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Layers within the Valles Mar
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PIA01168
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Layers within the Valles Marineris: Clues to the Ancient Crust of Mars - High Resolution Image |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This high resolution picture of the Martian surface was obtained in the early evening of January 1, 1998 by the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), shortly after the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft began it's 80th orbit. Seen in this view are a plateau and surrounding steep slopes within the Valles Marineris, the large system of canyons that stretches 4000 km (2500 mi) along the equator of Mars. The image covers a tiny fraction of the canyons at very high resolution: it extends only 9.8 km by 17.3 km (6.1 mi by 10.7 mi) but captures features as small as 6 m (20 ft) across. The highest terrain in the image is the relatively smooth plateau near the center. Slopes descend to the north and south (upper and lower part of image, respectively) in broad, debris-filled gullies with intervening rocky spurs. Multiple rock layers, varying from a few to a few tens of meters thick, are visible in the steep slopes on the spurs and gullies. Layered rocks on Earth form from sedimentary processes (such as those that formed the layered rocks now seen in Arizona's Grand Canyon) and volcanic processes (such as layering seen in the Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauai). Both origins are possible for the Martian layered rocks seen in this image. In either case, the total thickness of the layered rocks seen in this image implies a complex and extremely active early history for geologic processes on Mars. Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) 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. |
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Layers within the Valles Mar
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PIA01167
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Layers within the Valles Marineris: Clues to the Ancient Crust of Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This high resolution picture (right) of the Martian surface was obtained in the early evening of January 1, 1998 by the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC), shortly after the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft began it's 80th orbit. Seen in this view are a plateau and surrounding steep slopes within the Valles Marineris, the large system of canyons that stretches 4000 km (2500 mi) along the equator of Mars. The image covers a tiny fraction of the canyons at very high resolution: it extends only 9.8 km by 17.3 km (6.1 mi by 10.7 mi) but captures features as small as 6 m (20 ft) across. The highest terrain in the image is the relatively smooth plateau near the center. Slopes descend to the north and south (upper and lower part of image, respectively) in broad, debris-filled gullies with intervening rocky spurs. Multiple rock layers, varying from a few to a few tens of meters thick, are visible in the steep slopes on the spurs and gullies. Layered rocks on Earth form from sedimentary processes (such as those that formed the layered rocks now seen in Arizona's Grand Canyon) and volcanic processes (such as layering seen in the Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauai). Both origins are possible for the Martian layered rocks seen in this image. In either case, the total thickness of the layered rocks seen in this image implies a complex and extremely active early history for geologic processes on Mars. The left and center "context" images are Viking mosaics reproduced at scales of 230 meters/pixel and 80 meters/pixel respectively. Outlines in these two images represent the location of the higher resolution image(s). Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) 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. |
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East Tithonium Chasma Wall,
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PIA01696
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
East Tithonium Chasma Wall, Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Layers of wall rock, windblown drifts, and landslide deposits can be seen in this new view of the wall of Tithonium Chasma in the Valles Marineris trough system. The picture covers an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide by about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) long and is illuminated from the lower right. The Mars Orbiter Camera on board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft acquired this dramatic picture in early April 1999. 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. |
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Western Melas and Candor Cha
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PIA01692
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Western Melas and Candor Chasms, Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
During its March 1999 operations, the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) on board the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) captured this stunning wide-angle camera view of the western portions of Melas and Candor Chasms in the Valles Marineris canyon system. This view covers an area that is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) wide and 220 kilometers (137 miles)long. Melas Chasma is located at the bottom of the image, Candor at the top. Hints of layers in the canyon walls are evident in this image. Color and albedo (brightness)variations on the floors of each chasm indicate the relative distribution of dark sand and brighter sediments and/or rocks. Dark sand on the floor of Melas Chasma was also seen by MOC in March 1999 (see MOC2-104) [ http://www.msss.com/mars/global_surveyor/camera/images/3_25_99_melas/index.html ] and bright layered material was observed in Candor Chasma in April 1998 (see MOC2-59) [ http://www.msss.com/mars/global_surveyor/camera/images/7_20_98_marineris_rel/index.html ]. The colors shown here are not true colors as they would appear to the human eye. The MOC has cameras that obtain images in red and blue portions of the visible spectrum, the green portion is synthesized using the combined average values of the red and blue channels (a relationship understood from Viking Orbiter imaging in the 1970s). Illumination is from the upper left. 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. |
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Tharsis Volcanoes and Valles
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PIA02005
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Tharsis Volcanoes and Valles Marineris, Mars |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
It is northern summer on Mars and clouds are very common over the famous Tharsis volcanoes during the afternoon. At the far left, a white patchy cloud denotes the location of Olympus Mons. Ascraeus Mons is under the brightest cloud toward the center left, but the volcanoes Pavonis Mons and Arsia Mons (toward lower left below Ascraeus Mons) have much less cloud cover. The patch of clouds toward the upper left mark the location of the Alba Patera volcano. The Valles Marineris trough system--so long that it would stretch across North America--is seen in the lower third of this picture. This is a color composite of 9 red and 9 blue image strips taken by the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera on 9 successive orbits from pole-to-pole during the calibration phase of the mission in March 1999. The color is computer-enhanced and is not shown as it would actually appear to the human eye. 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. |
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May 1999 Dust Storm in Valle
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PIA02045
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
May 1999 Dust Storm in Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Mars Global Surveyor's (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) captured this view of a dust storm within the Ius and Melas Chasms of the Valles Marineris trough system on May 16, 1999. The dust storm is seen in the lower 1/3 of the image. It occurs at the junction between eastern Ius Chasma and western Melas Chasma. The apparent motion of the storm is approximately from the south (bottom of image) toward the north. The dust cloud forms a sharp front along its northern margin, which is seen along the north wall of Ius and Melas Chasms--in fact, at the time the image was taken, the dust had advanced up over the north wall of Melas Chasma (upper portion of lower right third of image) and was advancing across the upland that separates this chasm from western Candor Chasma. For a clear-atmosphere view of western Candor and Melas Chasms, see "Western Melas and Candor Chasms, Valles Marineris, MOC2-105, 25 March 1999" [ http://www.msss.com/mars/global_surveyor/camera/images/3_25_99_vmcolor/index.html ]. For scale, note that the large crater south of Hebes Chasma, Perrotin, is about 95 kilometers (59 miles) across. Bluish-white clouds in the image are interpreted to consist of water ice. The pink/red clouds of the dust storm occur closer to the ground, at a lower altitude than the water ice clouds. One of the most interesting aspects of this dust storm is that Valles Marineris was observed to have a dust storm at exactly the same time of year, one Martian year ago. During its approach to Mars, MOC obtained a picture of the planet on July 2,1997, just prior to the Mars Pathfinder landing. At the time, it was winter in the southern hemisphere, and dust clouds were observed within Valles Marineris. The picture is seen in "Mars Orbiter Camera Views Mars Pathfinder Landing Site,MOC2-1, 3 July 1997" [ http://www.msss.com/mars/global_surveyor/camera/images/c9/index.html ]. It will be interesting to see if similar storms occur within the Valles Marineris 1 and 2 Mars years hence. The next times will be in early April 2001 and mid-February 2003. 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. |
