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Images of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 2006 and 12 December 2006
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Gullies in Trough near Gorgo
…
PIA09671
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies in Trough near Gorgonum Chaos |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
, approximately 230 m across) and on the trough walls are resistant, meaning they do not break up mostly into small particles that the wind can easily carry away. Instead, they are breaking up into boulders up to several meters wide that HiRISE can see. (The fact that the layers are eroding as boulders tells us that the material is not easily broken up into smaller and smaller pieces, so it is therefore termed "resistant to erosion.") However, it is not completely resistant to erosion as we can see by the boulders rolling down the slopes. Gullies are thought by many to require liquid water to form. A major debate is whether this water comes from the surface (i.e., melting surface ice or melting snow) or the subsurface (i.e., from an aquifer). Gullies are often found to originate at layers, like those seen here. The subsurface water theory states that water travels under the surface to slope faces where it flows down the slope to form gullies. Visible layers are suggested to be impermeable, such that water cannot penetrate them, which is why the gullies originate from beneath the layers. Often gullies will originate between layers, which suggests that there is a permeable layer trapped between impermeable layers. It is also possible that the layer preferentially traps ice or snow that may melt to form gullies, thus providing a surface source of water to form the gullies. Please note that the stripe-like features on the left side of the image are camera artifacts and not real features. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:48 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -38.2° Degrees longitude (East): 188.8° Range to target site: 255.7 km (159.8 miles) Original image scale range: from 25.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 51.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.3° Phase angle: 65.3° Solar incidence angle: 71°, with the Sun about 19° above the horizon Solar longitude: 159.1°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_002014_1415 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_002014_1415 ]) shows gullies in a trough that is near Gorgonum Chaos, a region filled with gullies. The trough gullies, like many of the gullies on nearby Gorgonum Chaos mesas, appear to originate at a distinct layer. There are mounds within the trough that have layers exposed near their peaks. The layers in the mound (see subimage |
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Gullies in Trough near Gorgo
…
PIA09671
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies in Trough near Gorgonum Chaos |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
, approximately 230 m across) and on the trough walls are resistant, meaning they do not break up mostly into small particles that the wind can easily carry away. Instead, they are breaking up into boulders up to several meters wide that HiRISE can see. (The fact that the layers are eroding as boulders tells us that the material is not easily broken up into smaller and smaller pieces, so it is therefore termed "resistant to erosion.") However, it is not completely resistant to erosion as we can see by the boulders rolling down the slopes. Gullies are thought by many to require liquid water to form. A major debate is whether this water comes from the surface (i.e., melting surface ice or melting snow) or the subsurface (i.e., from an aquifer). Gullies are often found to originate at layers, like those seen here. The subsurface water theory states that water travels under the surface to slope faces where it flows down the slope to form gullies. Visible layers are suggested to be impermeable, such that water cannot penetrate them, which is why the gullies originate from beneath the layers. Often gullies will originate between layers, which suggests that there is a permeable layer trapped between impermeable layers. It is also possible that the layer preferentially traps ice or snow that may melt to form gullies, thus providing a surface source of water to form the gullies. Please note that the stripe-like features on the left side of the image are camera artifacts and not real features. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:48 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -38.2° Degrees longitude (East): 188.8° Range to target site: 255.7 km (159.8 miles) Original image scale range: from 25.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 51.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.3° Phase angle: 65.3° Solar incidence angle: 71°, with the Sun about 19° above the horizon Solar longitude: 159.1°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_002014_1415 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_002014_1415 ]) shows gullies in a trough that is near Gorgonum Chaos, a region filled with gullies. The trough gullies, like many of the gullies on nearby Gorgonum Chaos mesas, appear to originate at a distinct layer. There are mounds within the trough that have layers exposed near their peaks. The layers in the mound (see subimage |
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Gullies in Trough near Gorgo
…
PIA09671
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies in Trough near Gorgonum Chaos |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
, approximately 230 m across) and on the trough walls are resistant, meaning they do not break up mostly into small particles that the wind can easily carry away. Instead, they are breaking up into boulders up to several meters wide that HiRISE can see. (The fact that the layers are eroding as boulders tells us that the material is not easily broken up into smaller and smaller pieces, so it is therefore termed "resistant to erosion.") However, it is not completely resistant to erosion as we can see by the boulders rolling down the slopes. Gullies are thought by many to require liquid water to form. A major debate is whether this water comes from the surface (i.e., melting surface ice or melting snow) or the subsurface (i.e., from an aquifer). Gullies are often found to originate at layers, like those seen here. The subsurface water theory states that water travels under the surface to slope faces where it flows down the slope to form gullies. Visible layers are suggested to be impermeable, such that water cannot penetrate them, which is why the gullies originate from beneath the layers. Often gullies will originate between layers, which suggests that there is a permeable layer trapped between impermeable layers. It is also possible that the layer preferentially traps ice or snow that may melt to form gullies, thus providing a surface source of water to form the gullies. Please note that the stripe-like features on the left side of the image are camera artifacts and not real features. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:48 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -38.2° Degrees longitude (East): 188.8° Range to target site: 255.7 km (159.8 miles) Original image scale range: from 25.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 51.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.3° Phase angle: 65.3° Solar incidence angle: 71°, with the Sun about 19° above the horizon Solar longitude: 159.1°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_002014_1415 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_002014_1415 ]) shows gullies in a trough that is near Gorgonum Chaos, a region filled with gullies. The trough gullies, like many of the gullies on nearby Gorgonum Chaos mesas, appear to originate at a distinct layer. There are mounds within the trough that have layers exposed near their peaks. The layers in the mound (see subimage |
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Signs of Fluids and Ice in A
…
PIA09680
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Signs of Fluids and Ice in Acidalia Planitia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(500 x 600 m or 550 x 650 yards), with well developed alcoves, sinuous channels, and terminal fan deposits. These gullies seem to originate at the same height, suggesting that the carving agent may have emanated from one single layer exposed in the crater's wall. Contrastingly, no gullies are observed in the north-looking (or pole facing) wall of this crater. Terrestrial gullies very similar to the ones shown in this image are produced by surface water. The arrows in the cutout show fissures that may indicate detachment of surficial materials possibly held together by subsurface ice, sliding en masse down the crater's wall. The muted topography of the crater and its surroundings, the relatively shallow floor (300 m or 330 yards), the convex slope of its walls-all are consistent with ice being present under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. Ice would have acted as a lubricant, facilitating the flow of rocks and soils and hence smoothing landscape's features such as ridges and craters' rims. The concentric and radial fissures in the crater's floor may indicate decrease of volume due to loss of underground ice. Piles of rocks aligned along these fissures and arranged forming polygons are similar to features observed in terrestrial periglacial regions such as Antarctica. Antarctica's features are produced by repeated expansion and contraction of subsurface soil and ice, due to seasonal temperature oscillations. The funnel-shaped depressions visible in the crater's floor could be collapse pits, further evidence of ice decay, alternatively, they could be smoothed-out impact craters. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:23 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 50.7° Degrees longitude (East): 341.6° Range to target site: 305.9 km (191.2 miles) Original image scale range: from 30.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 61.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 1.9° Phase angle: 60.1° Solar incidence angle: 58°, with the Sun about 32° above the horizon Solar longitude: 156.1°, 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., Click on image for larger version HiRISE image (PSP_001942_2310 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001942_2310 ]) shows a crater approximately 11 km (7 miles) in diameter, located in Acidalia Planitia, part of the Northern Plains. Several features in and around this crater are suggestive of fluids and ice at and near the surface. The south-looking (or equator facing) walls of this crater are cut by numerous gullies such as the ones shown in this image's cutout |
|
Signs of Fluids and Ice in A
…
PIA09680
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Signs of Fluids and Ice in Acidalia Planitia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(500 x 600 m or 550 x 650 yards), with well developed alcoves, sinuous channels, and terminal fan deposits. These gullies seem to originate at the same height, suggesting that the carving agent may have emanated from one single layer exposed in the crater's wall. Contrastingly, no gullies are observed in the north-looking (or pole facing) wall of this crater. Terrestrial gullies very similar to the ones shown in this image are produced by surface water. The arrows in the cutout show fissures that may indicate detachment of surficial materials possibly held together by subsurface ice, sliding en masse down the crater's wall. The muted topography of the crater and its surroundings, the relatively shallow floor (300 m or 330 yards), the convex slope of its walls-all are consistent with ice being present under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. Ice would have acted as a lubricant, facilitating the flow of rocks and soils and hence smoothing landscape's features such as ridges and craters' rims. The concentric and radial fissures in the crater's floor may indicate decrease of volume due to loss of underground ice. Piles of rocks aligned along these fissures and arranged forming polygons are similar to features observed in terrestrial periglacial regions such as Antarctica. Antarctica's features are produced by repeated expansion and contraction of subsurface soil and ice, due to seasonal temperature oscillations. The funnel-shaped depressions visible in the crater's floor could be collapse pits, further evidence of ice decay, alternatively, they could be smoothed-out impact craters. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:23 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 50.7° Degrees longitude (East): 341.6° Range to target site: 305.9 km (191.2 miles) Original image scale range: from 30.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 61.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 1.9° Phase angle: 60.1° Solar incidence angle: 58°, with the Sun about 32° above the horizon Solar longitude: 156.1°, 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., Click on image for larger version HiRISE image (PSP_001942_2310 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001942_2310 ]) shows a crater approximately 11 km (7 miles) in diameter, located in Acidalia Planitia, part of the Northern Plains. Several features in and around this crater are suggestive of fluids and ice at and near the surface. The south-looking (or equator facing) walls of this crater are cut by numerous gullies such as the ones shown in this image's cutout |
|
Signs of Fluids and Ice in A
…
PIA09680
