Valles Marineris [ http://www.solarvie…], a canyon much longer and deeper Earth's Grand Canyon [ http://www.kaibab.o…]. On the right, south of the center, is the Hellas Planitia [ http://cmex- www.arc.nasa.gov/CME XCD/NSTA95/TeachCen/ TOPO/Act3/Act3.htm ], a basin over 2000 kilometers wide that was likely created by a collision with an asteroid [ http://space.about.…]. Mars has many smooth lowlands in the north, and many rough highlands in the south. Mars has just passed its closest approach [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] to Earth since 1988 and can be seen shining brightly in the evening sky.

National Geographic Society [ http://www.national…], MOLA [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…] Science Team [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.…], MGS [ http://mars.jpl.nas…], JPL [ http://www.jpl.nasa…], NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov/]

Mars

surface

map

Mars

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Earth

Mars

Surveyor

Altimeter

Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)

http://antwrp.gsfc.…

SPD-APOD-ap010626