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Tharsis and Marineris
PIA02079
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Tharsis and Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image is extracted from the global view shown in Slide #1. It features the Tharsis volcanoes (mostly covered by bluish-white water ice clouds) and the Valles Marineris trough system(to the right). This is a mosaic of global color images obtained on a single martian day in April 1999. |
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Candor Chasm in Valles Marin
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PIA00199
Sol (our sun)
Visual Imaging Subsystem - C
…
| Title |
Candor Chasm in Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Part of Candor Chasm in Valles Marineris, Mars, from about latitude -9 degrees to -3 degrees and longitude 69 degrees to 75 degrees. Layered terrain is visible in the scene, perhaps due to a huge ancient lake. The geomorphology is complex, shaped by tectonics, mass wasting, and wind, and perhaps by water and volcanism. |
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Light-toned Layered Outcrops
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PIA02847
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Light-toned Layered Outcrops in Valles Marineris Walls |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Valles Marineris a system of troughs, chasms, and pit chains that stretches more than 4,000 km (2,500 miles) across the martian western hemisphere. Outcrops of layered material found in mounds and mesas within the chasms of the Valles Marineris were known from the pictures taken by Mariner 9 in 1972 and the Viking orbiters of 1976-1980. One example of the those known previously is the mesa labeled "Candor Mensa" in the context image (above), another example is the mound in the center of Ganges Chasma. For several decades, it has been widely speculated among Mars scientists that the light- and dark-toned layered materials in the Valles Marineris might have formed in lakes that had once filled the chasms during the most recent epoch of martian history, others thought they might result from volcanic ash deposited in the chasms. Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images have confirmed the presence of light- and dark-toned layered sedimentary rock outcrops in the Valles Marineris, but they have also revealed many more than were previously known and they have shown several good examples that these materials are coming out of the walls of the Valles Marineris chasms. The fact that these materials come out of the chasm walls means that the layers do not represent lakes (or volcanic debris) that formed in the Valles Marineris. Instead, they represent materials deposited and buried long before there ever was a Valles Marineris. They are seen now because of the faulting and erosion that opened up and widened the Valles Marineris troughs. The context image is a mosaic of Viking 1 orbiter images taken in 1976 showing a portion of the wall that separates western Ophir Chasma from western Candor Chasma in the Valles Marineris. This area is located around 5°S, 74°W. The white box labeled "M17-00467" shows the location of a subframe of MOC image M17-00467 that was acquired in July 2000 to allow scientists to examine one of the many bright patches (indicated by small arrows) seen on the walls of Valles Marineris. The release image is a subframe of MOC image M17-00467, showing a high-resolution view of one of the bright patches on the walls of Candor Chasma. The MOC image reveals that the bright material indeed consists of light-toned layered rock similar to other outcrops thought to be sedimentary in origin found throughout the Valles Marineris. The dark ridge running from top center to center-left in this view is mantled by a smooth, dark material that covers additional light-toned layered rock. The observation that these kinds of bright layered rock occur within the walls of the Valles Marineris indicate that the materials are very, very old. They have been buried under several kilometers (i.e., more than a mile) of additional layered rock, all of which is beneath plains thought to be more than 2.5 to 3.5 billion years old. These relationships suggest that all of the layered sedimentary rocks observed on Mars by MGS MOC may date back to the, earliest parts of martian history, between 3.5 and 4.5 billion years ago. In both pictures, north is toward the top. Sunlight illuminates the context image from the top/right, the MOC image (top left) is illuminated from the upper left. |
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Light-toned Layered Outcrops
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PIA02847
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Light-toned Layered Outcrops in Valles Marineris Walls |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Valles Marineris a system of troughs, chasms, and pit chains that stretches more than 4,000 km (2,500 miles) across the martian western hemisphere. Outcrops of layered material found in mounds and mesas within the chasms of the Valles Marineris were known from the pictures taken by Mariner 9 in 1972 and the Viking orbiters of 1976-1980. One example of the those known previously is the mesa labeled "Candor Mensa" in the context image (above), another example is the mound in the center of Ganges Chasma. For several decades, it has been widely speculated among Mars scientists that the light- and dark-toned layered materials in the Valles Marineris might have formed in lakes that had once filled the chasms during the most recent epoch of martian history, others thought they might result from volcanic ash deposited in the chasms. Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images have confirmed the presence of light- and dark-toned layered sedimentary rock outcrops in the Valles Marineris, but they have also revealed many more than were previously known and they have shown several good examples that these materials are coming out of the walls of the Valles Marineris chasms. The fact that these materials come out of the chasm walls means that the layers do not represent lakes (or volcanic debris) that formed in the Valles Marineris. Instead, they represent materials deposited and buried long before there ever was a Valles Marineris. They are seen now because of the faulting and erosion that opened up and widened the Valles Marineris troughs. The context image is a mosaic of Viking 1 orbiter images taken in 1976 showing a portion of the wall that separates western Ophir Chasma from western Candor Chasma in the Valles Marineris. This area is located around 5°S, 74°W. The white box labeled "M17-00467" shows the location of a subframe of MOC image M17-00467 that was acquired in July 2000 to allow scientists to examine one of the many bright patches (indicated by small arrows) seen on the walls of Valles Marineris. The release image is a subframe of MOC image M17-00467, showing a high-resolution view of one of the bright patches on the walls of Candor Chasma. The MOC image reveals that the bright material indeed consists of light-toned layered rock similar to other outcrops thought to be sedimentary in origin found throughout the Valles Marineris. The dark ridge running from top center to center-left in this view is mantled by a smooth, dark material that covers additional light-toned layered rock. The observation that these kinds of bright layered rock occur within the walls of the Valles Marineris indicate that the materials are very, very old. They have been buried under several kilometers (i.e., more than a mile) of additional layered rock, all of which is beneath plains thought to be more than 2.5 to 3.5 billion years old. These relationships suggest that all of the layered sedimentary rocks observed on Mars by MGS MOC may date back to the, earliest parts of martian history, between 3.5 and 4.5 billion years ago. In both pictures, north is toward the top. Sunlight illuminates the context image from the top/right, the MOC image (top left) is illuminated from the upper left. |