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Signs of Fluids and Ice in Acidalia Planitia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(500 x 600 m or 550 x 650 yards), with well developed alcoves, sinuous channels, and terminal fan deposits. These gullies seem to originate at the same height, suggesting that the carving agent may have emanated from one single layer exposed in the crater's wall. Contrastingly, no gullies are observed in the north-looking (or pole facing) wall of this crater. Terrestrial gullies very similar to the ones shown in this image are produced by surface water. The arrows in the cutout show fissures that may indicate detachment of surficial materials possibly held together by subsurface ice, sliding en masse down the crater's wall. The muted topography of the crater and its surroundings, the relatively shallow floor (300 m or 330 yards), the convex slope of its walls-all are consistent with ice being present under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. Ice would have acted as a lubricant, facilitating the flow of rocks and soils and hence smoothing landscape's features such as ridges and craters' rims. The concentric and radial fissures in the crater's floor may indicate decrease of volume due to loss of underground ice. Piles of rocks aligned along these fissures and arranged forming polygons are similar to features observed in terrestrial periglacial regions such as Antarctica. Antarctica's features are produced by repeated expansion and contraction of subsurface soil and ice, due to seasonal temperature oscillations. The funnel-shaped depressions visible in the crater's floor could be collapse pits, further evidence of ice decay, alternatively, they could be smoothed-out impact craters. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:23 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 50.7° Degrees longitude (East): 341.6° Range to target site: 305.9 km (191.2 miles) Original image scale range: from 30.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 61.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 1.9° Phase angle: 60.1° Solar incidence angle: 58°, with the Sun about 32° above the horizon Solar longitude: 156.1°, 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., Click on image for larger version HiRISE image (PSP_001942_2310 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001942_2310 ]) shows a crater approximately 11 km (7 miles) in diameter, located in Acidalia Planitia, part of the Northern Plains. Several features in and around this crater are suggestive of fluids and ice at and near the surface. The south-looking (or equator facing) walls of this crater are cut by numerous gullies such as the ones shown in this image's cutout |
|
Spokes, Creep, and Channels
…
PIA09659
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Spokes, Creep, and Channels in a Crater in Utopia Planitia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
. Creep is slow downhill movement of slope soils that are held together somehow, maybe cemented by ice or some other agent. From the cross-cutting relationships seen in this subset, we infer there may have been several alternating episodes of creep and channel formation. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:24 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 41.2° Degrees longitude (East): 136.3° Range to target site: 303.1 km (189.4 miles) Original image scale range: 30.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~91 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.5° Phase angle: 61.7° Solar incidence angle: 54°, with the Sun about 36° above the horizon Solar longitude: 154.8°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001910_2215 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001910_2215 ]) shows an unnamed impact crater located in Utopia Planitia, this crater is more than 10 km (6.25 miles) in diameter and 700 m (765 yards) deep. Different features in and around this crater may indicate fluid beneath the surface. Linear features radiating outward from the crater's rim are evident in the upper right and lower right parts of this image. Closer examination shows these features are formed by rocks and finer soils that are located along a straight line, they are "spokes" produced immediately after the impact by very fast outward-moving materials ejected from the impact. Because these ejecta came from deep under the crater, their composition will tell us what type of rocks are under the surface. A MOC context image [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/e13_e18/images/E16/E1600704.html ] of this crater shows its ejecta materials form an elevated "pedestal," shaped like a pancake. The pedestal is approximately 20 km (12.5 miles) in diameter. "Pedestal craters" such as this may have formed because ice beneath the surface melted when the impact occurred. This image's cutout (approximately 800 x 250 m, or 875 x 275 yards) shows a portion of the west-facing slope inside the crater, upslope is to the right (east). In this subimage, east-west channels, some of them 6 m (6.5 yards) wide, cut into the slope's soils. It is not clear if these channels were carved by dry landslides or by a fluid. The channels cut across relatively older, rock-rich, elongated ridges (e.g., location labeled "A" in the subimage) that are approximately perpendicular to the slope. By contrast, in location "B" relatively younger ridges are on top of channels, some of which have dunes in their floors. Elsewhere in this crater, ridges transition laterally to ripples and fissures of similar orientation. One possible explanation for these ridges, ripples, and fissures could be creep [ http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3072/fs-2004-3072.html ] |
|
Spokes, Creep, and Channels
…
PIA09659
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Spokes, Creep, and Channels in a Crater in Utopia Planitia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
. Creep is slow downhill movement of slope soils that are held together somehow, maybe cemented by ice or some other agent. From the cross-cutting relationships seen in this subset, we infer there may have been several alternating episodes of creep and channel formation. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:24 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 41.2° Degrees longitude (East): 136.3° Range to target site: 303.1 km (189.4 miles) Original image scale range: 30.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~91 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.5° Phase angle: 61.7° Solar incidence angle: 54°, with the Sun about 36° above the horizon Solar longitude: 154.8°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001910_2215 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001910_2215 ]) shows an unnamed impact crater located in Utopia Planitia, this crater is more than 10 km (6.25 miles) in diameter and 700 m (765 yards) deep. Different features in and around this crater may indicate fluid beneath the surface. Linear features radiating outward from the crater's rim are evident in the upper right and lower right parts of this image. Closer examination shows these features are formed by rocks and finer soils that are located along a straight line, they are "spokes" produced immediately after the impact by very fast outward-moving materials ejected from the impact. Because these ejecta came from deep under the crater, their composition will tell us what type of rocks are under the surface. A MOC context image [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/e13_e18/images/E16/E1600704.html ] of this crater shows its ejecta materials form an elevated "pedestal," shaped like a pancake. The pedestal is approximately 20 km (12.5 miles) in diameter. "Pedestal craters" such as this may have formed because ice beneath the surface melted when the impact occurred. This image's cutout (approximately 800 x 250 m, or 875 x 275 yards) shows a portion of the west-facing slope inside the crater, upslope is to the right (east). In this subimage, east-west channels, some of them 6 m (6.5 yards) wide, cut into the slope's soils. It is not clear if these channels were carved by dry landslides or by a fluid. The channels cut across relatively older, rock-rich, elongated ridges (e.g., location labeled "A" in the subimage) that are approximately perpendicular to the slope. By contrast, in location "B" relatively younger ridges are on top of channels, some of which have dunes in their floors. Elsewhere in this crater, ridges transition laterally to ripples and fissures of similar orientation. One possible explanation for these ridges, ripples, and fissures could be creep [ http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3072/fs-2004-3072.html ] |
|
Spokes, Creep, and Channels
…
PIA09659
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Spokes, Creep, and Channels in a Crater in Utopia Planitia |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
. Creep is slow downhill movement of slope soils that are held together somehow, maybe cemented by ice or some other agent. From the cross-cutting relationships seen in this subset, we infer there may have been several alternating episodes of creep and channel formation. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:24 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 41.2° Degrees longitude (East): 136.3° Range to target site: 303.1 km (189.4 miles) Original image scale range: 30.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~91 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.5° Phase angle: 61.7° Solar incidence angle: 54°, with the Sun about 36° above the horizon Solar longitude: 154.8°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001910_2215 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001910_2215 ]) shows an unnamed impact crater located in Utopia Planitia, this crater is more than 10 km (6.25 miles) in diameter and 700 m (765 yards) deep. Different features in and around this crater may indicate fluid beneath the surface. Linear features radiating outward from the crater's rim are evident in the upper right and lower right parts of this image. Closer examination shows these features are formed by rocks and finer soils that are located along a straight line, they are "spokes" produced immediately after the impact by very fast outward-moving materials ejected from the impact. Because these ejecta came from deep under the crater, their composition will tell us what type of rocks are under the surface. A MOC context image [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/e13_e18/images/E16/E1600704.html ] of this crater shows its ejecta materials form an elevated "pedestal," shaped like a pancake. The pedestal is approximately 20 km (12.5 miles) in diameter. "Pedestal craters" such as this may have formed because ice beneath the surface melted when the impact occurred. This image's cutout (approximately 800 x 250 m, or 875 x 275 yards) shows a portion of the west-facing slope inside the crater, upslope is to the right (east). In this subimage, east-west channels, some of them 6 m (6.5 yards) wide, cut into the slope's soils. It is not clear if these channels were carved by dry landslides or by a fluid. The channels cut across relatively older, rock-rich, elongated ridges (e.g., location labeled "A" in the subimage) that are approximately perpendicular to the slope. By contrast, in location "B" relatively younger ridges are on top of channels, some of which have dunes in their floors. Elsewhere in this crater, ridges transition laterally to ripples and fissures of similar orientation. One possible explanation for these ridges, ripples, and fissures could be creep [ http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3072/fs-2004-3072.html ] |
|
Scarp and Channels in a Crat
…
PIA09672
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Scarp and Channels in a Crater in Terra Cimmeria |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(180 x 560 m, or 200 x 600 yards) shows a small portion of the crater's north-looking wall, downhill is up, illumination is from the left. In the lower part of the cutout a relatively harder, rocky layer protrudes from the crater's wall, some blocks broke up from it and fell down the slope. Loose soils accumulated behind these blocks (uphill), forming what looks like bright-colored tails. The crater's floor, in the upper part of the cutout, is covered here by elongated dunes. A channel 7 to 20 m (7.5 to 22 yards) wide cuts deeply into the crater's wall, it is unclear if this channel was carved by a fluid or by landslides. The channel is cut by a younger scarp (shown with yellow arrows pointing downhill) which approximately separates the crater's wall from its floor. This cliff can be followed for more than 3 km (2 miles) along the southern part of the crater's floor. Elsewhere in this image channels similar to the one shown here cut through (and, therefore, are younger than) the scarp, extending inside the crater's floor. This scarp may have been produced by settling of the crater's floor, maybe due to flow of ice, soil, and rocks towards the center of the crater, and/or to sublimation of underground ice. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:47 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -42.7° Degrees longitude (East): 158.5° Range to target site: 251.6 km (157.3 miles) Original image scale range: from 25.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 50.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 2.4° Phase angle: 72.3° Solar incidence angle: 74°, with the Sun about 16° above the horizon Solar longitude: 155.9°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001936_1370 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001936_1370 ]) shows a crater in Terra Cimmeria, approximately 10 km (6 miles) in diameter. The roughly concentric ridges and throughs in this crater's floor are known as "concentric crater fill," and probably result from compression caused by viscous flow of a thick mixture of rocks, soils, and ice inward from the crater's walls. This and other examples of concentric crater fill (see (PIA09662 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09662 ]) occur at high latitudes, where theoretical calculations indicate that ice may exist under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. This image's cutout |
