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Altimeter of Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
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Inside Mars
| Title |
Inside Mars |
| Explanation |
What's inside Mars [ http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/imagewall/MOLA/mola_3_2000.html ]? From orbit, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/realtime/mgsrt.html ] has recorded detailed images of the red planet since [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/mgs_moc_archive.html ] July 1997. Still, its cameras can not look beneath the surface. But minute changes in the spacecraft's orbital velocity are produced by variations in the planet's gravitational field, and these changes are related to interior density fluctuations. When the subtle orbital changes were measured using MGS radio science [ http://nova.stanford.edu/projects/mgs/ ] experiments and combined with the accurate Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter topographical data [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990528.html ], researchers were able to produce a map of the thickness of the martian crust [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/sci/mola/mar10-2000/internal_paper.html ]. In this color cut-away diagram of the results, red colors correspond to thin and blue to thick areas of the crust which rides above the martian mantle [ http://banzai.msi.umn.edu/mars/ ]. From the global map, the crust is seen [ http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/spacesci/mars/mars.htm ] to range from about 20 to 50 miles thick and shows a dramatic difference between the generally thinner northern hemisphere to thicker southern hemisphere crust. For the newly formed planet, the thin crust would have promoted rapid cooling [ http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/imagewall/MOLA/pressrelease.txt ] and may have given rise to a large northern ocean [ http://earthsky.com/1999/es990519.html ] on early Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970627.html ]. |
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Valles Marineris: The Grand
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| Title |
Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars |
| Explanation |
The largest canyon in the Solar System [ http://www.nineplanets.org/overview.html ] cuts a wide swath across the face of Mars [ http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html ]. Named Valles Marineris [ http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/Projects/VallesMarineris/ ], the grand valley extends over 3,000 kilometers long, spans as much as 600 kilometers across, and delves as much as 8 kilometers deep. By comparison, the Earth's Grand Canyon [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon ] in Arizona, USA is 800 kilometers long, 30 kilometers across, and 1.8 kilometers deep. The origin of the Valles Marineris [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valles_Marineris ] remains unknown, although a leading hypothesis holds that it started as a crack [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980310.html ] billions of years ago as the planet cooled [ http://helio.estec.esa.nl/intermarsnet/redreport/node20.html ]. Recently [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020531.html ], several geologic processes have been identified in the canyon [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/tour.cgi?link=/mars/interior/Valles_Marineris.html&sw=false&sn=4444&d=/mars/interior&edu=mid&br=graphic&back=/mars/exploring/MGS_altimeter_OMons.html&cd=false&tour=&fr=f ]. The above mosaic [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-mars.html ] was created [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/caption/marsglobe1.txt ] from over 100 images of Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mars.html ] taken by Viking [ http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/viking.htm ] Orbiters in the 1970s. |
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The Topography of Mars
| Title |
The Topography of Mars |
| Explanation |
Mars has its ups and downs. Visible on the above interactive topographic map [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/Mars_topography_from_MOLA/ ] of the surface of Mars [ http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html ] are giant volcanoes [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000529.html ], deep valleys [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?Mars+valley ], impact craters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010108.html ], and terrain considered unusual [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010327.html ] and even mysterious [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980407.html ]. Particularly notable are the volcanoes of the Tharsis province [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990618.html ], visible on the left in (false-color) red and white, which are taller than any mountains on Earth [ http://www.highalpex.com/Peaklist/top100.html ]. Just to the left of center is Valles Marineris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950720.html ], a canyon much longer and deeper than Earth's Grand Canyon [ http://www.nps.gov/grca/ ]. On the right in blue is the Hellas Planitia [ http://www.solarviews.com/cap/mgs/mgstopo5.htm ], a basin over 2000 kilometers wide that was likely created by a collision with an asteroid [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/asteroids.html ]. Mars has many smooth lowlands in the north [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980924.html ], and many rough highlands in the south [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991203.html ]. This map was created by the Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html ] (MOLA) on board the robot Mars Global Surveyor [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/ ] currently orbiting Mars [ http://www.sciam.com/1196issue/1196kargel.html ]. MOLA measures heights on Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mars.html ] by precisely determining the time it takes for a low power laser beam [ http://www.howstuffworks.com/laser.htm ] to bounce off [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/measure.html ] the surface. Zoom in by clicking anywhere on the above map [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/map_lab.html ]. |
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All of Mars
| Title |
All of Mars |
| Explanation |
From pole [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981216.html ] to pole [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991203.html ], from east to west, this is all of Mars [ http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html ]. The above picture [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/ngs.html ] was digitally reconstructed from over 200 million laser altimeter measurements [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/measure.html ] taken by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/overvu/overview.html ] currently orbiting Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mars.html ]. The image strips Mars [ http://www.solarviews.com/eng/mars.htm ] of its clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010417.html ] and dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001009.html ], and renders the whole surface visible simultaneously in its true daytime color. Particularly notable are the volcanoes [ http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/world.html ] of the Tharsis province [ http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/planet_volcano/mars/Shields/tharsis. html ], visible on the left, which are taller than any mountains on Earth. Just to the left of center is Valles Marineris [ http://www.solarviews.com/cap/mars/me07s078.htm ], a canyon much longer and deeper Earth's Grand Canyon [ http://www.kaibab.org/geology/gc_geol.htm ]. On the right, south of the center, is the Hellas Planitia [ http://cmex- www.arc.nasa.gov/CMEXCD/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.com/science/space/library/weekly/aa022597.htm ]. 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.nasa.gov/apod/ap010615.html ] to Earth since 1988 and can be seen shining brightly in the evening sky. |