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Light-toned Layered Outcrops
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PIA02847
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Light-toned Layered Outcrops in Valles Marineris Walls |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Valles Marineris a system of troughs, chasms, and pit chains that stretches more than 4,000 km (2,500 miles) across the martian western hemisphere. Outcrops of layered material found in mounds and mesas within the chasms of the Valles Marineris were known from the pictures taken by Mariner 9 in 1972 and the Viking orbiters of 1976-1980. One example of the those known previously is the mesa labeled "Candor Mensa" in the context image (above), another example is the mound in the center of Ganges Chasma. For several decades, it has been widely speculated among Mars scientists that the light- and dark-toned layered materials in the Valles Marineris might have formed in lakes that had once filled the chasms during the most recent epoch of martian history, others thought they might result from volcanic ash deposited in the chasms. Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images have confirmed the presence of light- and dark-toned layered sedimentary rock outcrops in the Valles Marineris, but they have also revealed many more than were previously known and they have shown several good examples that these materials are coming out of the walls of the Valles Marineris chasms. The fact that these materials come out of the chasm walls means that the layers do not represent lakes (or volcanic debris) that formed in the Valles Marineris. Instead, they represent materials deposited and buried long before there ever was a Valles Marineris. They are seen now because of the faulting and erosion that opened up and widened the Valles Marineris troughs. The context image is a mosaic of Viking 1 orbiter images taken in 1976 showing a portion of the wall that separates western Ophir Chasma from western Candor Chasma in the Valles Marineris. This area is located around 5°S, 74°W. The white box labeled "M17-00467" shows the location of a subframe of MOC image M17-00467 that was acquired in July 2000 to allow scientists to examine one of the many bright patches (indicated by small arrows) seen on the walls of Valles Marineris. The release image is a subframe of MOC image M17-00467, showing a high-resolution view of one of the bright patches on the walls of Candor Chasma. The MOC image reveals that the bright material indeed consists of light-toned layered rock similar to other outcrops thought to be sedimentary in origin found throughout the Valles Marineris. The dark ridge running from top center to center-left in this view is mantled by a smooth, dark material that covers additional light-toned layered rock. The observation that these kinds of bright layered rock occur within the walls of the Valles Marineris indicate that the materials are very, very old. They have been buried under several kilometers (i.e., more than a mile) of additional layered rock, all of which is beneath plains thought to be more than 2.5 to 3.5 billion years old. These relationships suggest that all of the layered sedimentary rocks observed on Mars by MGS MOC may date back to the, earliest parts of martian history, between 3.5 and 4.5 billion years ago. In both pictures, north is toward the top. Sunlight illuminates the context image from the top/right, the MOC image (top left) is illuminated from the upper left. |
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The Layer Cake Walls of Vall
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PIA10074
Sol (our sun)
CRISM
| Title |
The Layer Cake Walls of Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image of the northern wall of Coprates Chasma, in Valles Marineris, was taken by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) at 1227 UTC (8:27 a.m. EDT) on June 16, 2007, near 13.99 degrees south latitude, 303.09 degrees east longitude. CRISM's image was taken in 544 colors covering 0.36-3.92 micrometers, and shows features as small as 20 meters (66 feet) across. The region covered is just over 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) wide at its narrowest point. Valles Marineris is a large canyon system straddling Mars' equator, with a total size approximating the Mediterranean Sea emptied of water. It is subdivided into several interconnected "chasmata" each hundreds of kilometers wide and, in some cases, thousands of kilometers long. The walls of several of the chasmata, including Coprates Chasma, expose a section of Mars' upper crust about 5 kilometers (3 miles) in depth. Exposures like these show the layers of rock that record the formation of Mars' crust over geologic time, much as the walls of the Grand Canyon on Earth show part of our planet's history. The upper panel of this montage shows the location of the CRISM image on a mosaic from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft's Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS), taken in longer infrared wavelengths than measured by CRISM. The CRISM image samples the base of Coprates Chasma's wall, including a conspicuous horizontal band that continues along the wall for tens of kilometers to the east and west, and a topographic shelf just above that. The middle two panels show the CRISM image in visible and infrared light. In the middle left panel, the red, green, and blue image planes show brightness at 0.59, 0.53, and 0.48 microns, similar to what the human eye would see. Color variations are subdued by the presence of dust on all exposed surfaces. In the middle right panel, the red, green, and blue image planes show brightness at 2.53, 1.51, and 1.08 microns. These three infrared wavelengths are the "usual" set that the CRISM team uses to provide an overview of infrared data, because dust has a less obscuring effect, and because they are sensitive to a wide variety of minerals. Layering is clearly evident in the wall rocks. The conspicuous band running along the base of the chasma wall appears slightly yellowish, and the scarp at the edge of the topographic bench appears slightly green. The bottom two panels use combinations of wavelengths to show the strengths of absorptions that provide "fingerprints" of different minerals. In the lower left panel, red shows strength of a 0.53-micron absorption due to oxidized iron in dust, green shows strength of an inflection in the spectrum at 0.6 microns that may be related to rock coatings, and blue shows strength of a 1-micron absorption due to the igneous minerals olivine and pyroxene. The conspicuous horizontal band appears slightly blue, indicating a stronger signature of olivine and/or pyroxene. In the lower right panel, red is a measure of, an absorption particular to olivine, green is a measure of a 2.3-micron absorption due to phyllosilicates (clay-like minerals formed when rock was subjected to liquid water), and blue is a measure of absorptions particular to pyroxene. The conspicuous horizontal band is now resolved into an upper portion richer in pyroxene, underlain by material richer in olivine than the rest of the wall rock. Also, erosion-resistant material forming the topographic bench is underlain by phyllosilicate-containing material exposed on the scarp. Taken together, these data reveal a layer cake-like composition of the crustal material exposed in Coprates Chasma's wall. Most of the rock is rich in pyroxene, which is expected because much of Mars' crust consists of volcanic basaltic rock. However discrete layers are richer in olivine, and in some layers the presence of phyllosilicates indicates interaction of rock with liquid water. Because the phyllosilicate-containing layer is low on the walls and deeply buried, it likely represents an early period of Mars' history that was exposed when the canyon system formed. The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) is one of six science instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Led by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the CRISM team includes expertise from universities, government agencies and small businesses in the United States and abroad. |
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Valles Marineris and Chryse
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PIA00426
Sol (our sun)
| Title |
Valles Marineris and Chryse Outflow Channels |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
