[meteorite-list] Mars Express Image: Rim of Crater Huygens on Mars

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Oct 19 13:22:49 2004
Message-ID: <200410191720.KAA24366_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMBFTZ990E_0.html

Rim of Crater Huygens on Mars
European Space Agency
Mars Express
19 October 2004

These images, taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board
ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, show the eastern rim of the Martian
impact crater Huygens.
 
 
Rim of Crater Huygens, perspective view
 
The images were taken during orbit 532 in June 2004 with a ground
resolution of approximately 70 metres per pixel. The displayed region is
centred around longitude 61? East and latitude 14? South.
 
 
Map showing Huygens crater rim in context

Huygens is an impact structure, about 450 kilometres wide, located in
the heavily cratered southern highlands of Mars. Crater counts of the
rim unit of the impact basin indicate that it is almost 4000 million
years old.

This implies that this basin was formed in the early history of the
planet and indicates a period of heavy bombardment in roughly the first
500 million years of the planet's lifetime.


Black and white view of Huygens crater rim

The basin shows an inner ring that has been subsequently filled by
sediments transported into the crater.

These images show part of the eastern rim of the crater. The rim is
heavily eroded and shows a "dendritic" pattern. This observation
suggests surface water run-off.

Dendritic systems are the most common form of drainage system found on
Earth. They consist of a main "river" valley with tributaries with their
own tributaries. From above, they look like a tree or a river delta in
reverse.

 
 
3D image of rim of Crater Huygens
 
The valley system is blanketed by dark material, which was either
transported by a fluid running through the channels or by wind-driven
("aeolian") processes. Part of the area has been covered by slightly
redder material, which implies a different chemical composition.
 
 

Perspective view of rim of Crater Huygens, looking north

Image resolution has been decreased for use on the internet. The colour
images were processed using the nadir (vertical view) and colour channels.

The perspective views were calculated from the digital terrain model
derived from the stereo channels.

The 3D anaglyph image was created from the nadir channel and one of the
stereo channels. Stereoscopic glasses are needed to view the 3D image.
Received on Tue 19 Oct 2004 01:20:50 PM PDT