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Carving Ma'adim Vallis
| Title |
Carving Ma'adim Vallis |
| Explanation |
Just as erosion from the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon [ http://www.aqd.nps.gov/grd/parks/grca/ ] on Earth, a river of flood water may have carved Ma'adim Vallis, one of the largest canyons on Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970627.html ]. Researchers have presented strong evidence [ http://www.nasm.edu/nasm/pa/nasmnews/pr/research/ 062002.htm ] for such a scenario [ http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/296/5576/2209 ] based on elevation data recorded by the MOLA [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html ] (Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter) experiment on the Mars Global Surveyor [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/ ] spacecraft. This false-color, detailed, topographical [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010628.html ] map of MOLA data shows in blue the area of an enormous complex of lakes that are thought [ http://www.nasm.si.edu/ceps/research/mars/irwin_lakes.htm ] to have existed over three and a half billion years ago in the southern highlands of Mars. As the largest lake spilled over the low point in its boundary a torrential flood would have moved north, along the direction indicated by the arrow, carving the sinuous Ma'adim Vallis. At the north end of Ma'adim Vallis, the flood waters would have poured into large, round Gusev Crater [ http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Sept98/GusevMars.html ]. Since standing bodies of surface water are thought to be favorable for ancient martian microbial life [ http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ ast11jun99_1.htm ], Gusev Crater has been suggested as a landing site for future Mars missions [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/future/ express.html ]. |
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Valles Marineris: The Grand
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| Title |
Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars |
| Explanation |
The largest canyon in the Solar System [ http://www.nineplanets.org/overview.html ] cuts a wide swath across the face of Mars [ http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html ]. Named Valles Marineris [ http://astrogeology.usgs.gov/Projects/VallesMarineris/ ], the grand valley extends over 3,000 kilometers long, spans as much as 600 kilometers across, and delves as much as 8 kilometers deep. By comparison, the Earth's Grand Canyon [ http://www.aqd.nps.gov/grd/parks/grca/ ] in Arizona, USA is 800 kilometers long, 30 kilometers across, and 1.8 kilometers deep. The origin of the Valles Marineris [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mep/science/vm.html ] remains unknown, although a leading hypothesis holds that it started as a crack [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980310.html ] billions of years ago as the planet cooled [ http://helio.estec.esa.nl/intermarsnet/redreport/node20.html ]. Recently [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020531.html ], several geologic processes have been identified in the canyon [ http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/tour.cgi?link=/mars/interior/Valles_Marineris.html&sw=false&sn=4444&d=/mars/interior&edu=mid&br=graphic&back=/mars/exploring/MGS_altimeter_OMons.html&cd=false&tour=&fr=f ]. The above mosaic [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-mars.html ] was created [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/caption/marsglobe1.txt ] from over 100 images of Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mars.html ] taken by Viking [ http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome/viking.htm ] Orbiters in the 1970s. |
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Frosty Mountains on Mars
| Title |
Frosty Mountains on Mars |
| Explanation |
What causes the unusual white color on some Martian mountains? The answer can be guessed by noticing that the bright areas disappear as springtime [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030422.html ] takes hold in the south of Mars: dry ice. Dry carbon dioxide ice [ http://www.howstuffworks.com/question264.htm ] sublimates directly to gas from its frozen state. The frosty mountains, named Charitum Montes [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/06/10/ ], have been covered with carbon dioxide [ http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/CO2/CO2.html ] ice over the Martian winter. The serene scene pictured above [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/07/02/index.html ] is not a photograph, but rather a computationally constructed digital illusion resulting from the fusion of two color images from the Mars Orbital Camera and topographic data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/sci/mola/mola.html ]. Both instruments operate from the Mars Global Surveyor [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/ ] robot spacecraft currently orbiting Mars [ http://www.nineplanets.org/mars.html ]. The red planet continues to grow larger [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030724.html ] in terrestrial skies as Earth and Mars move closer to their recent-record closest approach [ http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/18jun_approachingmars.htm ] on August 27. |
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3-D Mars' North Pole
| Title |
3-D Mars' North Pole |
| Explanation |
This dramatic premier [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/agu_f98.html ] three-dimensional visualization of Mars' north pole is based on elevation measurements made by an orbiting laser. During the Spring and Summer [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/npole.html ] of 1998 the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html#Introduction ] (MOLA) flashed laser pulses toward the Martian surface from the Global Surveyor spacecraft and recorded the time it took to detect the reflection [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html#Principles ]. This timing data has now been translated to a detailed topographic map of Mars' north polar terrain [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980924.html ]. The map indicates that the ice cap is is about 1,200 kilometers across, a maximum of 3 kilometers thick, and cut by canyons and troughs up to 1 kilometer deep. The measurements also [ http://earth.agu.org/pubs/toc/gl/gl_25_24.html ] indicate that the cap is composed primarily of water ice with a total volume of only about four percent of planet Earth's Antarctic ice sheet [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951222.html ]. In all it represents at most a tenth of the amount of water some scientists believe once existed on ancient Mars [ http://www.sciam.com/1196issue/1196kargel.html ]. Where did all the water [ http://humbabe.arc.nasa.gov/mgcm/faq/wetmars.html ] go? |
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Topographical Mars
| Title |
Topographical Mars |
| Explanation |