A color image of Valles Marineris, the great canyon and the south Chryse basin-Valles Marineris outflow channels of Mars, north toward top. The scene shows the entire Valles Marineris canyon system, over 3,000 km long and averaging 8 km deep, extending from Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate system of graben to the west, to the chaotic terrain to the east and related outflow canyons that drain toward the Chryse basin. Eos and Capri Chasmata (south to north) are two canyons connected to Valles Marineris. Ganges Chasma lies directly north. The chaos in the southeast part of the image gives rise to several outflow channels, Shalbatana, Simud, Tiu, and Ares Valles (left to right), that drained north into the Chryse basin. The mouth of Ares Valles is the site of the Mars Pathfinder lander. This image is a composite of Viking medium-resolution images in black and white and low-resolution images in color, Mercator projection. The image roughly extends from latitude 20 degrees S. to 20 degrees N. and from longitude 15 degrees to 102.5 degrees. The connected chasma or valleys of Valles Marineris may have formed from a combination of erosional collapse and structural activity. Layers of material in the eastern canyons might consist of carbonates deposited in ancient lakes, eolian deposits, or volcanic materials. Huge ancient river channels began from Valles Marineris and from adjacent canyons and ran north. Many of the channels flowed north into Chryse Basin. The south Chryse outflow channels are cut an average of 1 km into the cratered highland terrain. This terrain is about 9 km above datum near Valles Marineris and steadily decreases in elevation to 1 km below datum in the Chryse basin. Shalbatana is relatively narrow (10 km wide) but can reach 3 km in depth. The channel begins at a 2- to 3-km-deep circular depression within a large impact crater, whose floor is partly covered by chaotic material, and ends in Simud Valles. Tiu and Simud Valles consist of a complex of connected channel floors and chaotic terrain and extend as far south as and connect to eastern Valles Marineris. Ares Vallis originates from discontinuous patches of chaotic terrain within large craters. In the Chryse basin the Ares channel forks, one branch continues northwest into central Chryse Planitia and the other extends north into eastern Chryse Planitia. |
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Valles Marineris
PIA00422
Sol (our sun)
| Title |
Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
A color image of Valles Marineris, the great canyon of Mars, north toward top. The scene shows the entire canyon system, over 3,000 km long and averaging 8 km deep, extending from Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate system of graben to the west, to the chaotic terrain to the east. This image is a composite of Viking medium-resolution images in black and white and low-resolution images in color, Mercator projection. The image extends from latitude 0 degrees to 20 degrees S. and from longitude 45 degrees to 102.5 degrees. The connected chasma or valleys of Valles Marineris may have formed from a combination of erosional collapse and structural activity. Layers of material in the eastern canyons might consist of carbonates deposited in ancient lakes. Huge ancient river channels began from Valles Marineris and from adjacent canyons and ran north. Many of the channels flowed north into Chryse Basin, which contains the site of the Viking 1 Lander and the future site of the Mars Pathfinder Lander. |
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Valles Marineris Features
PIA06943
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Valles Marineris Features |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
17 October 2004 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows light-toned, ripple-like, windblown bedforms and ridges with dark talus accumulations on their slopes in the western portion of the vast Valles Marineris trough system. These features are located near Oudemans Crater around 7.6°S, 91.2°W. The image covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. |
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Noctis Labyrinthus/Valles Ma
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PIA03813
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Noctis Labyrinthus/Valles Marineris transition |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(Released 27 May 2002) The Science The transition zone between maze-like troughs of Noctis Labyrinthus and the main Valles Marineris canyon system are shown in this THEMIS visible camera image. This huge system of troughs near the equator of Mars was most likely created by tectonic forces which pulled apart the crust. In the top third of the image, on the western side of the northernmost trough, a buildup of relatively bright material on the plateau has led to an overflow into the trough. Most of the bottom of this trough is covered by sediment deposited from the plateau above. On the right-hand side of this same trough, on the southern wall, there is a thin streak of darker material that also seems to originate from the plateau above. This is most likely a gully formation. This feature could also be a dust avalanche, but because no other similar features are seen, this is unlikely. Other dark material deposited by some unknown process can also be seen all around the easternmost ridge in the trough. Near the bottom of the canyon, layers from the center ridges and the canyon wall can be matched, indicating that the ridges are made of the same material as the wall. Near the bottom of the image, there is yet another depression. This trough is filled with sediment deposited from erosion of the trough wall and possibly from the plateau above. All around the walls of this trough a layer of rocky material can be also be seen. It appears that the areas directly below the rocky ledges are "shielded" from landslide material from above. Finally, in the northwestern wall of this trough, there is an irregular pattern of very bright material not seen anywhere else in the image. Identifying similar formations in other THEMIS visible camera images could provide some context for its occurrence and help us understand how it was formed. The Story Tectonic forces wrenched apart the crust on Mars long ago, forming deep troughs at the Martian equator like the ones seen here. They occur in a transition zone between the maze-like region of Noctis Labyrinthus and the deep canyon system of Valles Marineris, the largest and "grandest" canyon in the solar system. These cracks in the crust can give geologists a good idea of what has happened over the course of the planet's history. Find out a little yourself by taking a closer look at the western side of the trough in the top third of the image. Can you see how the bright sediment from the plateau above has been whisked over the side, overflowing and building up on the floor below? Follow the south wall of this same trough, and you'll come across a dark streak running down (toward the right side of the image). One possibility is that it could be a dust avalanche, but if that were so, you'd think it would have occurred much more often, in more places than just that one spot. Since it didn't, scientists believe it probably isn't a dust avalanche, but could be a gully instead. There's also some more dark material deposited, all around the easternmost ridge in the trough as well. No one is quite sure how it formed there or exactly what it's made of. At the least, what geologists can tell is that the ridges in the trough are made of the same material as the canyon walls, since the layers in each of them match. Finding similarities like these can help piece together the story of Martian geology here. When scientists study THEMIS images, however, they are also on the lookout for anything that looks unusual. Try studying the dark depression that carves out the bottom of this image. It too is filled soft-looking sediments, probably deposited from erosion of the trough wall and possibly from the plateau above. Rocky outcrops all around the walls of this trough shield the areas directly below them from landslides from above. But all that seems pretty regular. Do you see anything that stands out? How about the odd pattern of brighter material that seems almost pasted on the northwestern wall of the trough like dried up glue? This material isn't found elsewhere in this image. Sights like this pose a geological mystery, and one of the only ways to solve it is to seek more clues. Do similar formations occur elsewhere on Mars? Stay tuned with THEMIS researchers, because they'll be looking, trying to understand how and how often such features form. |
|
Noctis Labyrinthus/Valles Ma
…
PIA03813
