The Deepest Canyon On Mars In High-Definition

This breathtaking 3D landscape was constructed with high definition images taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA's Mars Express orbiter. The new observations show Hebes Chasma, a strange mountain region nested inside the canyon, with channel-like fingers reaching out into the Martian landscape.The HRSC is currently looking down onto the Red Planet's surface, taking shots of the planet in full colour, in 3D and with a maximum resolution of two meters. The camera design allows it unrivalled pointing accuracy by combining images at different resolutions at each orbital pass. By imaging the landscape at three different wavelengths (i.e. three colours), a stereoscopic view of Mars features give observers an insight to how the canyon will look from different angles, in 3D models.The canyon is over 8 km deep in places, and the central mountain ascends to this height, at the same level as the surrounding plains. There is evidence to suggest that liquid water once flowed here, possibly creating a vast moat around the mountain, leaving its top isolated when the canyon was full of water.

A number of huge images have been released, and here are a few of the best:

Full size



Full size

Full size


From: ESA