Contrasting colors trace changing elevations in this new high-resolution topographic map of Mars [ http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/spacesci/pictures/mola/mars3d.htm ]. Just released [ ftp://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/PAO/Releases/1999/99-71.txt ], the data were gathered in 1998 and 1999 by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html#Introduction ] (MOLA) onboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. The martian topography is seen to range over 19 miles between the highest volcanic peaks (white) and the lowest regions (purple). Along with the striking difference [ http://www.msss.com/http/ps/di.html ] between the Red Planet's [ http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/mars/contents.htm ] low northern hemisphere (top) and high southern regions, one of the most noticeable features on the map [ http://www-pdsimage.wr.usgs.gov/PDS/public/mapmaker/mapmkr.htm ] is the large blue-purple southern depression corresponding to the Hellas basin. Likely the result of an asteroid impact, Mars' deepest basin is about 1300 miles across making it one of the largest impact features [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960906.html ] in the Solar System. Explorations [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981216.html ] of MOLA's rich topographic database are expected to produce insights into water flows and the geologic history [ http://helio.estec.esa.nl/intermarsnet/redreport/node20.html ] of Mars. |
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Southern Mars
| Title |
Southern Mars |
| Explanation |
This topographical map [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mpl.html ] of the southern hemisphere of Mars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970627.html ] was generated using data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html ] (MOLA). Flying on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, MOLA has bounced a laser beam off the Martian surface over 200,000,000 times producing a wealth of detailed elevation measurements. The MOLA measurements [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/geodesy.html ] have been color-coded so, for example, the white areas at left are the highest elevations in the southern Tharsis region [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/physics.today.html ] and not snow-covered peaks. These areas are more than 6 kilometers above the hypothetical Martian "sea-level". Likewise, deep blues and purples are not water oceans [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970316.html ] but correspond to the lowest elevations (more than 4 kilometers below "sea-level"), like those found within the giant Hellas impact basin at right. In fact, liquid water is not present on Mars' surface today, but may have been [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/MENUS/lake_list.html ] in the past [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/why.html ]. NASA's Mars Polar Lander [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/index.html ] spacecraft is scheduled to embark on an investigation [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/science.html ] of the role of water in the climate history of the Red Planet. The lander is targeted to touch down [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/12_2_99_mplsite/index.html ] within the long, thin ellipse [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/12_2_99_mplcolor/index.html ] indicated here just below the Martian South Pole today at 20:00 UTC [ http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/zones2.html ]. |
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Virtual Slice Through Icy La
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PIA09223
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Virtual Slice Through Icy Layered Deposits Near Mars' South Pole |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version The upper image is a radargram from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS), showing data from the subsurface of Mars in the ice-rich layered deposits that surround the south pole. The lower image shows the position of the ground track (white line) on a topographic map of the area based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. The images are 1,580 kilometers (980 miles) wide. The MARSIS echo trace splits into two traces near the left edge of the image, at the point where the ground track crosses from the surrounding plains onto the elevated layered deposits. The upper trace is the echo from the surface of the deposits, while the lower trace is interpreted to be the boundary between the lower surface of the deposits and the underlying material. The strength of the lower echo suggests that the intervening material is nearly pure water ice. Near the image center, several bright bands between the echo traces are likely caused by interaction of the radar waves with internal layers of the deposits. The time delay between the upper and lower traces in the banded area is 20 microseconds, corresponding to a thickness of 1.6 kilometers (1.0 miles) of ice. The total elevation difference shown in the topographic map is about 3 kilometers (2.5 miles) between the lowest surface (dark blue) and the highest (yellow). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
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Virtual Slice Through Icy La
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PIA09223
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Virtual Slice Through Icy Layered Deposits Near Mars' South Pole |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version The upper image is a radargram from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS), showing data from the subsurface of Mars in the ice-rich layered deposits that surround the south pole. The lower image shows the position of the ground track (white line) on a topographic map of the area based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. The images are 1,580 kilometers (980 miles) wide. The MARSIS echo trace splits into two traces near the left edge of the image, at the point where the ground track crosses from the surrounding plains onto the elevated layered deposits. The upper trace is the echo from the surface of the deposits, while the lower trace is interpreted to be the boundary between the lower surface of the deposits and the underlying material. The strength of the lower echo suggests that the intervening material is nearly pure water ice. Near the image center, several bright bands between the echo traces are likely caused by interaction of the radar waves with internal layers of the deposits. The time delay between the upper and lower traces in the banded area is 20 microseconds, corresponding to a thickness of 1.6 kilometers (1.0 miles) of ice. The total elevation difference shown in the topographic map is about 3 kilometers (2.5 miles) between the lowest surface (dark blue) and the highest (yellow). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
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Bright Lower Echo in Radargr
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PIA09222