|
Scarp and Channels in a Crat
…
PIA09672
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Scarp and Channels in a Crater in Terra Cimmeria |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(180 x 560 m, or 200 x 600 yards) shows a small portion of the crater's north-looking wall, downhill is up, illumination is from the left. In the lower part of the cutout a relatively harder, rocky layer protrudes from the crater's wall, some blocks broke up from it and fell down the slope. Loose soils accumulated behind these blocks (uphill), forming what looks like bright-colored tails. The crater's floor, in the upper part of the cutout, is covered here by elongated dunes. A channel 7 to 20 m (7.5 to 22 yards) wide cuts deeply into the crater's wall, it is unclear if this channel was carved by a fluid or by landslides. The channel is cut by a younger scarp (shown with yellow arrows pointing downhill) which approximately separates the crater's wall from its floor. This cliff can be followed for more than 3 km (2 miles) along the southern part of the crater's floor. Elsewhere in this image channels similar to the one shown here cut through (and, therefore, are younger than) the scarp, extending inside the crater's floor. This scarp may have been produced by settling of the crater's floor, maybe due to flow of ice, soil, and rocks towards the center of the crater, and/or to sublimation of underground ice. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:47 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -42.7° Degrees longitude (East): 158.5° Range to target site: 251.6 km (157.3 miles) Original image scale range: from 25.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 50.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 2.4° Phase angle: 72.3° Solar incidence angle: 74°, with the Sun about 16° above the horizon Solar longitude: 155.9°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001936_1370 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001936_1370 ]) shows a crater in Terra Cimmeria, approximately 10 km (6 miles) in diameter. The roughly concentric ridges and throughs in this crater's floor are known as "concentric crater fill," and probably result from compression caused by viscous flow of a thick mixture of rocks, soils, and ice inward from the crater's walls. This and other examples of concentric crater fill (see (PIA09662 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09662 ]) occur at high latitudes, where theoretical calculations indicate that ice may exist under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. This image's cutout |
|
Scarp and Channels in a Crat
…
PIA09672
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Scarp and Channels in a Crater in Terra Cimmeria |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
(180 x 560 m, or 200 x 600 yards) shows a small portion of the crater's north-looking wall, downhill is up, illumination is from the left. In the lower part of the cutout a relatively harder, rocky layer protrudes from the crater's wall, some blocks broke up from it and fell down the slope. Loose soils accumulated behind these blocks (uphill), forming what looks like bright-colored tails. The crater's floor, in the upper part of the cutout, is covered here by elongated dunes. A channel 7 to 20 m (7.5 to 22 yards) wide cuts deeply into the crater's wall, it is unclear if this channel was carved by a fluid or by landslides. The channel is cut by a younger scarp (shown with yellow arrows pointing downhill) which approximately separates the crater's wall from its floor. This cliff can be followed for more than 3 km (2 miles) along the southern part of the crater's floor. Elsewhere in this image channels similar to the one shown here cut through (and, therefore, are younger than) the scarp, extending inside the crater's floor. This scarp may have been produced by settling of the crater's floor, maybe due to flow of ice, soil, and rocks towards the center of the crater, and/or to sublimation of underground ice. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:47 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -42.7° Degrees longitude (East): 158.5° Range to target site: 251.6 km (157.3 miles) Original image scale range: from 25.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 50.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 2.4° Phase angle: 72.3° Solar incidence angle: 74°, with the Sun about 16° above the horizon Solar longitude: 155.9°, 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., Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001936_1370 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001936_1370 ]) shows a crater in Terra Cimmeria, approximately 10 km (6 miles) in diameter. The roughly concentric ridges and throughs in this crater's floor are known as "concentric crater fill," and probably result from compression caused by viscous flow of a thick mixture of rocks, soils, and ice inward from the crater's walls. This and other examples of concentric crater fill (see (PIA09662 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09662 ]) occur at high latitudes, where theoretical calculations indicate that ice may exist under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. This image's cutout |
|
Concentric Crater Fill in th
…
PIA09662
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Concentric Crater Fill in the Northern Plains |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001926_2185 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001926_2185 ]) shows part of an unnamed crater located in the Northern Plains. The intriguing landforms in the floor of this crater are known as "concentric crater fill." Such landforms are found at high latitudes (approximately above 30o from the equator), where theoretical calculations indicate that ice may exist under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. Examples of concentric crater fill were first observed in the 1970s, in images acquired by cameras on board the Viking orbiters. The roughly concentric ridges and throughs in the crater's floor are believed to result from compression caused by viscous flow of a thick mixture of rocks, soils, and ice inward from the crater's walls. Impact craters with concentric fill are usually shallower than other craters. The crater shown here is approximately 12 km (7.5 miles) in diameter, and 200-400 m (220-440 yards) deep, other Martian craters (see PIA09659 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09659 ]) of similar diameter but without concentric fill may be as deep as 700 m (765 yards). Unlike in "regular" craters, the slopes of the walls of craters with concentric fill tend to be convex, and the crater's rim is more rounded. All these characteristics are consistent with deformation of an ice-rock mixture similar to what's observed in rock glaciers on Earth. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:28 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 38.3° Degrees longitude (East): 60.5° Range to target site: 295.0 km (184.4 miles) Original image scale range: 29.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~89 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 1.2° Phase angle: 55.4° Solar incidence angle: 54°, with the Sun about 36° above the horizon Solar longitude: 155.5°, Northern Autumn 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. |
|
Concentric Crater Fill in th
…
PIA09662
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Concentric Crater Fill in the Northern Plains |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001926_2185 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001926_2185 ]) shows part of an unnamed crater located in the Northern Plains. The intriguing landforms in the floor of this crater are known as "concentric crater fill." Such landforms are found at high latitudes (approximately above 30o from the equator), where theoretical calculations indicate that ice may exist under the surface, mixed with rocks and soil. Examples of concentric crater fill were first observed in the 1970s, in images acquired by cameras on board the Viking orbiters. The roughly concentric ridges and throughs in the crater's floor are believed to result from compression caused by viscous flow of a thick mixture of rocks, soils, and ice inward from the crater's walls. Impact craters with concentric fill are usually shallower than other craters. The crater shown here is approximately 12 km (7.5 miles) in diameter, and 200-400 m (220-440 yards) deep, other Martian craters (see PIA09659 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09659 ]) of similar diameter but without concentric fill may be as deep as 700 m (765 yards). Unlike in "regular" craters, the slopes of the walls of craters with concentric fill tend to be convex, and the crater's rim is more rounded. All these characteristics are consistent with deformation of an ice-rock mixture similar to what's observed in rock glaciers on Earth. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:28 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 38.3° Degrees longitude (East): 60.5° Range to target site: 295.0 km (184.4 miles) Original image scale range: 29.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~89 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 1.2° Phase angle: 55.4° Solar incidence angle: 54°, with the Sun about 36° above the horizon Solar longitude: 155.5°, Northern Autumn 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. |
|
Two Southern Hemisphere Crat
…
PIA09622
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Two Southern Hemisphere Craters |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
). The subimage is approximately 300 meters across and shows the gullies in the crater on the right. Gullies are thought to form by liquid water flowing down slopes, but the source of the water and how it is involved in gully erosion is often debated. One theory proposes that near-surface ground ice melts to form the gullies. An important part of this theory is the direction and amount of insolation (sunlight) a slope receives. Since these craters are close to each other, they receive similar insolation, which could explain why the gullies are in the same location in them. Another theory suggests that subsurface water from an aquifer forms the gullies. If an extensive aquifer existed, it would flow downslope. If the regional slope trends towards the south, that could explain why the gullies are where they are (the water would come from behind the slope to form the gullies). HiRISE is showing us unprecedented details of the gullies and will no doubt bring us closer to understanding how these mysterious features form. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -37.2° Degrees longitude (East): 194.2° Range to target site: 253.6 km (158.5 miles) Original image scale range: 25.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 6.2° Phase angle: 77.1° Solar incidence angle: 72°, with the Sun about 18° above the horizon Solar longitude: 148.4°, 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., This HiRISE image (PSP_001750_1425 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001750_1425 ]) shows two southern hemisphere craters. These craters are about the same size, approximately 800-900 meters in diameter, and appear to have experienced parallel histories. Both craters show dunes and gullies with similar orientations. Several generations of dunes can be seen in the interior of these craters. The largest barchan dunes trend northwest-southeast with their slip faces facing the southeast, indicating that the winds forming them came from the northwest. There are smaller dunes that superpose the large dunes with a different orientation. Different dune orientations are a sign of a changing dominant wind direction. Both craters have similar dune orientations, which is expected because of their proximity. The two craters also both have gullies originating at layers on their south-facing walls. The gullies are mostly in shadow, but adjusting the brightness and contrast of the image allows them to be seen (see subimage |
|
Two Southern Hemisphere Crat
…
PIA09622
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Two Southern Hemisphere Craters |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