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Noctis Labyrinthus/Valles Marineris transition |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(Released 27 May 2002) The Science The transition zone between maze-like troughs of Noctis Labyrinthus and the main Valles Marineris canyon system are shown in this THEMIS visible camera image. This huge system of troughs near the equator of Mars was most likely created by tectonic forces which pulled apart the crust. In the top third of the image, on the western side of the northernmost trough, a buildup of relatively bright material on the plateau has led to an overflow into the trough. Most of the bottom of this trough is covered by sediment deposited from the plateau above. On the right-hand side of this same trough, on the southern wall, there is a thin streak of darker material that also seems to originate from the plateau above. This is most likely a gully formation. This feature could also be a dust avalanche, but because no other similar features are seen, this is unlikely. Other dark material deposited by some unknown process can also be seen all around the easternmost ridge in the trough. Near the bottom of the canyon, layers from the center ridges and the canyon wall can be matched, indicating that the ridges are made of the same material as the wall. Near the bottom of the image, there is yet another depression. This trough is filled with sediment deposited from erosion of the trough wall and possibly from the plateau above. All around the walls of this trough a layer of rocky material can be also be seen. It appears that the areas directly below the rocky ledges are "shielded" from landslide material from above. Finally, in the northwestern wall of this trough, there is an irregular pattern of very bright material not seen anywhere else in the image. Identifying similar formations in other THEMIS visible camera images could provide some context for its occurrence and help us understand how it was formed. The Story Tectonic forces wrenched apart the crust on Mars long ago, forming deep troughs at the Martian equator like the ones seen here. They occur in a transition zone between the maze-like region of Noctis Labyrinthus and the deep canyon system of Valles Marineris, the largest and "grandest" canyon in the solar system. These cracks in the crust can give geologists a good idea of what has happened over the course of the planet's history. Find out a little yourself by taking a closer look at the western side of the trough in the top third of the image. Can you see how the bright sediment from the plateau above has been whisked over the side, overflowing and building up on the floor below? Follow the south wall of this same trough, and you'll come across a dark streak running down (toward the right side of the image). One possibility is that it could be a dust avalanche, but if that were so, you'd think it would have occurred much more often, in more places than just that one spot. Since it didn't, scientists believe it probably isn't a dust avalanche, but could be a gully instead. There's also some more dark material deposited, all around the easternmost ridge in the trough as well. No one is quite sure how it formed there or exactly what it's made of. At the least, what geologists can tell is that the ridges in the trough are made of the same material as the canyon walls, since the layers in each of them match. Finding similarities like these can help piece together the story of Martian geology here. When scientists study THEMIS images, however, they are also on the lookout for anything that looks unusual. Try studying the dark depression that carves out the bottom of this image. It too is filled soft-looking sediments, probably deposited from erosion of the trough wall and possibly from the plateau above. Rocky outcrops all around the walls of this trough shield the areas directly below them from landslides from above. But all that seems pretty regular. Do you see anything that stands out? How about the odd pattern of brighter material that seems almost pasted on the northwestern wall of the trough like dried up glue? This material isn't found elsewhere in this image. Sights like this pose a geological mystery, and one of the only ways to solve it is to seek more clues. Do similar formations occur elsewhere on Mars? Stay tuned with THEMIS researchers, because they'll be looking, trying to understand how and how often such features form. |
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Light Layered Deposits in Va
…
PIA09397
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Light Layered Deposits in Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image shows bright layered deposits near the junction of Coprates Chasma and Melas Chasma, part of Valles Marineris. The outcrop shown here is in a wide alcove in the northern wall and forms a broad mound several kilometers wide, dark, wind-blown material covers it in places. Similar light-toned rock occurs in many places in Valles Marineris. An important question is when these materials formed: were they deposited within the troughs after they opened and then eroded, or are they remnants of the wall rock? Analysis of the orientation of the layers using HiRISE images may help scientists answer this question. There are no fresh impact craters preserved on the outcrop surface, suggesting that the layered deposits are being eroded rapidly enough to erase the craters. In many places, the light rocks have regular fractures called joints. Joints are common in rocks on Earth, and HiRISE images show them in many places on Mars as well. These can provide information about the forces which have affected the rock since it formed, which helps unravel the geologic history of this outcrop. Image PSP_001456_1695 [ http://hiroc.lpl.arizona.edu/images/PSP/PSP_001456_1695/ ] was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 17, 2006. The complete image is centered at -10.2 degrees latitude, 291.2 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 258.4 km (161.5 miles). At this distance the image scale is 25.9 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~78 cm across are resolved. The image shown here has been map-projected to 25 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:33 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 59 degrees, thus, the sun was about 31 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 136.9 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. |
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Valles Marineris Wall Rock
PIA09391
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Valles Marineris Wall Rock |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This HiRISE image captures a small part of the northern wall of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system. The reason this part of Mars' crust was pulled apart is not known with certainty, so observations like this are part of a campaign to understand the tectonics of Mars. In addition, the canyon provides a view deep into the crust of Mars. This HiRISE image captures 9500 meter (31,000 feet) of vertical relief. A sequence of thin layers can be seen in the upper roughly 1000 m (3000 feet) of the valley wall. Since Valles Marineris cuts into the side of the Tharsis Volcanic Rise, it is likely that these layers are lava flows. Below this, layers are not so regular. This lower section probably exposes rocks that have been intensely disrupted by ancient impact craters, but could also include solidified bodies of magma. Image PSP_001337_1675 [ http://hiroc.lpl.arizona.edu/images/PSP/PSP_001337_1675/ ] was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on November 8, 2006. The complete image is centered at -12.2 degrees latitude, 297.6 degrees East longitude. The range to the target site was 257.0 km (160.6 miles). At this distance the image scale ranges from 51.4 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) to 102.8 cm/pixel (with 4 x 4 binning). The image shown here has been map-projected to 50 cm/pixel and north is up. The image was taken at a local Mars time of 3:32 PM and the scene is illuminated from the west with a solar incidence angle of 61 degrees, thus the sun was about 29 degrees above the horizon. At a solar longitude of 132.4 degrees, the season on Mars is Northern Summer. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. |
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Exposed Layers in Central Va
…
PIA09964
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Exposed Layers in Central Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_004858_1670 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_004858_1670 ]) shows a landslide scarp on the northern wall of central Valles Marineris, a large canyon system equivalent in length from California to New York. The landslide has exposed a fresh wall of the canyon so that individual layers of rock can be seen. The texture of these layers suggests that some of the darker rock layers are more resistant to erosion than the lighter layers. The variation in brightness and friability of the different layers suggests compositional differences. These layers may have a volcanic origin, having been deposited as ash layers, or a sedimentary origin, either being deposited by water or blown by the wind (aeolian). This image is a little hazy because this image was taken in August 2007, when the large dust storm covered the surface of Mars and filled the atmosphere with fine dust particles. The extra dust in the atmosphere reflects more light into the camera. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 8 August 2007 Local Mars time: 2:31 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -12.8° Degrees longitude (East): 301.1° Range to target site: 259.8 km (162.4 miles) Original image scale range: 26.0 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~78 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.6° Phase angle: 32.0° Solar incidence angle: 37°, with the Sun about 53 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 292.6°, Northern Winter NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. |
|
Exposed Layers in Central Va
…
PIA09964