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Bright Lower Echo in Radargram of South Polar Layered Deposits |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version The upper image is a radargram from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS), showing data from the subsurface of Mars in the ice-rich layered deposits that surround the south pole. The lower image shows the position of the ground track (white line) on a topographic map of the area based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. The images are 1,250 kilometers (775 miles) wide. The MARSIS echo trace splits into two traces on the left side of the image, at the point where the ground track crosses from the surrounding plains onto the elevated layered deposits. The upper trace is the echo from the surface of the deposits, while the lower trace is interpreted to be the boundary between the lower surface of the deposits and the underlying material. The strength of the lower echo suggests that the intervening material is nearly pure water ice. Near the image center, the bright lower echo abruptly disappears for unknown reasons. The time delay between the two echoes reaches a maximum of 42 microseconds left of center, corresponding to a thickness of 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) of ice. The total elevation difference shown in the topographic map is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) between the lowest surface (purple) and the highest (red). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
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Bright Lower Echo in Radargr
…
PIA09222
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Bright Lower Echo in Radargram of South Polar Layered Deposits |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version The upper image is a radargram from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS), showing data from the subsurface of Mars in the ice-rich layered deposits that surround the south pole. The lower image shows the position of the ground track (white line) on a topographic map of the area based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. The images are 1,250 kilometers (775 miles) wide. The MARSIS echo trace splits into two traces on the left side of the image, at the point where the ground track crosses from the surrounding plains onto the elevated layered deposits. The upper trace is the echo from the surface of the deposits, while the lower trace is interpreted to be the boundary between the lower surface of the deposits and the underlying material. The strength of the lower echo suggests that the intervening material is nearly pure water ice. Near the image center, the bright lower echo abruptly disappears for unknown reasons. The time delay between the two echoes reaches a maximum of 42 microseconds left of center, corresponding to a thickness of 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) of ice. The total elevation difference shown in the topographic map is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) between the lowest surface (purple) and the highest (red). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
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Upper Surface of Icy Layers
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PIA09226
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Upper Surface of Icy Layers Covering Mars' South Polar Region |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version This map shows the topography of the south polar region of Mars. The data were collected by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter between 1997 and 2001. The elevation of the terrain is shown by colors, with purple and blue representing the lowest areas, and orange and red the highest. The total range of elevation shown is about 5 kilometers (3 miles). The black line shows the boundary of the south polar layered deposits, an ice-rich geologic unit that was probed by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The radar data indicate that the deposit is more than 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) thick in places, and that the material consists of nearly pure water ice, with only a small component of dust. The MARSIS team also determined that the total volume of ice in the layered deposits is equivalent to a water layer 11 meters (36 feet) deep, if spread evenly across the planet. The boundary of the layered deposits was mapped by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. The dark circle in the upper center is the area poleward of 87 degrees south latitude, where MARSIS data cannot be collected. The image covers an area 1,670 by 1,800 kilometers (1,035 by 1,115 miles). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
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Upper Surface of Icy Layers
…
PIA09226
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Upper Surface of Icy Layers Covering Mars' South Polar Region |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version This map shows the topography of the south polar region of Mars. The data were collected by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter between 1997 and 2001. The elevation of the terrain is shown by colors, with purple and blue representing the lowest areas, and orange and red the highest. The total range of elevation shown is about 5 kilometers (3 miles). The black line shows the boundary of the south polar layered deposits, an ice-rich geologic unit that was probed by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The radar data indicate that the deposit is more than 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) thick in places, and that the material consists of nearly pure water ice, with only a small component of dust. The MARSIS team also determined that the total volume of ice in the layered deposits is equivalent to a water layer 11 meters (36 feet) deep, if spread evenly across the planet. The boundary of the layered deposits was mapped by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. The dark circle in the upper center is the area poleward of 87 degrees south latitude, where MARSIS data cannot be collected. The image covers an area 1,670 by 1,800 kilometers (1,035 by 1,115 miles). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
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Derived Topographic Model fr
…
PIA03874
Sol (our sun)
MOLA, Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Derived Topographic Model from Mars Global Surveyor Instruments |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
A 50-cm contour map of part of Mars' south polar ice cap. The region shown is roughly a kilometer on a side. The shaded relief model is shown with a tenfold vertical exaggeration. This high resolution Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) topographic model of the surface of Mars is created by combining Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)gridded topographic data base with information from Mars Orbiter Camera(MOC) Narrow Angle (NA) high resolution images. The top image is a shaded relief model derived from the MGS MOLA gridded topography for a small part of the cap near 87°S 348°W, the area covered is about 3x3 km and the MOLA resolution about 230 meters/pixel. The bottom image is an enhanced shaded relief model of the same area derived by adding high-resolution topographic information from a MOC NA image data to the MOLA topography model. This yields a 3-D model that has a horizontal resolution of 2.75 meters, both models are shown with a 10x vertical exaggeration. Using shape-from-shading or photoclinometry techniques, MOCNA image m0906496 was used to derive high resolution (meter-scale)topography. The photometric properties of the surface, including albedo variations, and scattering of the atmosphere were carefully modeled by constraining the low-frequencies of the MOC NA photoclinometry model to match the high-quality MOLA data. |
|
Derived Topographic Model fr
…
PIA03873
Sol (our sun)