). The subimage is approximately 300 meters across and shows the gullies in the crater on the right. Gullies are thought to form by liquid water flowing down slopes, but the source of the water and how it is involved in gully erosion is often debated. One theory proposes that near-surface ground ice melts to form the gullies. An important part of this theory is the direction and amount of insolation (sunlight) a slope receives. Since these craters are close to each other, they receive similar insolation, which could explain why the gullies are in the same location in them. Another theory suggests that subsurface water from an aquifer forms the gullies. If an extensive aquifer existed, it would flow downslope. If the regional slope trends towards the south, that could explain why the gullies are where they are (the water would come from behind the slope to form the gullies). HiRISE is showing us unprecedented details of the gullies and will no doubt bring us closer to understanding how these mysterious features form. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -37.2° Degrees longitude (East): 194.2° Range to target site: 253.6 km (158.5 miles) Original image scale range: 25.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 6.2° Phase angle: 77.1° Solar incidence angle: 72°, with the Sun about 18° above the horizon Solar longitude: 148.4°, 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., This HiRISE image (PSP_001750_1425 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001750_1425 ]) shows two southern hemisphere craters. These craters are about the same size, approximately 800-900 meters in diameter, and appear to have experienced parallel histories. Both craters show dunes and gullies with similar orientations. Several generations of dunes can be seen in the interior of these craters. The largest barchan dunes trend northwest-southeast with their slip faces facing the southeast, indicating that the winds forming them came from the northwest. There are smaller dunes that superpose the large dunes with a different orientation. Different dune orientations are a sign of a changing dominant wind direction. Both craters have similar dune orientations, which is expected because of their proximity. The two craters also both have gullies originating at layers on their south-facing walls. The gullies are mostly in shadow, but adjusting the brightness and contrast of the image allows them to be seen (see subimage |
|
Swirls of Rock in Candor Cha
…
PIA09642
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Swirls of Rock in Candor Chasma |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001984_1735 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001984_1735 ]) shows spectacular layers exposed on the bottom of Candor Chasma, which is a large canyon in the Valles Marineris system. The floor here is approximately 4 km below the canyon rim. The layers are made of sand- and dust-sized particles that were transported here by either wind or water. This canyon may have been filled to its rim by these sedimentary layers, subsequently eroded away, most likely by the wind. The elongate hills may represent areas of rock that are stronger due to differences in the size of the sedimentary particles, chemical alteration, or both. One of the most eye-catching aspects of this scene are the intricate swirls that these layers form. Sedimentary rock generally accumulates in horizontal layers. These layers, however, have been folded into the patterns that we see today. Folding of the layers that are exposed here may have occurred due to the weight of overlying sediments. Understanding the geologic history of this region may provide clues into the history of water on Mars, because these layers may have accumulated in shallow lakes and may have undergone chemical reactions with this water. The presence of certain kinds of chemical reactions between water and rock can release energy that could have sustained habitable oases in these areas. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:39 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -6.5° Degrees longitude (East): 283.1° Range to target site: 261.6 km (163.5 miles) Original image scale range: 26.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~79 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 0.9° Phase angle: 56.1° Solar incidence angle: 57°, with the Sun about 33° above the horizon Solar longitude: 157.8°, 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. |
|
Swirls of Rock in Candor Cha
…
PIA09642
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Swirls of Rock in Candor Chasma |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001984_1735 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001984_1735 ]) shows spectacular layers exposed on the bottom of Candor Chasma, which is a large canyon in the Valles Marineris system. The floor here is approximately 4 km below the canyon rim. The layers are made of sand- and dust-sized particles that were transported here by either wind or water. This canyon may have been filled to its rim by these sedimentary layers, subsequently eroded away, most likely by the wind. The elongate hills may represent areas of rock that are stronger due to differences in the size of the sedimentary particles, chemical alteration, or both. One of the most eye-catching aspects of this scene are the intricate swirls that these layers form. Sedimentary rock generally accumulates in horizontal layers. These layers, however, have been folded into the patterns that we see today. Folding of the layers that are exposed here may have occurred due to the weight of overlying sediments. Understanding the geologic history of this region may provide clues into the history of water on Mars, because these layers may have accumulated in shallow lakes and may have undergone chemical reactions with this water. The presence of certain kinds of chemical reactions between water and rock can release energy that could have sustained habitable oases in these areas. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:39 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -6.5° Degrees longitude (East): 283.1° Range to target site: 261.6 km (163.5 miles) Original image scale range: 26.2 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~79 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 0.9° Phase angle: 56.1° Solar incidence angle: 57°, with the Sun about 33° above the horizon Solar longitude: 157.8°, 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. |
|
Gullied Trough in Noachis Te
…
PIA09612
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullied Trough in Noachis Terra |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001691_1320 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001691_1320 ]) shows gullies in a semi-circular trough in Noachis Terra. The gullies are observed to face all directions. It is interesting to note that the gully morphology seen here depends on the orientation of the gullies. The morphology differences are most pronounced on the sunlit slope, with the gullies facing south (down) being more deeply incised than those facing the west. It is unknown what caused the different gully morphologies, but there are several possibilities. Gullies are proposed to form at locations determined by the availability of a forming liquid (thought to be water) and/or the amount of insolation the slope receives, among other factors. It is possible that the deeper gullies experienced more erosional events or that their erosional events were more effective for undetermined reasons. It is also possible that the gullies formed at different times such that they did not have the same amount of water -- either for an individual flow or total -- available to them. Also, the underlying topography could make the gullies appear relatively more incised without this actually being the case. The majority of the gullies on both sides of the trough appear to originate at a boulder-rich layer seen in this subimage. The layer appears dark on the sunlit slope because the boulders sticking out from the slopes cast shadows. If these gullies formed by water from the subsurface, then it is possible that this layer is a permeable layer that conducted water to the surface. The layer is deteriorating and traveling down slope in the form of boulders. These boulders can clearly be seen in the alcoves of the gullies on both sides of the trough. Note that the alternating stripes on the left side of the image are an artifact from camera noise. They are not real features. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:39 PM Degrees latitude (centered): :-47.5° Degrees longitude (East): 4.4° Range to target site: 258.5 km (161.6 miles) Original image scale range: 51.7 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~155 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 14.0° Phase angle: 89.2° Solar incidence angle: 78°, with the Sun about 12° above the horizon Solar longitude: 146.1°, 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. |
|
Gullied Trough in Noachis Te
…
PIA09612
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullied Trough in Noachis Terra |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001691_1320 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001691_1320 ]) shows gullies in a semi-circular trough in Noachis Terra. The gullies are observed to face all directions. It is interesting to note that the gully morphology seen here depends on the orientation of the gullies. The morphology differences are most pronounced on the sunlit slope, with the gullies facing south (down) being more deeply incised than those facing the west. It is unknown what caused the different gully morphologies, but there are several possibilities. Gullies are proposed to form at locations determined by the availability of a forming liquid (thought to be water) and/or the amount of insolation the slope receives, among other factors. It is possible that the deeper gullies experienced more erosional events or that their erosional events were more effective for undetermined reasons. It is also possible that the gullies formed at different times such that they did not have the same amount of water -- either for an individual flow or total -- available to them. Also, the underlying topography could make the gullies appear relatively more incised without this actually being the case. The majority of the gullies on both sides of the trough appear to originate at a boulder-rich layer seen in this subimage. The layer appears dark on the sunlit slope because the boulders sticking out from the slopes cast shadows. If these gullies formed by water from the subsurface, then it is possible that this layer is a permeable layer that conducted water to the surface. The layer is deteriorating and traveling down slope in the form of boulders. These boulders can clearly be seen in the alcoves of the gullies on both sides of the trough. Note that the alternating stripes on the left side of the image are an artifact from camera noise. They are not real features. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:39 PM Degrees latitude (centered): :-47.5° Degrees longitude (East): 4.4° Range to target site: 258.5 km (161.6 miles) Original image scale range: 51.7 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~155 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 14.0° Phase angle: 89.2° Solar incidence angle: 78°, with the Sun about 12° above the horizon Solar longitude: 146.1°, 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. |
|
Gullied Trough in Noachis Te
…
PIA09612
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullied Trough in Noachis Terra |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001691_1320 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001691_1320 ]) shows gullies in a semi-circular trough in Noachis Terra. The gullies are observed to face all directions. It is interesting to note that the gully morphology seen here depends on the orientation of the gullies. The morphology differences are most pronounced on the sunlit slope, with the gullies facing south (down) being more deeply incised than those facing the west. It is unknown what caused the different gully morphologies, but there are several possibilities. Gullies are proposed to form at locations determined by the availability of a forming liquid (thought to be water) and/or the amount of insolation the slope receives, among other factors. It is possible that the deeper gullies experienced more erosional events or that their erosional events were more effective for undetermined reasons. It is also possible that the gullies formed at different times such that they did not have the same amount of water -- either for an individual flow or total -- available to them. Also, the underlying topography could make the gullies appear relatively more incised without this actually being the case. The majority of the gullies on both sides of the trough appear to originate at a boulder-rich layer seen in this subimage. The layer appears dark on the sunlit slope because the boulders sticking out from the slopes cast shadows. If these gullies formed by water from the subsurface, then it is possible that this layer is a permeable layer that conducted water to the surface. The layer is deteriorating and traveling down slope in the form of boulders. These boulders can clearly be seen in the alcoves of the gullies on both sides of the trough. Note that the alternating stripes on the left side of the image are an artifact from camera noise. They are not real features. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:39 PM Degrees latitude (centered): :-47.5° Degrees longitude (East): 4.4° Range to target site: 258.5 km (161.6 miles) Original image scale range: 51.7 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~155 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 14.0° Phase angle: 89.2° Solar incidence angle: 78°, with the Sun about 12° above the horizon Solar longitude: 146.1°, 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. |
|
Slipping and Sliding in Copr
…
PIA09643
