[meteorite-list] Mars Express Maps Nearly 90% of Mars' Surface

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2013 12:24:08 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <201302052024.r15KO8Pd023480_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mapping_Mars

Mapping Mars
European Space Agency
4 February 2013

Nearly 90% of Mars' surface has been mapped by the high-resolution
stereo camera on ESA's Mars Express, which celebrates ten years
since launch this June.

The mosaic comprises 2702 individual swaths of the martian
surface, up to and including the spacecraft's 10 821st orbit of
the planet, which it completed on 30 June 2012.

In total, 87.8% of the surface has been mapped at any resolution,
with 61.5% mapped at a resolution of 20 m per pixel or better. The
map is equatorially aligned, meaning that regions at the poles
appear distorted.

The map provides a record of all locations observed by the camera
simultaneously in red, green, blue and nadir channels.

Images that were particularly affected by dust or atmospheric
effects have not been included in the mosaic. These effects are
more prevalent in the region shown in the top right of the map, as
reflected by the greater number of "missing" pieces there.

The subtle variation in colour tones are due partly to changes in
dust content in the atmosphere, but mostly due to the change in
solar elevation as the spacecraft moves around the planet,
experiencing different illumination conditions.

Upon closer inspection, many well-known geological features are
revealed. Towards the top left stands Olympus Mons, the tallest
volcano in the Solar System at over 21 km high. A chain of three
volcanoes making up the Tharsis Montes lies just below and to the
right.

Moving further right again uncovers the Solar System's largest
canyon
<http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/The_Solar_System_s_grandest_canyon>,
Valles Marineris. This giant cavern plunges 10 km deep and runs
over 4000 km.

Assuming that good atmospheric conditions coincide with the
appropriate orbits, Mars Express scientists hope that they might
fill in the remaining gaps in the map in the coming years.
Received on Tue 05 Feb 2013 03:24:08 PM PST