MOLA, Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Derived Topographic Model from Mars Global Surveyor Instruments |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This high resolution Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) topographic model of the surface of Mars is created by combining Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) gridded topographic data base with information from Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Narrow Angle (NA) high resolution images. The top image is a shaded relief model derived from the MGS MOLA gridded topography for a small part of the cap near 87°S 348°W, the area covered is about 3x3 km and the MOLA resolution about 230 meters/pixel. The bottom image is an enhanced shaded relief model of the same area derived by adding high-resolution topographic information from a MOC NA image data to the MOLA topography model. This yields a 3-D model that has a horizontal resolution of 2.75 meters, both models are shown with a 10x vertical exaggeration. Using shape-from-shading or photoclinometry techniques, MOC NA image m0906496 was used to derive high resolution (meter-scale) topography. The photometric properties of the surface, including albedo variations, and scattering of the atmosphere were carefully modeled by constraining the low-frequencies of the MOC NA photoclinometry model to match the high-quality MOLA data. |
|
Thickness of Mars' South Pol
…
PIA09224
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Thickness of Mars' South Polar Layered Deposits |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version This map shows the thickness of the south polar layered deposits of Mars, an ice-rich geologic unit that was probed by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS). The MARSIS radar is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The thickness of the layered deposits was determined by measuring the time delay between radar echoes from the surface and those from the lower boundary, or "bed", of the deposits. The radar data indicate that the deposit, larger than Texas in area, is more than 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) thick in places, and that the material consists of nearly pure water ice with only a small component of dust. The map was generated by comparing the elevation of the bed as determined by MARSIS with the high-resolution map of surface topography obtained by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. The thickness of the layered deposits is shown by colors, with purple representing the thinnest areas, and red the thickest. The total volume of ice in the layered deposits is equivalent to a water layer 11 meters (36 feet) deep, if spread evenly across the planet. The boundary of the layered deposits was mapped by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. The dark circle in the upper center is the area poleward of 87 degrees south latitude, where MARSIS data cannot be collected. The map covers an area 1,670 by 1,800 kilometers (1,035 by 1,115 miles). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
|
Thickness of Mars' South Pol
…
PIA09224
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Thickness of Mars' South Polar Layered Deposits |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version This map shows the thickness of the south polar layered deposits of Mars, an ice-rich geologic unit that was probed by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS). The MARSIS radar is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The thickness of the layered deposits was determined by measuring the time delay between radar echoes from the surface and those from the lower boundary, or "bed", of the deposits. The radar data indicate that the deposit, larger than Texas in area, is more than 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) thick in places, and that the material consists of nearly pure water ice with only a small component of dust. The map was generated by comparing the elevation of the bed as determined by MARSIS with the high-resolution map of surface topography obtained by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. The thickness of the layered deposits is shown by colors, with purple representing the thinnest areas, and red the thickest. The total volume of ice in the layered deposits is equivalent to a water layer 11 meters (36 feet) deep, if spread evenly across the planet. The boundary of the layered deposits was mapped by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. The dark circle in the upper center is the area poleward of 87 degrees south latitude, where MARSIS data cannot be collected. The map covers an area 1,670 by 1,800 kilometers (1,035 by 1,115 miles). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
|
Lower Boundary of Icy Layers
…
PIA09225
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Lower Boundary of Icy Layers Covering Mars' South Polar Region |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version This map shows the topography of the south polar region of Mars, including topography buried by thick deposits of icy material. The map is a combination of surface elevation data acquired by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, and subsurface elevation data acquired by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The black line shows the boundary of the south polar layered deposits, an ice-rich geologic unit that was probed by MARSIS. Elevation values within the black outline, as measured by MARSIS, show the topography at the boundary between the layered deposits and the underlying material, an interface known as the "bed" of the deposits. The elevation of the terrain is shown by colors, with purple and blue representing the lowest areas, and orange and red the highest. The total range of elevation shown is about 5 kilometers (3 miles). The radar data reveal previously undetected features of topography of the bed, including depressions as deep as 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) shown in purple in the near-polar region. The boundary of the layered deposits was mapped by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. The dark circle in the upper center is the area poleward of 87 degrees south latitude, where MARSIS data cannot be collected. The map covers an area 1,670 by 1,800 kilometers (1,035 by 1,115 miles). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
|
Lower Boundary of Icy Layers
…
PIA09225
Sol (our sun)
MARSIS, MOLA
| Title |
Lower Boundary of Icy Layers Covering Mars' South Polar Region |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Annotated Version This map shows the topography of the south polar region of Mars, including topography buried by thick deposits of icy material. The map is a combination of surface elevation data acquired by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, and subsurface elevation data acquired by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The black line shows the boundary of the south polar layered deposits, an ice-rich geologic unit that was probed by MARSIS. Elevation values within the black outline, as measured by MARSIS, show the topography at the boundary between the layered deposits and the underlying material, an interface known as the "bed" of the deposits. The elevation of the terrain is shown by colors, with purple and blue representing the lowest areas, and orange and red the highest. The total range of elevation shown is about 5 kilometers (3 miles). The radar data reveal previously undetected features of topography of the bed, including depressions as deep as 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) shown in purple in the near-polar region. The boundary of the layered deposits was mapped by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. The dark circle in the upper center is the area poleward of 87 degrees south latitude, where MARSIS data cannot be collected. The map covers an area 1,670 by 1,800 kilometers (1,035 by 1,115 miles). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