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Slipping and Sliding in Coprates Chasma |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001970_1655 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001970_1655 ]) shows a landslide in the Coprates Chasma region of Valles Marineris that occurred when a large unstable area of rock broke away from the cliffs along the top of the image. This mass of falling rock broke into many small pieces as it slid downhill and came to rest at the base of the cliff, forming the lobate (curved) mound in the lower part of the image. The smooth textured ripples that are in the central part of the image are sand dunes. Sand dunes form as wind-blown particles roll across the surface and accumulate. Since the air on Mars is very thin, sand dunes take much longer to form on Mars than they do on Earth. The presence of large sand dunes, along with many small impact craters, on top of this landslide indicates that movement of the slide occurred a very long time ago, perhaps hundreds of millions of years. This landslide was probably caused by a strong earthquake. A nearby meteorite impact may have generated an earthquake that was sufficiently strong to cause this landslide. Alternatively, movement along nearby faults may have triggered the landslide. The Valles Marineris region is cut by many faults and in fact contains many more landslides such as this one. Some scientists believe that these landslides represent a record of earthquake activity in this area. Understanding the history of earthquake activity in the region may help scientists to predict the likelihood that such earthquakes occur on Mars today. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:42 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -14.2° Degrees longitude (East): 306.7° Range to target site: 266.1 km (166.3 miles) Original image scale range: 26.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~80 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.0° Phase angle: 53.9° Solar incidence angle: 60°, with the Sun about 30° above the horizon Solar longitude: 157.3°, 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. |
|
Slipping and Sliding in Copr
…
PIA09643
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Slipping and Sliding in Coprates Chasma |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001970_1655 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001970_1655 ]) shows a landslide in the Coprates Chasma region of Valles Marineris that occurred when a large unstable area of rock broke away from the cliffs along the top of the image. This mass of falling rock broke into many small pieces as it slid downhill and came to rest at the base of the cliff, forming the lobate (curved) mound in the lower part of the image. The smooth textured ripples that are in the central part of the image are sand dunes. Sand dunes form as wind-blown particles roll across the surface and accumulate. Since the air on Mars is very thin, sand dunes take much longer to form on Mars than they do on Earth. The presence of large sand dunes, along with many small impact craters, on top of this landslide indicates that movement of the slide occurred a very long time ago, perhaps hundreds of millions of years. This landslide was probably caused by a strong earthquake. A nearby meteorite impact may have generated an earthquake that was sufficiently strong to cause this landslide. Alternatively, movement along nearby faults may have triggered the landslide. The Valles Marineris region is cut by many faults and in fact contains many more landslides such as this one. Some scientists believe that these landslides represent a record of earthquake activity in this area. Understanding the history of earthquake activity in the region may help scientists to predict the likelihood that such earthquakes occur on Mars today. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:42 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -14.2° Degrees longitude (East): 306.7° Range to target site: 266.1 km (166.3 miles) Original image scale range: 26.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~80 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.0° Phase angle: 53.9° Solar incidence angle: 60°, with the Sun about 30° above the horizon Solar longitude: 157.3°, 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. |
|
Dusty Volcanic Vent in Syria
…
PIA09621
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Dusty Volcanic Vent in Syria Planum |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version Previous images of this area by other space missions indicate that this is a shield volcano with very shallow slopes. What HiRISE reveals is that it is completely covered by a blanket of dust. While volcanic featues remain obscure, the dust does exhibit some very strange patterns. As you zoom into the middle of the image, the ground appears covered with a fine network of light and dark polygons. But at full resolution, it can be seen that these polygons are actually the edges of small scallops. The dust is apparently held together by some unknown means, giving it sufficient strength to be carved into this strange pattern. This is HiRISE image is PSP_001840_1660 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001840_1660 ]. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -13.9° Degrees longitude (East): 255.8° Range to target site: 252.8 km (158.0 miles) Original image scale range: 25.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.3° Phase angle: 55.7° Solar incidence angle: 60°, with the Sun about 30° above the horizon Solar longitude: 152.0°, 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. |
|
Dusty Volcanic Vent in Syria
…
PIA09621
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Dusty Volcanic Vent in Syria Planum |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version Previous images of this area by other space missions indicate that this is a shield volcano with very shallow slopes. What HiRISE reveals is that it is completely covered by a blanket of dust. While volcanic featues remain obscure, the dust does exhibit some very strange patterns. As you zoom into the middle of the image, the ground appears covered with a fine network of light and dark polygons. But at full resolution, it can be seen that these polygons are actually the edges of small scallops. The dust is apparently held together by some unknown means, giving it sufficient strength to be carved into this strange pattern. This is HiRISE image is PSP_001840_1660 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001840_1660 ]. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -13.9° Degrees longitude (East): 255.8° Range to target site: 252.8 km (158.0 miles) Original image scale range: 25.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.3° Phase angle: 55.7° Solar incidence angle: 60°, with the Sun about 30° above the horizon Solar longitude: 152.0°, 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. |
|
Gullies and Arcuate Ridges
PIA09628
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies and Arcuate Ridges |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
) shows gullies and arcuate ridges in a crater in the southern hemisphere of Mars. Arcuate ridges and gullies are found together at many places on Mars, which has led some researchers to suggest that their coexistence may be a result of a single process. Conversely, there are many locations on Mars where gullies and arcuate ridges are found alone, causing the debate about the relationship, or lack thereof, between their origins to continue. The bright regions in this image are frost, probably water frost, that is deposited and removed seasonally. The arcuate ridges are the wavy features on the crater floor. They appear to parallel the alcove heads (upslope end) of the gullies. Arcuate ridges resemble protalus ramparts that are found on Earth. Protalus ramparts form at the bottom of snow-covered slopes when rock debris becomes separated from the slope face and accumulates downslope. There is a mantled unit that covers the majority of the mid-latitudes of Mars that is thought to be ice-rich. This mantled unit drapes over topography and likely contains large amounts of dust, creating a dusty "snowpack." It is unknown how arcuate ridges form on Mars, but they are thought to be a result of mass wasting of ice-rich materials, possibly sections of the mantled unit. The gullies seen in this image exhibit a range of morphologies. The large gully in the center of the image is deeply incised with a wide alcove. The gullies on the west (left) rim of the crater have small alcoves and tiny channels. Many of the channels appear to start at one of the fine layers that can be seen along this wall (see subimage, ~ 800 meters across). It is possible that water came from underground along these layers to form the gullies. The gully on the far left of the image extends all the way to the top of the slope. It is likely that the water that fed this gully came from one of the layers and then the slope experienced headward (upslope) erosion and collapse to extend the alcove to the crater rim. The alternating stripes on the left side of the image are camera artifacts, not Martian features. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:44 PM Degrees latitude (centered): : -38.7° Degrees longitude (East): 194.0° Range to target site: 253.5 km (158.4 miles) Original image scale range: 25.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 0.6° Phase angle: 72.5° Solar incidence angle: 73°, with the Sun about 17° above the horizon Solar longitude: 151.0°, 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, Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001816_1410 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001816_1410 ], by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. |
|
Gullies and Arcuate Ridges
PIA09628
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies and Arcuate Ridges |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
) shows gullies and arcuate ridges in a crater in the southern hemisphere of Mars. Arcuate ridges and gullies are found together at many places on Mars, which has led some researchers to suggest that their coexistence may be a result of a single process. Conversely, there are many locations on Mars where gullies and arcuate ridges are found alone, causing the debate about the relationship, or lack thereof, between their origins to continue. The bright regions in this image are frost, probably water frost, that is deposited and removed seasonally. The arcuate ridges are the wavy features on the crater floor. They appear to parallel the alcove heads (upslope end) of the gullies. Arcuate ridges resemble protalus ramparts that are found on Earth. Protalus ramparts form at the bottom of snow-covered slopes when rock debris becomes separated from the slope face and accumulates downslope. There is a mantled unit that covers the majority of the mid-latitudes of Mars that is thought to be ice-rich. This mantled unit drapes over topography and likely contains large amounts of dust, creating a dusty "snowpack." It is unknown how arcuate ridges form on Mars, but they are thought to be a result of mass wasting of ice-rich materials, possibly sections of the mantled unit. The gullies seen in this image exhibit a range of morphologies. The large gully in the center of the image is deeply incised with a wide alcove. The gullies on the west (left) rim of the crater have small alcoves and tiny channels. Many of the channels appear to start at one of the fine layers that can be seen along this wall (see subimage, ~ 800 meters across). It is possible that water came from underground along these layers to form the gullies. The gully on the far left of the image extends all the way to the top of the slope. It is likely that the water that fed this gully came from one of the layers and then the slope experienced headward (upslope) erosion and collapse to extend the alcove to the crater rim. The alternating stripes on the left side of the image are camera artifacts, not Martian features. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:44 PM Degrees latitude (centered): : -38.7° Degrees longitude (East): 194.0° Range to target site: 253.5 km (158.4 miles) Original image scale range: 25.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 0.6° Phase angle: 72.5° Solar incidence angle: 73°, with the Sun about 17° above the horizon Solar longitude: 151.0°, 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, Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001816_1410 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001816_1410 ], by the University of Arizona, Tucson, and the instrument was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corp., Boulder, Colo. |
|
Dunes and Polygons in Olympi
…
PIA09629
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Dunes and Polygons in Olympia Undae |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001736_2605 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001736_2605 ]) shows dark dunes and light polygonal terrain in Olympia Undae, also known as the North Polar Erg. Two sets of dunes are obvious. The major set trends ~north-south, indicating winds from the east or west. Between the crests of these dunes is a second set oriented mostly east-west. Zooming in on the dunes, a rippled texture is apparent, probably due to redistribution of sand at the scale of meters and less. Near the crests of some dunes are channel-like features, with some branching downslope. The origin of these channels is unknown, but they may result from the flow and displacement of sand that was fluidized by sublimating carbon dioxide or water frost. Bright patches of ground are found in some inter-dune areas, with many having a polygonal texture. Polygons on Earth form from contraction induced by stresses from dehydration, cooling, and other processes, so these features may have a similar origin. The CRISM instrument on MRO and OMEGA on Mars Express indicates that many dunes in Olympia Undae are rich in the mineral gypsum. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 2:37 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 80.2° Degrees longitude (East): 191.2° Range to target site: 316.4 km (197.7 miles) Original image scale range: 31.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~95 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC Emission angle: 2.0° Phase angle: 67.8° Solar incidence angle: 69°, with the Sun about 21° above the horizon Solar longitude: 147.9°, 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. |
|
Dunes and Polygons in Olympi
…
PIA09629