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Exposed Layers in Central Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_004858_1670 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_004858_1670 ]) shows a landslide scarp on the northern wall of central Valles Marineris, a large canyon system equivalent in length from California to New York. The landslide has exposed a fresh wall of the canyon so that individual layers of rock can be seen. The texture of these layers suggests that some of the darker rock layers are more resistant to erosion than the lighter layers. The variation in brightness and friability of the different layers suggests compositional differences. These layers may have a volcanic origin, having been deposited as ash layers, or a sedimentary origin, either being deposited by water or blown by the wind (aeolian). This image is a little hazy because this image was taken in August 2007, when the large dust storm covered the surface of Mars and filled the atmosphere with fine dust particles. The extra dust in the atmosphere reflects more light into the camera. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 8 August 2007 Local Mars time: 2:31 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -12.8° Degrees longitude (East): 301.1° Range to target site: 259.8 km (162.4 miles) Original image scale range: 26.0 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~78 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.6° Phase angle: 32.0° Solar incidence angle: 37°, with the Sun about 53 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 292.6°, Northern Winter NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment is operated by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. |
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Valles Marineris Mosaic
PIA06926
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Spectromete
…
| Title |
Valles Marineris Mosaic |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The Odyssey spacecraft has taken some great pictures of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the solar system. If this canyon were on Earth, it would stretch from New York to Los Angeles. For the next several weeks, the Image of the Day will tour some of the canyons that make up this vast system. We will start with Ius Chasma in the west, and end with Coprates Chasma to the east. For more information on Vallis Marineris, please see http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mep/science/vm.html [ http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mep/science/vm.html ]. This mosaic of infrared images shows the full length of Valles Marineris. For highest resolution TIF image please visit http://themis.la.asu.edu/zoom-20041008A.html [ http://themis.la.asu.edu/zoom-20041008A.html ]. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Western Candor Chasma, Valle
…
PIA01458
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Western Candor Chasma, Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO., One of the most striking discoveries of the Mars Global Surveyor mission has been the identification of thousands of meters/feet of layers within the wall rock of the enormous martian canyon system, Valles Marineris. Valles Marineris was first observed in 1972 by the Mariner 9 spacecraft, from which the troughs get their name: Valles--valleys, Marineris--Mariner. Some hints of layering in both the canyon walls and within some deposits on the canyon floors were seen in Mariner 9 and Viking orbiter images from the 1970s. The Mars Orbiter Camera on board Mars Global Surveyor has been examining these layers at much higher resolution than was available previously. MOC images led to the realization that there are layers in the walls that go down to great depths. An example of the wall rock layers can be seen in MOC image 8403, shown above (C). MOC images also reveal amazing layered outcrops on the floors of some of the Valles Marineris canyons. Particularly noteworthy is MOC image 23304 (D, above), which shows extensive, horizontally-bedded layers exposed in buttes and mesas on the floor of western Candor Chasma. These layered rocks might be the same material as is exposed in the chasm walls (as in 8403--C, above), or they might be rocks that formed by deposition (from water, wind, and/or volcanism) long after Candor Chasma opened up. In addition to layered materials in the walls and on the floors of the Valles Marineris system, MOC images are helping to refine our classification of geologic features that occur within the canyons. For example, MOC image 25205 (E, above), shows the southern tip of a massive, tongue-shaped massif (a mountainous ridge) that was previously identified as a layered deposit. However, this MOC image does not show layering. The material has been sculpted by wind and mass-wasting--downslope movement of debris--but no obvious layers were exposed by these processes. Valles Marineris a fascinating region on Mars that holds much potential to reveal information about the early history and evolution of the red planet. The MOC Science Team is continuing to examine the wealth of new data and planning for new Valles Marineris targets once the Mapping Phase of the Mars Global Surveyor mission commences in March 1999. This image: Layers in western Candor Chasma northern wall. MOC image 8403 subframe shown at full resolution of 4.6 meters (15 feet) per pixel. The image shows an area approximately 2.4 by 2.5 kilometers (1.5 x 1.6 miles). North is up, illumination is from the left. Image 8403 was obtained during Mars Global Surveyor's 84th orbit at 10:12 p.m. (PST) on January 6, 1998. 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 |
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Valles Marineris Graben
PIA06843
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Valles Marineris Graben |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This VIS image was taken just south of the rim of Valles Marineris. The troughs seen in this image are structural features called graben. A graben is formed when two parallel fractures bound a down-dropped block of surface. These graben developed as part of the formation of Valles Marineris. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -14.1, Longitude 287.2 East (72.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Valles Marineris Graben
PIA06843
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Valles Marineris Graben |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This VIS image was taken just south of the rim of Valles Marineris. The troughs seen in this image are structural features called graben. A graben is formed when two parallel fractures bound a down-dropped block of surface. These graben developed as part of the formation of Valles Marineris. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -14.1, Longitude 287.2 East (72.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Valles Marineris Hemisphere
PIA00003
Sol (our sun)
Visual Imaging Subsystem - C
…
| Title |
Valles Marineris Hemisphere |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Mosaic composed of 102 Viking Orbiter images of Mars, covering nearly a full hemisphere of the planet (approximate latitude -55 to 60 degrees, longitude 30 to 130 degrees). The mosaic is in a point-perspective projection with a scale of about 1 km/pixel. The color variations have been enhanced by a factor of about two, and the large-scale brightness variations (mostly due to sun-angle variations) have been normalized by large-scale filtering. The center of the scene shows the entire Valles Marineris canyon system, over 3,000 km long and up to 8 km deep, extending from Noctis Labyrinthus, the arcuate system of graben to the west, to the chaotic terrain to the east. Bright white layers of material in the eastern canyons may consist of carbonates deposited in ancient lakes. Huge ancient river channels begin from the chaotic terrain and from north-central canyons and run north. Many of the channels flowed into a basin called Acidalia Planitia, which is the dark area in the extreme north of this picture. The Viking 1 landing site (Mutch Memorial Station) is located in Chryse Planitia, south of Acidalia Planitia. The three Tharsis volcanoes (dark red spots), each about 25 km high, are visible to the west. The large crater with two prominent rings located at the bottom of this image is named Lowell, after the Flagstaff astronomer. The images were acquired by Viking Orbiter 1 in 1980 during early northern summer on Mars (Ls = 70 degrees), the atmosphere was relatively dust-free. A variety of clouds appear as bright blue streaks and hazes, and probably consist of water ice. Long, linear clouds north of central Valles Marineris appear to emanate from impact craters. |
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Oblique View with Altimetry
…
PIA00006
Sol (our sun)
| Title |
Oblique View with Altimetry of Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