|
Mars Topography
PIA02820
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
Mars Topography |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
These maps are global false-color topographic views of Mars at different orientations from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). The maps are orthographic projections that contain over 200,000,000 points and about 5,000,000 altimetric crossovers. The spatial resolution is about 15 kilometers at the equator and less at higher latitudes. The vertical accuracy is less than 5 meters. The right hand image view features the Hellas impact basin (in purple, with red annulus of high standing material). The left hand features the Tharsis topographic rise (in red and white). Note also the subtle textures associated with resurfacing of the northern hemisphere lowlands in the vicinity of the Utopia impact basin. These data were compiled by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) Team led by David Smith at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. |
|
Far-Northern Destination for
…
PIA09944
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
Far-Northern Destination for Phoenix Mars Lander |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The planned landing site for NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander lies at a latitude on Mars equivalent to northern Alaska on Earth. It is within the region designated "D" on this global image. This is an orthographic projection with color-coded elevation contours and shaded relief based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. Total vertical relief is about 28 kilometers (17 miles) from the top of the highest volcano (red) to the northern lowlands (blue). North pole is where the longitude lines converge. |
|
Topographical Context of Pho
…
PIA09945
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
Topographical Context of Phoenix Landing Region |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Color coding indicates the topography in this map of the region of Mars from 65 to 72 degrees north latitude and from 230 to 250 degrees east longitude. This area was designated "Region D" in the process of evaluating potential landing sites for NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. The location chosen for safe landing sites is within the box bordered with a heavy black line along the western boundary of this region. Elevation in the region varies from about 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) to 4,400 meters (14,400 feet) below the zero reference point for Martian surface elevation. The topographical information is from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
|
MGS Mars Orbiter Laser Altim
…
PIA00960
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
MGS Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) - Mars/Earth Relief Comparison |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Comparison of the cross-sectional relief of the deepest portion of the Grand Canyon (Arizona) on Earth versus a Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) view of a common type of chasm on Mars in the western Elysium region. The MOLA profile was collected during the Mars Global Surveyor Capture Orbit Calibration Pass on September 15, 1997. The Grand Canyon topography is shown as a trace with a measurement every 295 feet (90 meters) along track, while that from MOLA reflects measurements about every 970 feet (400 meters) along track. The slopes of the steep inner canyon wall of the Martian feature exceed the angle of repose, suggesting relative youth and the potential for landslides. The inner wall slopes of the Grand Canyon are less than those of the Martian chasm, reflecting the long period of erosion necessary to form its mile-deep character on Earth. |
|
Elevation Measurement Profil
…
PIA01338
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
Elevation Measurement Profile of Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The elevation measurements were collected by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) aboard Global Surveyor during the spring and summer of 1998, as the spacecraft orbited Mars in an interim elliptical orbit. MOLA sends laser pulses toward the planet and measures the precise amount of time before the reflected signals are received back at the instrument. From this data, scientists can infer surface and cloud heights. During its mapping of the north polar cap, the MOLA instrument also made the first direct measurement of cloud heights on the red planet. Reflections from the atmosphere were obtained at altitudes from just above the surface to more than nine miles (approximately 15 kilometers) on about 80 percent of the laser profiles. Most clouds were observed at high latitudes, at the boundary of the ice cap and surrounding terrain. Clouds observed over the polar cap are likely composed of carbon dioxide that condenses out of the atmosphere during northern hemisphere winter. Many clouds exhibit dynamic structure probably caused by winds interacting with surface topography, much as occurs on Earth when winds collide with mountains to produce turbulence. The principal investigator for MOLA is Dr. David E. Smith of Goddard. The MOLA instrument was designed and built by the Laser Remote Sensing Branch of Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics at Goddard. The Mars Global Surveyor Mission is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for the NASA Office of Space Science. |
|
MGS Mars Orbiter Laser Altim
…
PIA00959
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
MGS Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter Topographic Profile of Impact Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Among the myriad of interesting landforms sampled by MOLA on its first traverse across the Red Planet on 15 September 1997 is this 13-mile (21-kilometer) diameter impact crater located at ~ 48°N. The figure shows the topography, the computed position of the spacecraft groundtrack (solid line) and the track adjusted to correct for image location error (dashed line). The topographic profile provides some of the first indications of how landscape modification has operated in Martian geologic history. The relief of the crater rim, in combination with the steepness (over 20°) of the inner crater wall, are intriguing in that most craters of this size are much more subdued. The shape of the outer ejecta blanket of the crater likely indicates impact into an H2O rich crust. Issues concerning how craters such as this can be used to understand the properties of the uppermost crust of Mars in regions where the role of water and other volatiles may be important can be addressed with the high spatial and vertical resolution topographic profiles that will be acquired by MOLA once it starts its detailed mapping of the Red Planet in March of 1998. |
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MGS Mars Orbiter Laser (MOLA
…
PIA00957
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
MGS Mars Orbiter Laser (MOLA) Surface Topography of Northern Hemisphere |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
A "picket fence" rendition of surface topography in the northern hemisphere of Mars from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). The profile was obtained during the Mars Global Surveyor Capture Orbit Calibration Pass on September 15, 1997. The profile runs from 73°N to 10°S latitude and passes through the topographically subdued northern plains, the western part of the Elysium volcanic province, which shows 3 miles (5 kilometers) of relief, and the chaotic "dichotomy" boundary between the northern plains and ancient southern highlands. The MOLA profile is approximately 3000 miles (5000 kilometers) long and has a resolution on the surface of 1000 feet (330 meters) and a vertical resolution of approximately 3 feet (1 meter). |