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Dunes and Polygons in Olympia Undae |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001736_2605 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001736_2605 ]) shows dark dunes and light polygonal terrain in Olympia Undae, also known as the North Polar Erg. Two sets of dunes are obvious. The major set trends ~north-south, indicating winds from the east or west. Between the crests of these dunes is a second set oriented mostly east-west. Zooming in on the dunes, a rippled texture is apparent, probably due to redistribution of sand at the scale of meters and less. Near the crests of some dunes are channel-like features, with some branching downslope. The origin of these channels is unknown, but they may result from the flow and displacement of sand that was fluidized by sublimating carbon dioxide or water frost. Bright patches of ground are found in some inter-dune areas, with many having a polygonal texture. Polygons on Earth form from contraction induced by stresses from dehydration, cooling, and other processes, so these features may have a similar origin. The CRISM instrument on MRO and OMEGA on Mars Express indicates that many dunes in Olympia Undae are rich in the mineral gypsum. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 2:37 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 80.2° Degrees longitude (East): 191.2° Range to target site: 316.4 km (197.7 miles) Original image scale range: 31.6 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~95 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC Emission angle: 2.0° Phase angle: 67.8° Solar incidence angle: 69°, with the Sun about 21° above the horizon Solar longitude: 147.9°, 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. |
|
Ancient Terrain Near Tyrrhen
…
PIA09623
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Ancient Terrain Near Tyrrhena Patera |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
This observation (PSP_001674_1610 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001674_1610 ]) covers a small part of the plains surrounding the volcano Tyrrhena Patera. Most of this area is covered by a thick layer of "mantling" material which hides the underlying rocks. Infrared data from the Mars Odyssey spacecraft suggested that this area is rockier than most of the region. The HiRISE observation confirms that the area is unusually rocky, with some bare patches of ancient shattered rock exposed at the surface. This image is also a good example of how the HiRISE team samples unknown terrain. The center of the image is at full resolution, but the outer edges have averaged each group of 4 x 4 pixels. This reduces the amount of data that needs to be returned to Earth and helps ascertain how much resolution is actually needed to study this kind of terrain. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:36 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -18.8° Degrees longitude (East): 105.0° Range to target site: 256.8 km (160.5 miles) Original image scale range: 25.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~102.8 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.3° Phase angle: 67.1° Solar incidence angle: 63°, with the Sun about 27° above the horizon Solar longitude: 145.4°, 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. |
|
(Almost) Silent Rolling Ston
…
PIA09644
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
(Almost) Silent Rolling Stones in Kasei Valles |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE scene (PSP_001640_2125 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001640_2125 ]) shows the very steep side of a plateau, part of the northern limit of the Kasei Valles system, which is one of the largest outflow channel systems on Mars. The difference in elevation here between the mostly flat channel's floor (bottom right) and the top of the plateau (top left) is over 1,300 m (0.8 miles), comparable in height to the Grand Canyon walls. The Kasei Valles system is much wider than the Grand Canyon, though, getting to be in places 500 km (300 miles) wide. (The Grand Canyon's maximum width is 30 km, or 18 miles). The image's subset (400 x 250 m or 440 x 270 yards) shows numerous paths with the appearance of dotted lines, criss-crossing the steep side of the plateau. The carving agents can be found at the end of some of these paths: rocky blocks such as the ones in this subset, up to 2 m (2.2 yards) across (4 m or 4.4 yards across elsewhere in the image). Some of these blocks traveled downhill several hundred meters (yards) as they rolled and bounced leaving behind a trail of indentations or poke marks in the surface's fine-grained, light-toned soils. The raised borders in some of these poke marks indicate they are relatively recent features, unaffected by wind erosion, or that this soil has cohesive properties, such as if it was cemented. The sound of these blocks falling did not travel very far, though. According to computer simulations [ http://www.acoustics.org/press/151st/Hanford.html ] sound in Mars travels only 1.5% the distance it would travel on Earth. (No Martian sound has ever been recorded.) Hence, the same sound which would travel 1 km (0.6 miles) on Earth would travel only 15 m (16 yards) on Mars. This is due to the lower Martian atmospheric pressure, which is approximately 1% of that of Earth. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:25 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 32.2° Degrees longitude (East): 306.0° Range to target site: 292.4 km (182.8 miles) Original image scale range: from 29.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 58.5 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.2° Phase angle: 55.0° Solar incidence angle: 50°, with the Sun about 40° above the horizon Solar longitude: 144.1°, 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. |
|
(Almost) Silent Rolling Ston
…
PIA09644
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
(Almost) Silent Rolling Stones in Kasei Valles |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE scene (PSP_001640_2125 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001640_2125 ]) shows the very steep side of a plateau, part of the northern limit of the Kasei Valles system, which is one of the largest outflow channel systems on Mars. The difference in elevation here between the mostly flat channel's floor (bottom right) and the top of the plateau (top left) is over 1,300 m (0.8 miles), comparable in height to the Grand Canyon walls. The Kasei Valles system is much wider than the Grand Canyon, though, getting to be in places 500 km (300 miles) wide. (The Grand Canyon's maximum width is 30 km, or 18 miles). The image's subset (400 x 250 m or 440 x 270 yards) shows numerous paths with the appearance of dotted lines, criss-crossing the steep side of the plateau. The carving agents can be found at the end of some of these paths: rocky blocks such as the ones in this subset, up to 2 m (2.2 yards) across (4 m or 4.4 yards across elsewhere in the image). Some of these blocks traveled downhill several hundred meters (yards) as they rolled and bounced leaving behind a trail of indentations or poke marks in the surface's fine-grained, light-toned soils. The raised borders in some of these poke marks indicate they are relatively recent features, unaffected by wind erosion, or that this soil has cohesive properties, such as if it was cemented. The sound of these blocks falling did not travel very far, though. According to computer simulations [ http://www.acoustics.org/press/151st/Hanford.html ] sound in Mars travels only 1.5% the distance it would travel on Earth. (No Martian sound has ever been recorded.) Hence, the same sound which would travel 1 km (0.6 miles) on Earth would travel only 15 m (16 yards) on Mars. This is due to the lower Martian atmospheric pressure, which is approximately 1% of that of Earth. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:25 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 32.2° Degrees longitude (East): 306.0° Range to target site: 292.4 km (182.8 miles) Original image scale range: from 29.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 58.5 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.2° Phase angle: 55.0° Solar incidence angle: 50°, with the Sun about 40° above the horizon Solar longitude: 144.1°, 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. |
|
(Almost) Silent Rolling Ston
…
PIA09644
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
(Almost) Silent Rolling Stones in Kasei Valles |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE scene (PSP_001640_2125 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001640_2125 ]) shows the very steep side of a plateau, part of the northern limit of the Kasei Valles system, which is one of the largest outflow channel systems on Mars. The difference in elevation here between the mostly flat channel's floor (bottom right) and the top of the plateau (top left) is over 1,300 m (0.8 miles), comparable in height to the Grand Canyon walls. The Kasei Valles system is much wider than the Grand Canyon, though, getting to be in places 500 km (300 miles) wide. (The Grand Canyon's maximum width is 30 km, or 18 miles). The image's subset (400 x 250 m or 440 x 270 yards) shows numerous paths with the appearance of dotted lines, criss-crossing the steep side of the plateau. The carving agents can be found at the end of some of these paths: rocky blocks such as the ones in this subset, up to 2 m (2.2 yards) across (4 m or 4.4 yards across elsewhere in the image). Some of these blocks traveled downhill several hundred meters (yards) as they rolled and bounced leaving behind a trail of indentations or poke marks in the surface's fine-grained, light-toned soils. The raised borders in some of these poke marks indicate they are relatively recent features, unaffected by wind erosion, or that this soil has cohesive properties, such as if it was cemented. The sound of these blocks falling did not travel very far, though. According to computer simulations [ http://www.acoustics.org/press/151st/Hanford.html ] sound in Mars travels only 1.5% the distance it would travel on Earth. (No Martian sound has ever been recorded.) Hence, the same sound which would travel 1 km (0.6 miles) on Earth would travel only 15 m (16 yards) on Mars. This is due to the lower Martian atmospheric pressure, which is approximately 1% of that of Earth. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:25 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 32.2° Degrees longitude (East): 306.0° Range to target site: 292.4 km (182.8 miles) Original image scale range: from 29.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 58.5 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.2° Phase angle: 55.0° Solar incidence angle: 50°, with the Sun about 40° above the horizon Solar longitude: 144.1°, 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. |
|
Fuzzy Faulted Plains
PIA09620
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Fuzzy Faulted Plains |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001840_2000 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001840_2000 ]) samples the plains between the large shelf volcanoes in the Tharsis region of Mars. The long scarps in the area have been formed by faults as the ground was pulled apart. The large circular depression on the edge of the image is a giant collapse pit that appears to be related to the opening up of crust. If you look at this image carefully, much of the plains appears blurry, as if the picture was out of focus. But HiRISE remains in perfect focus and it is Mars that is actually this blurry. Soft wind-blown dust mutes all the features in the area to create this effect. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:33 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 19.9° Degrees longitude (East): 251.4° Range to target site: 276.6 km (172.9 miles) Original image scale range: 27.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~83 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 2.9° Phase angle: 48.9° Solar incidence angle: 52°, with the Sun about 38° above the horizon Solar longitude: 152.0°, 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. |
|
Fuzzy Faulted Plains
PIA09620
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Fuzzy Faulted Plains |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001840_2000 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001840_2000 ]) samples the plains between the large shelf volcanoes in the Tharsis region of Mars. The long scarps in the area have been formed by faults as the ground was pulled apart. The large circular depression on the edge of the image is a giant collapse pit that appears to be related to the opening up of crust. If you look at this image carefully, much of the plains appears blurry, as if the picture was out of focus. But HiRISE remains in perfect focus and it is Mars that is actually this blurry. Soft wind-blown dust mutes all the features in the area to create this effect. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:33 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 19.9° Degrees longitude (East): 251.4° Range to target site: 276.6 km (172.9 miles) Original image scale range: 27.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~83 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 2.9° Phase angle: 48.9° Solar incidence angle: 52°, with the Sun about 38° above the horizon Solar longitude: 152.0°, 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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Light Outcrop on Crater Floo
…
PIA09633