An oblique, color image of central Valles Marineris, Mars showing relief of Ophir and Candor Chasmata, view toward east. The photograph is a composite of Viking high-resolution images in black and white and low-resolution images in color. Ophir Chasma on the north (left side) is approximately 300 km across and as deep as 10 km. The connected chasma or valleys of Valles Marineris may have formed from a combination of erosional collapse and structural activity. Tongues of interior layered deposits on the floor of the chasmata can be observed as well as young landslide material along the base of Ophir Chasma's north wall. |
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Oblique View of Valles Marin
…
PIA00005
Sol (our sun)
| Title |
Oblique View of Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
An oblique, color image of central Valles Marineris, Mars showing relief of Ophir and Candor Chasmata, view toward north. The photograph is a composite of Viking high-resolution images in black and white and low-resolution images in color. Ophir Chasma on the north is approximately 300 km across and as deep as 10 km. The connected chasma or valleys of Valles Marineris may have formed from a combination of erosional collapse and structural activity. Tongues of interior layered deposits on the floor of the chasmata can be observed as well as young landslide material along the base of Ophir Chasma's north wall. |
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Complex Floor Deposits Withi
…
PIA01028
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Complex Floor Deposits Within Western Ganges Chasma, Valles Marineris - High Resolution Image |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image shows the area near the canyon wall, where large blocks of the upland surface have slumped down into the canyon. Close inspection of this image shows numerous small dark dots that are in fact individual rocks on the surface of Mars. These rocks vary from the size of a small automobile to the size of a house, have fallen down steep slopes. Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The original mission plan called for using friction with the planet's atmosphere to reduce the orbital energy, leading to a two-year mapping mission from close, circular orbit (beginning in March 1998). Owing to difficulties with one of the two solar panels, aerobraking was suspended in mid-October and resumed in November 8. Many of the original objectives of the mission, and in particular those of the camera, are likely to be accomplished as the mission progresses. 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. |
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Western Tithonium Chasma/Ius
…
PIA01022
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Western Tithonium Chasma/Ius Chasma, Valles Marineris - High Resolution Image |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Most remarkable about this MOC image is the discovery of light and dark layers in the rock outcrops of the canyon walls. In the notable, triangular mountain face (at center), some 80 layers, typically alternating in brightness and varying in thickness from 5 to 50 meters (16 to 160 feet), are clearly visible. This shear mountain cliff, over 1000 m (3200 ft) tall, is only one of several outcrops that, together, indicate layering almost the entire depth of the canyon. This type of bedrock layering has never been seen before in Valles Marineris. It calls into question common views about the upper crust of Mars, for example, that there is a deep layer of rubble underlying most of the martian surface, and argues for a much more complex early history for the planet. Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The original mission plan called for using friction with the planet's atmosphere to reduce the orbital energy, leading to a two-year mapping mission from close, circular orbit (beginning in March 1998). Owing to difficulties with one of the two solar panels, aerobraking was suspended in mid-October and resumed in November 8. Many of the original objectives of the mission, and in particular those of the camera, are likely to be accomplished as the mission progresses. 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. |
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Complex Floor Deposits Withi
…
PIA01027
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Complex Floor Deposits Within Western Ganges Chasma, Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On October 26, 1997, MOC took this image of Mars 10 minutes after its closest approach to the planet (1:46 AM PST). The view shows the floor of western Ganges Chasma (7.8°S 51.8°W), covering an area 2.6 km (1.6 miles) wide by 45.4 km (28.2 miles) long at a resolution of 5 by 7.4 meters (16.4 by 24.3 feet) per picture element. The local time on Mars when the picture was taken was 4:35 PM. The center image (available at higher resolution as PIA01028) shows the northern portion of the area inscribed in the left image. The right image (PIA01029) shows the southern portion. Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The original mission plan called for using friction with the planet's atmosphere to reduce the orbital energy, leading to a two-year mapping mission from close, circular orbit (beginning in March 1998). Owing to difficulties with one of the two solar panels, aerobraking was suspended in mid-October and resumed in November 8. Many of the original objectives of the mission, and in particular those of the camera, are likely to be accomplished as the mission progresses. 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. |
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Western Tithonium Chasma/Ius
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PIA01021
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Western Tithonium Chasma/Ius Chasma, Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
On October 3, 1997, the MOC acquired this image of the western Tithonium Chasma/Ius Chasma portion of the Valles Marineris, centered at 6.6°S, 90.4°W, at 1:16 PM PDT. Although the lighting beneath the spacecraft was very poor, the camera was canted towards the sun, and the illumination was equivalent to roughly 5 PM local time (the sun was about 17° above the horizon). In the image, the canyon floors are mostly shadowed, but steep slopes in the area are exquisitely highlighted. The area outlined in the upper right image, the highest resolution view of the region previously available, is 6.6 km (4 miles) wide by 55.6 km (34.5 miles) long. The ridges to the north and south are about 4000 m (13,000 feet) above the floor of the troughs, but in the area photographed, the relief is slightly lower (about 3000 m, or 10,000 feet). The top portion of the image is shown on the left, and a section of that image is shown enlarged at lower right. The scale is 6.45 m/pixel across the image by 9.65 m/pixel down the image. The left and lower right images are available at higher resolution as PIA01022 and PIA01023, respectively. Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The original mission plan called for using friction with the planet's atmosphere to reduce the orbital energy, leading to a two-year mapping mission from close, circular orbit (beginning in March 1998). Owing to difficulties with one of the two solar panels, aerobraking was suspended in mid-October and resumed in November 8. Many of the original objectives of the mission, and in particular those of the camera, are likely to be accomplished as the mission progresses. 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. |
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Western Tithonium Chasma/Ius
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PIA01023
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Western Tithonium Chasma/Ius Chasma, Valles Marineris - High Resolution Image |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Most remarkable about this MOC image is the discovery of light and dark layers in the rock outcrops of the canyon walls. In the notable, triangular mountain face (at center), some 80 layers, typically alternating in brightness and varying in thickness from 5 to 50 meters (16 to 160 feet), are clearly visible. This shear mountain cliff, over 1000 m (3200 ft) tall, is only one of several outcrops that, together, indicate layering almost the entire depth of the canyon. This type of bedrock layering has never been seen before in Valles Marineris. It calls into question common views about the upper crust of Mars, for example, that there is a deep layer of rubble underlying most of the martian surface, and argues for a much more complex early history for the planet. Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The original mission plan called for using friction with the planet's atmosphere to reduce the orbital energy, leading to a two-year mapping mission from close, circular orbit (beginning in March 1998). Owing to difficulties with one of the two solar panels, aerobraking was suspended in mid-October and resumed in November 8. Many of the original objectives of the mission, and in particular those of the camera, are likely to be accomplished as the mission progresses. 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. |
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Complex Floor Deposits Withi