|
3000 Mile Laser Altimeter Pr
…
PIA00958
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
3000 Mile Laser Altimeter Profile Across Northern Hemisphere of Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Topographic profile across the northern hemisphere of Mars from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). The profile was obtained during the Mars Global Surveyor Capture Orbit Calibration Pass on September 15, 1997 and represents 20 minutes of data collection. The profile has a length of approximately 3000 miles (5000 kilometers). The large bulge is the western part of the Elysium rise, the second largest volcanic province on Mars, and shows over 3 miles (5 kilometers) of vertical relief. This area contains deep chasms that reflect tectonic, volcanic and erosional processes. In contrast is the almost 1featureless1 northern plains region of Mars, which shows only hundreds of meters of relief at scales the size of the United States. Plotted for comparison is the elevation of the Viking Lander 2 site, which is located 275 miles (445 kilometers) west of the profile. At the southernmost extent of the trace is the transition from the northern plains to the ancient southern highlands. Characterizing the fine-scale nature of topography in this chaotic region is crucial to testing theories for how the dichotomy between the geologically distinctive northern lowlands and southern uplands formed and subsequently evolved. The spatial resolution of the profile is approximately 1000 feet (330 meters) and the vertical resolution is approximately 3 feet (1 meter). When the Mars Global Surveyor mapping mission commences in March, 1998, the MOLA instrument will collect 72 times as much data every day for a period of two years. |
|
Laser Altimeter Profiles Acr
…
PIA01009
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
Laser Altimeter Profiles Across Amazonis Planitia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. |
|
Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter
…
PIA01014
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter Passes |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. |
|
Laser Altimeter Profiles Acr
…
PIA01010
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
Laser Altimeter Profiles Across Martian Volcanoes |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO. |
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Proposed Mars Polar Lander L
…
PIA02318
Sol (our sun)
| Title |
Proposed Mars Polar Lander Landing Site (Perspective View 3) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This three-dimensional perspective view of the Martian polar layered terrain was created by combining Viking images with Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter measurements of the height of the surface. A bright blue ellipse indicates the landing location of the landing site. The ellipse is 5 kilometers wide and 90 kilometers long. . The landing site is located at latitude 76 degrees South, longitude 195 degrees West. Launched Jan. 3, Mars Polar Lander will set down gently on the Red Planet Dec. 3 for the start of a three-month mission to help scientists study the planet's climate history. Polar Lander was launched toward a Colorado-sized area at about 75 degrees south latitude on Mars. Mission planners have been reviewing images and three-dimensional topographic measurements from NASA's orbiting Mars Global Surveyor mission to pick a safe and scientifically interesting spot to land. Piggybacking on the Polar Lander are two basketball-sized aeroshells containing the Deep Space 2 microprobes. Part of NASA's New Millennium program, which tests risky new technologies for future science missions, these two grapefruit-sized penetrators will smash into Mars at about 400 mph and search for signs of water ice about 3 feet below the surface. Mars Polar Lander and its companion mission, the Mars Climate Orbiter, make up the second wave of spacecraft in the long-term Mars Surveyor Program, which is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science. JPL's industrial partner in the development and operation of the Mars Global Surveyor, Polar Lander, and Climate Orbiter spacecraft is Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. For additional information about the Mars Surveyor 1998 Project, please visit our website at:http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/launch.html [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/launch.html ] To view additional MOC images, please visit the MSSS website at http://www.msss.com For additional information on MOLA, please visit our website at: http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/98lander.html [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/98lander.html ] |
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Proposed Mars Polar Lander L
…
PIA02316
Sol (our sun)
| Title |
Proposed Mars Polar Lander Landing Site (Perspective View 1) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This three-dimensional perspective view of the Martian polar layered terrain was created by combining Viking images with Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter measurements of the height of the surface. A bright blue ellipse indicates the landing location of the landing site. The ellipse is 5 kilometers wide and 90 kilometers long. . The landing site is located at latitude 76 degrees South, longitude 195 degrees West. Launched Jan. 3, Mars Polar Lander will set down gently on the Red Planet Dec. 3 for the start of a three-month mission to help scientists study the planet's climate history. Polar Lander was launched toward a Colorado-sized area at about 75 degrees south latitude on Mars. Mission planners have been reviewing images and three-dimensional topographic measurements from NASA's orbiting Mars Global Surveyor mission to pick a safe and scientifically interesting spot to land. Piggybacking on the Polar Lander are two basketball-sized aeroshells containing the Deep Space 2 microprobes. Part of NASA's New Millennium program, which tests risky new technologies for future science missions, these two grapefruit-sized penetrators will smash into Mars at about 400 mph and search for signs of water ice about 3 feet below the surface. Mars Polar Lander and its companion mission, the Mars Climate Orbiter, make up the second wave of spacecraft in the long-term Mars Surveyor Program, which is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science. JPL's industrial partner in the development and operation of the Mars Global Surveyor, Polar Lander, and Climate Orbiter spacecraft is Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. For additional information about the Mars Surveyor 1998 Project, please visit our website at:http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/launch.html [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/launch.html ] To view additional MOC images, please visit the MSSS website at http://www.msss.com For additional information on MOLA, please visit our website at: http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/98lander.html [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/98lander.html ] |
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Proposed Mars Polar Lander L
…
PIA02317
Sol (our sun)
| Title |