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Light Outcrop on Crater Floor |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001860_1685 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001860_1685 ]) shows shows part of the floor of a large impact crater in the southern highlands, north of the giant Hellas impact basin. Most of the crater floor is dark, with abundant small ripples of wind-blown material. However, a pit in the floor of the crater has exposed light-toned, fractured rock. The light-toned material appears fractured at several different scales. These fractures are called joints, and result from stresses on the rock after its formation. Joints are similar to faults, but have undergone virtually no displacement. With careful analysis, joints can provide insight into the forces that have affected a unit of rock, and thus into its geologic history. The fractures appear dark, this may be due to trapping of dark, wind-blown sand in the crack, to precipitation of different minerals along the fracture, or both. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -11.3° Degrees longitude (East): 69.4° Range to target site: 261.2 km (163.3 miles) Original image scale range: from 26.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 52.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.4° Phase angle: 54.4° Solar incidence angle: 59°, with the Sun about 31° above the horizon Solar longitude: 152.8°, Northern Autumn 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. |
|
Light Outcrop on Crater Floo
…
PIA09633
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Light Outcrop on Crater Floor |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001860_1685 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001860_1685 ]) shows shows part of the floor of a large impact crater in the southern highlands, north of the giant Hellas impact basin. Most of the crater floor is dark, with abundant small ripples of wind-blown material. However, a pit in the floor of the crater has exposed light-toned, fractured rock. The light-toned material appears fractured at several different scales. These fractures are called joints, and result from stresses on the rock after its formation. Joints are similar to faults, but have undergone virtually no displacement. With careful analysis, joints can provide insight into the forces that have affected a unit of rock, and thus into its geologic history. The fractures appear dark, this may be due to trapping of dark, wind-blown sand in the crack, to precipitation of different minerals along the fracture, or both. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -11.3° Degrees longitude (East): 69.4° Range to target site: 261.2 km (163.3 miles) Original image scale range: from 26.1 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 52.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.4° Phase angle: 54.4° Solar incidence angle: 59°, with the Sun about 31° above the horizon Solar longitude: 152.8°, Northern Autumn 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. |
|
Gullies on Gorgonum Chaos Me
…
PIA09632
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies on Gorgonum Chaos Mesas |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001948_1425 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001948_1425 ]) shows part of Gorgonum Chaos, a large cluster of chaotic terrain found in the southern hemisphere. Many regions of chaotic terrain are found at the head of large outflow channels that were scoured by ancient floods. Gorgonum Chaos is one region that is not associated with an outflow channel. Chaotic terrain can form when subsurface volatiles (such as water) are catastrophically released and the overlying surface collapses. It is not known whether isolated chaotic terrain -- such as that shown in this image -- formed in the same way that the chaotic terrain near the outflow channels did. Wind erosion might play a role in their formation. Gorgonum Chaos is an especially interesting area because gullies thought to have been eroded by liquid water are located on its mesas (see subimage), scene is approximately 4 km across). The gullies have a wide range of orientations and many appear to emanate from a distinct layer in the mesas (see subimage). It is not known why gullies form on one slope rather than another, but insolation (amount of sunlight received), availability of water, and regional slope are possible contributing factors. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:43 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -37.1° Degrees longitude (East): 189.5° Range to target site: 254.9 km (159.3 miles) Original image scale range: 25.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 3.7° Phase angle: 73.5° Solar incidence angle: 70°, with the Sun about 20° above the horizon Solar longitude: 156.4°, Northern Autumn 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. |
|
Gullies on Gorgonum Chaos Me
…
PIA09632
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies on Gorgonum Chaos Mesas |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001948_1425 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001948_1425 ]) shows part of Gorgonum Chaos, a large cluster of chaotic terrain found in the southern hemisphere. Many regions of chaotic terrain are found at the head of large outflow channels that were scoured by ancient floods. Gorgonum Chaos is one region that is not associated with an outflow channel. Chaotic terrain can form when subsurface volatiles (such as water) are catastrophically released and the overlying surface collapses. It is not known whether isolated chaotic terrain -- such as that shown in this image -- formed in the same way that the chaotic terrain near the outflow channels did. Wind erosion might play a role in their formation. Gorgonum Chaos is an especially interesting area because gullies thought to have been eroded by liquid water are located on its mesas (see subimage), scene is approximately 4 km across). The gullies have a wide range of orientations and many appear to emanate from a distinct layer in the mesas (see subimage). It is not known why gullies form on one slope rather than another, but insolation (amount of sunlight received), availability of water, and regional slope are possible contributing factors. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:43 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -37.1° Degrees longitude (East): 189.5° Range to target site: 254.9 km (159.3 miles) Original image scale range: 25.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 3.7° Phase angle: 73.5° Solar incidence angle: 70°, with the Sun about 20° above the horizon Solar longitude: 156.4°, Northern Autumn 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. |
|
Layers in Gale Crater
PIA09652
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Layers in Gale Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001897_1745 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001897_1745 ]) covers a portion of the layered deposits in Gale crater, but is located to the southeast of the main stack of the deposits and is perhaps revealing a lower part of the section. The deposits are remarkably uniform at submeter scales and are not comprised of loose sediment, as evidenced by numerous fractures and scarps that run through and along some layers. Though there are a few impact craters preserved, wind erosion has stripped and etched the surface of the layers, producing few large blocks and little in the way of talus or other debris. The deposit's uniform character -- and the manner of erosion -- suggests it is comprised of fine-grained sediments, perhaps an accumulation of dust or volcanic ash blown in by the wind. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:38 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -5.3° Degrees longitude (East): 138.3° Range to target site: 267.3 km (167.1 miles) Original image scale range: 26.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~80 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 2.5° Phase angle: 54.4° Solar incidence angle: 57°, with the Sun about 33° above the horizon Solar longitude: 154.3°, 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. |
|
Layers in Gale Crater
PIA09652
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Layers in Gale Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001897_1745 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001897_1745 ]) covers a portion of the layered deposits in Gale crater, but is located to the southeast of the main stack of the deposits and is perhaps revealing a lower part of the section. The deposits are remarkably uniform at submeter scales and are not comprised of loose sediment, as evidenced by numerous fractures and scarps that run through and along some layers. Though there are a few impact craters preserved, wind erosion has stripped and etched the surface of the layers, producing few large blocks and little in the way of talus or other debris. The deposit's uniform character -- and the manner of erosion -- suggests it is comprised of fine-grained sediments, perhaps an accumulation of dust or volcanic ash blown in by the wind. Observation Toolbox Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:38 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -5.3° Degrees longitude (East): 138.3° Range to target site: 267.3 km (167.1 miles) Original image scale range: 26.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~80 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 2.5° Phase angle: 54.4° Solar incidence angle: 57°, with the Sun about 33° above the horizon Solar longitude: 154.3°, 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. |
|
Slope Streaks in Acheron Fos
…
PIA09587
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Slope Streaks in Acheron Fossae |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE Image (PSP_001656_2175 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09587 http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001656_2175 ]) shows a portion of the wall (light-toned material) and floor of a trough in the Acheron Fossae region of Mars. Many dark and light-toned slope streaks can be seen on the wall of the trough surrounded by dunes. Slope streak formation is among the few known processes currently active on Mars. While the mechanism of formation and triggering is debated, they are most commonly believed to form by downslope movement of extremely dry sand or very fine-grained dust in an almost fluidlike manner (analogous to a terrestrial snow avalanche) exposing darker underlying material. Some of the slope streaks show evidence that downslope movement is being diverted around obstacles, such as large boulders, and a few appear to originate at boulders or clumps of rocky material. These slope streaks, as well as others on the planet, do not have deposits of displaced material at their downslope ends. The darkest slope streaks are youngest and can be seen to cross cut and lie on top of the older and lighter-toned streaks. The lighter-toned streaks are believed to be dark streaks that are lightening with time as new dust is deposited on their surface. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:25 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 37.3 ° Degrees longitude (East): 229.1 ° Range to target site: 290.4 km (181.5 miles) Original image scale range: 58.1 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~174 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 0.9 ° Phase angle: 51.8 ° Solar incidence angle: 51 °, with the Sun about 39 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 144.7 °, 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. |
|
Slope Streaks in Acheron Fos
…
PIA09587
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Slope Streaks in Acheron Fossae |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE Image (PSP_001656_2175 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09587 http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001656_2175 ]) shows a portion of the wall (light-toned material) and floor of a trough in the Acheron Fossae region of Mars. Many dark and light-toned slope streaks can be seen on the wall of the trough surrounded by dunes. Slope streak formation is among the few known processes currently active on Mars. While the mechanism of formation and triggering is debated, they are most commonly believed to form by downslope movement of extremely dry sand or very fine-grained dust in an almost fluidlike manner (analogous to a terrestrial snow avalanche) exposing darker underlying material. Some of the slope streaks show evidence that downslope movement is being diverted around obstacles, such as large boulders, and a few appear to originate at boulders or clumps of rocky material. These slope streaks, as well as others on the planet, do not have deposits of displaced material at their downslope ends. The darkest slope streaks are youngest and can be seen to cross cut and lie on top of the older and lighter-toned streaks. The lighter-toned streaks are believed to be dark streaks that are lightening with time as new dust is deposited on their surface. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:25 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 37.3 ° Degrees longitude (East): 229.1 ° Range to target site: 290.4 km (181.5 miles) Original image scale range: 58.1 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~174 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 0.9 ° Phase angle: 51.8 ° Solar incidence angle: 51 °, with the Sun about 39 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 144.7 °, 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. |
|
Crater Floor in Arabia Terra
…
PIA09581
