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Collection:
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NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
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Title:
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The So-Called "Face on Mars" in Infrared
Title
The So-Called "Face on Mars" in Infrared
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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(Released 24 July 2002)
This set of THEMIS infrared images shows the so-called "face on Mars" landform located in the northern plains of Mars near 40° N, 10° W (350 ° E). The "face" is located near the center of the image approximately 1/6 of the way down from the top, and is one of a large number of knobs, mesas, hills, and buttes that are visible in this THEMIS image. The THEMIS infrared camera has ten different filters between 6.2 and 15 micrometers - nine view the surface and one views the CO2 atmosphere. The calibrated and geometrically projected data from all of the nine surface-viewing filters are shown in this figure. The major differences seen in this region are due to temperature effects -- sunlit slopes are warm (bright), whereas those in shadow are cold (dark), The temperature in this scene ranges from ~50 °C (darkest) to ~15 °C (brightest). The major differences between the different filters are due to the expected variation in the amount of energy emitted from the surface at different wavelengths. Minor spectral differences (infrared "color") also exist between the different filters, but these differences are small in this region due to the uniform composition of the rocks and soils exposed at the surface.
The THEMIS infrared camera provides an excellent regional view of Mars - this image covers an area 32 kilometers (~20 miles) by approximately 200 kilometers (~125 miles) at a resolution of 100 meters per picture element ('pixel'). This image provides a broad perspective of the landscape and geology of the Cydonia region, showing numerous knobs and hills that have been eroded into a remarkable array of different shapes. In this "big picture" view the Cydonia region is seen to be covered with dozens of interesting knobs and mesas that are similar in many ways to the knob named the "face" - so many in fact that it requires care to discover the "face" among this jumble of knobs and hills. The 3-km long "face" knob was first imaged by the Viking spacecraft in the 1970's and was seen by some to resemble a face carved into the rocks of Mars. Since that time the Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has provided detailed views of this hill that clearly show that it is a normal geologic feature with slopes and ridges carved by eons of wind and downslope motion due to gravity. Many of the knobs in Cydonia, including the "face", have several flat ledges partway up the hill slopes. These ledges are made of more resistant layers of rock and are the last remnants of layers that once were continuous across this entire region. Erosion has completely removed these layers in most places, leaving behind only the small isolated hills and knobs seen today.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
(Released 24 July 2002)
This set of THEMIS infrared images shows the so-called "face on Mars" landform located in the northern plains of Mars near 40° N, 10° W (350 ° E). The "face" is located near the center of the image approximately 1/6 of the way down from the top, and is one of a large number of knobs, mesas, hills, and buttes that are visible in this THEMIS image. The THEMIS infrared camera has ten different filters between 6.2 and 15 micrometers - nine view the surface and one views the CO2 atmosphere. The calibrated and geometrically projected data from all of the nine surface-viewing filters are shown in this figure. The major differences seen in this region are due to temperature effects -- sunlit slopes are warm (bright), whereas those in shadow are cold (dark), The temperature in this scene ranges from ~50 °C (darkest) to ~15 °C (brightest). The major differences between the different filters are due to the expected variation in the amount of energy emitted from the surface at different wavelengths. Minor spectral differences (infrared "color") also exist between the different filters, but these differences are small in this region due to the uniform composition of the rocks and soils exposed at the surface.
The THEMIS infrared camera provides an excellent regional view of Mars - this image covers an area 32 kilometers (~20 miles) by approximately 200 kilometers (~125 miles) at a resolution of 100 meters per picture element ('pixel'). This image provides a broad perspective of the landscape and geology of the Cydonia region, showing numerous knobs and hills that have been eroded into a remarkable array of different shapes. In this "big picture" view the Cydonia region is seen to be covered with dozens of interesting knobs and mesas that are similar in many ways to the knob named the "face" - so many in fact that it requires care to discover the "face" among this jumble of knobs and hills. The 3-km long "face" knob was first imaged by the Viking spacecraft in the 1970's and was seen by some to resemble a face carved into the rocks of Mars. Since that time the Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has provided detailed views of this hill that clearly show that it is a normal geologic feature with slopes and ridges carved by eons of wind and downslope motion due to gravity. Many of the knobs in Cydonia, including the "face", have several flat ledges partway up the hill slopes. These ledges are made of more resistant layers of rock and are the last remnants of layers that once were continuous across this entire region. Erosion has completely removed these layers in most places, leaving behind only the small isolated hills and knobs seen today.
Original Caption Released with Image
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL/Arizona State University
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL/Arizona State University
Image Credit
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Produced By:
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Arizona State University
Produced_By
Arizona State University
Produced By
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Mission:
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2001 Mars Odyssey
Mission
2001 Mars Odyssey
Mission
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Spacecraft:
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2001 Mars Odyssey
Spacecraft
2001 Mars Odyssey
Spacecraft
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Target Name:
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Mars
Target_Name
Mars
Target Name
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Is a satellite of:
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Sol (our sun)
Is_a_satellite_of
Sol (our sun)
Is a satellite of
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Instrument:
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Thermal Emission Imaging System
Instrument
Thermal Emission Imaging System
Instrument
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Product Size:
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4036 samples x 1991 lines
Product_Size
4036 samples x 1991 lines
Product Size
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Producer ID:
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20020724A
Producer_ID
20020724A
Producer ID
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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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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Viking
facet_what
Viking
facet_what
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facet_what:
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2001 Mars Odyssey
facet_what
2001 Mars Odyssey
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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Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS)
facet_what
Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS)
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
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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Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
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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24 July 2002
facet_when
24 July 2002
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2002
facet_when_year
2002
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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PIA03905
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA03905
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA03905
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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