Proposed Mars Polar Lander Landing Site (Perspective View 2) |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This three-dimensional perspective view of the Martian polar layered terrain was created by combining Viking images with Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter measurements of the height of the surface. A bright blue ellipse indicates the landing location of the landing site. The ellipse is 5 kilometers wide and 90 kilometers long. . The landing site is located at latitude 76 degrees South, longitude 195 degrees West. Launched Jan. 3, Mars Polar Lander will set down gently on the Red Planet Dec. 3 for the start of a three-month mission to help scientists study the planet's climate history. Polar Lander was launched toward a Colorado-sized area at about 75 degrees south latitude on Mars. Mission planners have been reviewing images and three-dimensional topographic measurements from NASA's orbiting Mars Global Surveyor mission to pick a safe and scientifically interesting spot to land. Piggybacking on the Polar Lander are two basketball-sized aeroshells containing the Deep Space 2 microprobes. Part of NASA's New Millennium program, which tests risky new technologies for future science missions, these two grapefruit-sized penetrators will smash into Mars at about 400 mph and search for signs of water ice about 3 feet below the surface. Mars Polar Lander and its companion mission, the Mars Climate Orbiter, make up the second wave of spacecraft in the long-term Mars Surveyor Program, which is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science. JPL's industrial partner in the development and operation of the Mars Global Surveyor, Polar Lander, and Climate Orbiter spacecraft is Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. For additional information about the Mars Surveyor 1998 Project, please visit our website at:http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/launch.html [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/lander/launch.html ] To view additional MOC images, please visit the MSSS website at http://www.msss.com For additional information on MOLA, please visit our website at: http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/98lander.html [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/98lander.html ] |
|
MGS MOC Coverage of Mars Pol
…
PIA02310
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
MGS MOC Coverage of Mars Polar Lander Region |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
. The selection criteria were to find a place that was relatively flat and relatively smooth, but which displayed characteristics of the south polar layered materials. The inset (upper left) shows the location of the landing zone with respect to the south polar residual (year-round) ice cap. The base map used here is a mosaic of Viking Orbiter images from the U.S. Geological Survey. Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO., High-resolution views of the Mars Polar Lander [ http://www.marspolarlander.com/ ] landing zone were essential to the selection of a safe place for the December 3, 1999, landing to occur. The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) took its first pictures of the landing zone in December 1997 [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/3_9_98_release/7200/index.html ] and January 1998 [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/3_9_98_release/9500/index.html ]. After that time, the south polar region was not accessible to the camera until June 1999, when the south polar winter was ending and the sun began to dawn on this region once again. Since the beginning of June 1999, an intense period of imaging has been conducted over the landing zone so that a safe site could be found. The final site has now been identified, and the pictures shown here give some idea of what the Mars Polar Lander will encounter a little more than three months from now. This figure shows the zone originally proposed by the Mars Volatiles and Climate Surveyor (MVACS) [ http://mvacs.ess.ucla.edu/ ] science team for the Mars Polar Lander mission, which spanned the region from 72° to 78°S latitude and 170° to 230°W longitude. The thin white boxes and lines crossing the proposed zone outline MOC images taken between the first week in June 1999 and the first week in August 1999. The longest images were taken at 12 by 18 meters (39 by 59 feet) per pixel, there are three sets of long images, each taken during a given week in June as the terminator (the line separating "night" from "day") moved south across the landing zone. Smaller swaths represent images at higher resolution. The best resolution so far achieved is about 4 meters (13 ft) per pixel, better images will be taken in September and October as the sun rises farther and the surface becomes better illuminated. This figure shows the location of the primary (blue) and secondary (white) landing ellipses, which were selected on the basis of interpretation of the MGS data, in particular data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter [ http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/98lander.html ] and the Mars Orbiter Camera [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/index.html ] |
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Radargram of Mars' North Pol
…
PIA03235
Sol (our sun)
MOLA, Mars Advanced Radar fo
…
| Title |
Radargram of Mars' North Polar Layered Deposits with Topographic Map |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The upper image is a radargram from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS), showing data from the subsurface of Mars in the layered deposits that surround the north pole. The lower image shows the position of the ground track on a topographic map of the area based on Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. The images are 458 kilometers (285 miles) wide. The MARSIS echo trace splits into two traces to the right of center, at the point where the ground track crosses from the smooth plains onto the elevated layered deposits on the right. The upper trace is the echo from the surface of the deposits, while the lower trace is interpreted to be the boundary between the lower surface of the deposits and the underlying material. The strength of the lower echo suggests that the intervening material is nearly pure water ice. The time delay between the two echoes reaches a maximum of 21 microseconds at the right of the image, corresponding to a thickness of 1.8 kilometer (1.1 mile) of ice. The total elevation difference shown in the topographic map is about 2 kilometers (1.2 mile) between the lowest surface (magenta) and the highest (orange). MARSIS is an instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the instrument. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter is an instrument on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
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Topographic Map of Chryse Pl
…
PIA03237
Sol (our sun)
MOLA, Mars Advanced Radar fo
…
| Title |
Topographic Map of Chryse Planitia with Location of Possible Buried Basin |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This topographic map, based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, shows the ground track of the 1,892nd and the 1,903rd orbits of Mars Express and the arc structures detected by that orbiter's Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS). The arc structures are interpreted to be part of a buried impact basin about 250 kilometers (155 miles) in diameter. The topographic relief represented in the image is 1 kilometer (0.6 mile), from low (purple) to high (red). The projected arcs are shown in red for orbit 1892 and white for orbit 1903. There is no obvious feature in the surface topography that corresponds to the buried feature identified with MARSIS data. NASA and the Italian Space Agency jointly funded the MARSIS instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter is an instrument on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. |
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