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Crater Floor in Arabia Terra Region |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001810_1825 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001810_1825 ]) shows a northwestern portion of the floor of a crater in the Arabia Terra region of Mars. In the subimage (figure 1), several light-toned layered outcrops are visible, surrounded by dunes of varying sizes. The outcrops exhibit multiple alternating light and dark layers with extensive fracturing and small fault offsets. The outcrops represent the eroded remains of sedimentary rocks that formed from sediments once deposited within the crater. Possible origins for the sediments include windblown debris, volcanic ash falling from the sky, or sediments that accumulated in a lake on the crater floor. The dark filamentary streaks in the right half of the image were most likely created by the disruption and/or removal of thin surface coatings of dust by the passage of a dust devil. Streak patterns such as these have been found to change over periods of several months to an Earth year, suggesting that the ones seen here probably formed relatively recently. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:33 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 2.2 ° Degrees longitude (East): 352.0 ° Range to target site: 274.0 km (171.3 miles) Original image scale range: from 27.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 54.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 6.6 ° Phase angle: 60.0 ° Solar incidence angle: 54 °, with the Sun about 36 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 150.8 °, 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. |
|
Crater Floor in Arabia Terra
…
PIA09581
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Crater Floor in Arabia Terra Region |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001810_1825 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001810_1825 ]) shows a northwestern portion of the floor of a crater in the Arabia Terra region of Mars. In the subimage (figure 1), several light-toned layered outcrops are visible, surrounded by dunes of varying sizes. The outcrops exhibit multiple alternating light and dark layers with extensive fracturing and small fault offsets. The outcrops represent the eroded remains of sedimentary rocks that formed from sediments once deposited within the crater. Possible origins for the sediments include windblown debris, volcanic ash falling from the sky, or sediments that accumulated in a lake on the crater floor. The dark filamentary streaks in the right half of the image were most likely created by the disruption and/or removal of thin surface coatings of dust by the passage of a dust devil. Streak patterns such as these have been found to change over periods of several months to an Earth year, suggesting that the ones seen here probably formed relatively recently. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:33 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 2.2 ° Degrees longitude (East): 352.0 ° Range to target site: 274.0 km (171.3 miles) Original image scale range: from 27.4 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) to 54.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 6.6 ° Phase angle: 60.0 ° Solar incidence angle: 54 °, with the Sun about 36 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 150.8 °, 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. |
|
Central Deposits in Pasteur
…
PIA09585
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Central Deposits in Pasteur Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001756_1995 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001756_1995 ]) shows a portion of the central sedimentary deposits in Pasteur Crater. These deposits are now being eroded into knobs and ridges. The erosion is probably dominated by wind, as most of the ridges are parallel. This is common in wind-eroded features, with the ridges generally aligned with the prevailing wind. At high resolution, layering is revealed in many of the knobs and outcrops. The horizontal layers indicate that the material was deposited uniformly over a broad area. Possible origins include volcanic airfall or lacustrine (lake) deposits. After deposition, the rock in this area has been fractured and faulted, forming a diverse array of cracks. The mottled appearance of much of the image is caused by dark, featureless patches which may be wind-blown dust. These have interacted with lighter-toned ridges and ripples which are probably also formed by eolian (wind) processes. In places, the dark patches partially cover the ripples, indicating that they have moved more recently, but they must be thin because the ripples frequently stand above surrounding dark material. The ripples exhibit multiple interacting orientations in some places, producing networks of small ridges which reflect movement in winds from several directions. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:33 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 19.2 ° Degrees longitude (East): 24.4 ° Range to target site: 283.7 km (177.3 miles) Original image scale range: 56.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~170 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.7 °br> Phase angle: 45.8 ° Solar incidence angle: 51 °, with the Sun about 39 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 148.6 °, 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. |
|
Central Deposits in Pasteur
…
PIA09585
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Central Deposits in Pasteur Crater |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001756_1995 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001756_1995 ]) shows a portion of the central sedimentary deposits in Pasteur Crater. These deposits are now being eroded into knobs and ridges. The erosion is probably dominated by wind, as most of the ridges are parallel. This is common in wind-eroded features, with the ridges generally aligned with the prevailing wind. At high resolution, layering is revealed in many of the knobs and outcrops. The horizontal layers indicate that the material was deposited uniformly over a broad area. Possible origins include volcanic airfall or lacustrine (lake) deposits. After deposition, the rock in this area has been fractured and faulted, forming a diverse array of cracks. The mottled appearance of much of the image is caused by dark, featureless patches which may be wind-blown dust. These have interacted with lighter-toned ridges and ripples which are probably also formed by eolian (wind) processes. In places, the dark patches partially cover the ripples, indicating that they have moved more recently, but they must be thin because the ripples frequently stand above surrounding dark material. The ripples exhibit multiple interacting orientations in some places, producing networks of small ridges which reflect movement in winds from several directions. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:33 PM Degrees latitude (centered): 19.2 ° Degrees longitude (East): 24.4 ° Range to target site: 283.7 km (177.3 miles) Original image scale range: 56.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~170 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 5.7 °br> Phase angle: 45.8 ° Solar incidence angle: 51 °, with the Sun about 39 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 148.6 °, 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. |
|
Gullies and... Gullies? in T
…
PIA09586
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies and... Gullies? in Terra Sirenum |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001697_1390 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001697_1390 ]) shows part of an unnamed crater, itself located inside the much larger Newton Crater, in Terra Sirenum. This unnamed crater is approximately 7 km in diameter (over 4 miles) and some 700 m (760 yards) deep. Numerous gully systems are visible on the east- and south-facing walls of the crater, their characteristics are astonishingly diverse, though. The image's subset (figure 1) covers an area of nearly 610 x 740 m (670 x 800 yards). Downhill is toward the bottom of the image, north is up, illumination is from the northwest. This subset depicts several gullies or troughs carved in the southwest-facing wall of the crater. These troughs are extremely rectilinear, lack tributaries, and do not seem to have terminal fan deposits: they terminate rather abruptly, some of them in a spatula-like shape. Their characteristics contrast sharply with those of gully systems elsewhere in this same crater, which are sinuous, have numerous tributaries, and show distinct fan deposits. HiRISE is unveiling the large diversity exhibited by Martian gully systems, thanks to its high-resolution, stereo, and color capabilities. The diverse types of gullies observed may have been produced by different mechanisms. Current leading hypotheses explaining the origin of gullies include erosion from seepage or eruption of water from a subsurface aquifer, melting of ground ice, or surface snow, and dry landslides. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -40.8 ° Degrees longitude (East): 200.2 ° Range to target site: 256.4 km (160.3 miles) Original image scale range: 51.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~154 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 9.0 ° Phase angle: 81.6 ° Solar incidence angle: 74 °, with the Sun about 16 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 146.3 °, 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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Gullies and... Gullies? in T
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PIA09586
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Gullies and... Gullies? in Terra Sirenum |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001697_1390 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001697_1390 ]) shows part of an unnamed crater, itself located inside the much larger Newton Crater, in Terra Sirenum. This unnamed crater is approximately 7 km in diameter (over 4 miles) and some 700 m (760 yards) deep. Numerous gully systems are visible on the east- and south-facing walls of the crater, their characteristics are astonishingly diverse, though. The image's subset (figure 1) covers an area of nearly 610 x 740 m (670 x 800 yards). Downhill is toward the bottom of the image, north is up, illumination is from the northwest. This subset depicts several gullies or troughs carved in the southwest-facing wall of the crater. These troughs are extremely rectilinear, lack tributaries, and do not seem to have terminal fan deposits: they terminate rather abruptly, some of them in a spatula-like shape. Their characteristics contrast sharply with those of gully systems elsewhere in this same crater, which are sinuous, have numerous tributaries, and show distinct fan deposits. HiRISE is unveiling the large diversity exhibited by Martian gully systems, thanks to its high-resolution, stereo, and color capabilities. The diverse types of gullies observed may have been produced by different mechanisms. Current leading hypotheses explaining the origin of gullies include erosion from seepage or eruption of water from a subsurface aquifer, melting of ground ice, or surface snow, and dry landslides. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:40 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -40.8 ° Degrees longitude (East): 200.2 ° Range to target site: 256.4 km (160.3 miles) Original image scale range: 51.3 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~154 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 50 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 9.0 ° Phase angle: 81.6 ° Solar incidence angle: 74 °, with the Sun about 16 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 146.3 °, 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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Evidence of Multiple Episode
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PIA09582
Sol (our sun)
HiRISE
| Title |
Evidence of Multiple Episodes of Gully Formation |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Figure 1 Click on image for larger version This HiRISE image (PSP_001684_1410 [ http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_001684_1410 ]) shows gullies in a crater in Terra Sirenum. The gullies unusually emanate from different elevations along the crater wall. Several of the gullies are extremely developed and incised, while others have very narrow, shallow channels. Many of the gullies appear to have extensive debris aprons, but that could be deceiving. Based on their surroundings, the topography underlying the debris aprons is likely not flat or gently sloping. This might cause the debris apron material to cover a wider surface area, without being as large of a volume as it might appear visually, than it otherwise would. The subimage (figure 1) shows a gully with many channels. Several of the channels overlap or are overlapped by debris aprons suggesting that multiple flow episodes occurred here. In particular, there is a large channel that sticks out from underneath the main debris apron with a debris apron of its own. If this channel originated where the alcove currently is, then it is possible that the past flow contained more liquid and that the source of liquid to form the gullies in this region is now available in smaller amounts for an unknown reason. Observation Geometry Acquisition date: 12 December 2006 Local Mars time: 3:45 PM Degrees latitude (centered): -38.9 ° Degrees longitude (East): 196.0 ° Range to target site: 253.2 km (158.3 miles) Original image scale range: 25.3 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~76 cm across are resolved Map-projected scale: 25 cm/pixel and north is up Map-projection: EQUIRECTANGULAR Emission angle: 7.3 ° Phase angle: 69.1 ° Solar incidence angle: 74 °, with the Sun about 16 ° above the horizon Solar longitude: 145.8 °, 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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