Near Ma'adim Vallis, one of the largest canyons on Mars
The European Space Agency today released this high-resolution stereo image taken by the Mars Express orbiter of a region southeast of Ma'adim Vallis , one of the largest canyons on Mars (after Valles Marineris ).
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The European Space Agency today released this high-resolution stereo image taken by the Mars Express orbiter of a region southeast of Ma'adim Vallis, one of the largest canyons on Mars (after Valles Marineris). Ma'adim Vallis lies between the volcanic region of Tharsis, which features four volcanoes, including the largest in the Solar System, and the Hellas Planitia impact basin.
The canyon, 20 kilometers wide and two kilometers deep, originates in the southern highlands close to the "dichotomy boundary" and ends at Gusev Crater. It cuts through the center of the image, ending at Gusev [top center]. The crater interior is the location of the Spirit rover, which landed there on January 3, 2004. The dichotomy boundary is a narrow region separating the cratered highlands, located mostly in Mars's southern hemisphere, from the northern hemisphere's lowland plains.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