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PIA01029
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Complex Floor Deposits Within Western Ganges Chasma, Valles Marineris - High Resolution Image |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This image shows a remarkable landscape of ridges and troughs that very closely resemble folded and warped sediments on Earth. This is the first time such warped beds have been seen on Mars, and neither their origin nor their occurrence within Ganges Chasma is understood. It is possible these are beds folded by a large landslide, but that would be very unusual. Alternatively, these may be folded sedimentary beds, similar to horizontal beds seen elsewhere in Ganges Chasma. However, what forces then folded these particular beds while leaving the others undeformed is unknown. Future imaging within this and the other Valles Marineris will be used to address such issues. Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. The original mission plan called for using friction with the planet's atmosphere to reduce the orbital energy, leading to a two-year mapping mission from close, circular orbit (beginning in March 1998). Owing to difficulties with one of the two solar panels, aerobraking was suspended in mid-October and resumed in November 8. Many of the original objectives of the mission, and in particular those of the camera, are likely to be accomplished as the mission progresses. 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. |
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Valles Marineris - with 3D
PIA04430
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Valles Marineris - with 3D |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The top half of this THEMIS visible image shows interior layered deposits that have long been recognized in Valles Marineris. Upon close examination, the layers appear to be eroding differently, indicating different levels of competency. This, in turn, may be interpreted to indicate different materials, and/or depositional processes. At the bottom of the image, materials eroded from the walls of the canyon form dunes and other aeolian bedforms. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -6.5, Longitude 287.3 East (72.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. |
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Valles Marineris - with 3D
PIA04430
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Valles Marineris - with 3D |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
The top half of this THEMIS visible image shows interior layered deposits that have long been recognized in Valles Marineris. Upon close examination, the layers appear to be eroding differently, indicating different levels of competency. This, in turn, may be interpreted to indicate different materials, and/or depositional processes. At the bottom of the image, materials eroded from the walls of the canyon form dunes and other aeolian bedforms. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -6.5, Longitude 287.3 East (72.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. |
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Valles Marineris Landforms
PIA04711
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Valles Marineris Landforms |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Released 20 August 2003 The steep canyon walls and ridge forming layers of Valles Marineris are on display in this THEMIS picture. Landslides and gullies observed throughout the image are evidence to the continued mass wasting of the martian surface. Upon close examination of the canyon floor, small ripples that are likely migrating sand dunes are seen on the surface. Some slopes also display an interesting raked-like appearance that may be due to a combination of aeolian and gully forming processes. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -7.4, Longitude 274.2 East (85.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Valles Marineris Landforms
PIA04711
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
…
| Title |
Valles Marineris Landforms |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Released 20 August 2003 The steep canyon walls and ridge forming layers of Valles Marineris are on display in this THEMIS picture. Landslides and gullies observed throughout the image are evidence to the continued mass wasting of the martian surface. Upon close examination of the canyon floor, small ripples that are likely migrating sand dunes are seen on the surface. Some slopes also display an interesting raked-like appearance that may be due to a combination of aeolian and gully forming processes. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -7.4, Longitude 274.2 East (85.8 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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Elevations Within the Floor
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PIA02039
Sol (our sun)
MOLA
| Title |
Elevations Within the Floor of the Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Elevations within the floor of the Valles Marineris canyon system and the adjacent Chryse outflow channels. All areas not color contoured have elevations above -1.9 km. |
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Valles Marineris
PIA00992
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
MOC images P013_01 and P013_02 were acquired with the low resolution red and blue wide angle cameras at 2:14 PM PDT on October 3, 1997, about 11 minutes after Mars Global Surveyor passed close to the planet for the thirteenth time. To make a color image, a third component (green) was synthesized from the red and blue images. During the imaging period, the spacecraft was canted towards the sun-lit hemisphere by 25°, and the MOC was obliquely viewing features from about 600 to 1000 km (360 to 600 miles) away. The resolution at those distances was between 350 and 600 meters (0.25 to 0.37 miles) per picture element. The image covers an area from 73° to 86° W longitude and 5° N to 10° S). In both of the two images shown above, north is to the top. In the MOC image, the camera was viewing towards the west. The left image is excepted from a U.S. Geological Survey shaded relief map, showing the footprint of the MOC wide angle color image. The large canyon system (Valles Marineris) spans this view, chaotic terrain is seen at the far right and the eastern-most of the four large Tharsis volcanoes (Ascraeus Mons) is shown in upper left. The right image is the composite of MOC frames P013_01 and P013_02. Because the MOC acquires its images one line at a time, the cant angle towards the sun-lit portion of the planet, the spacecraft orbital velocity, and the spacecraft rotational velocity combine to distort the image slightly. However, the wide angle cameras provide a fairly realistic portrayal of what one would see looking out across Mars from the Orbiter. Notable in this image are the late afternoon clouds and hazes that are concentrated within the canyon system. This image is available at higher resolution as PIA00991. Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. From the planned 400 km (248 mi) orbit altitude, MOC wide angle images will be 2-4 times higher resolution than these pictures. 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. |
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Valles Marineris
PIA00991
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
| Title |
Valles Marineris |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
MOC images P013_01 and P013_02 were acquired with the low resolution red and blue wide angle cameras at 2:14 PM PDT on October 3, 1997, about 11 minutes after Mars Global Surveyor passed close to the planet for the thirteenth time. To make a color image, a third component (green) was synthesized from the red and blue images. During the imaging period, the spacecraft was canted towards the sun-lit hemisphere by 25°, and the MOC was obliquely viewing features from about 600 to 1000 km (360 to 600 miles) away. The resolution at those distances was between 350 and 600 meters (0.25 to 0.37 miles) per picture element. The image covers an area from 73° to 86° W longitude and 5° N to 10° S). In the image above, north is to the top. The camera is viewing towards the west. The image is the composite of MOC frames P013_01 and P013_02. Because the MOC acquires its images one line at a time, the cant angle towards the sun-lit portion of the planet, the spacecraft orbital velocity, and the spacecraft rotational velocity combine to distort the image slightly. However, the wide angle cameras provide a fairly realistic portrayal of what one would see looking out across Mars from the Orbiter. Notable in this image are the late afternoon clouds and hazes that are concentrated within the Valles Marineris canyon system. Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor entered Mars orbit on Thursday, September 11, 1997. From the planned 400 km (248 mi) orbit altitude, MOC wide angle images will be 2-4 times higher resolution than these pictures. 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. |
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