Cancel

gear Push settings

bars

homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Gliding through the largest canyon in the solar system [VIDEO]

Valles Marineris is the largest canyon on Mars, and in the solar system for that matter that we know of. It’s 4000 km long, 200km wide, 10 km deep and stunningly beautiful. Just so you can get a glimpse of how beautiful it is, ESA just recently posted a movie that focuses on an enclosed 8 km-deep […]

Tibi Puiu
July 17, 2013 @ 8:45 am

share Share

Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

Valles Marineris is the largest canyon on Mars, and in the solar system for that matter that we know of. It’s 4000 km long, 200km wide, 10 km deep and stunningly beautiful. Just so you can get a glimpse of how beautiful it is, ESA just recently posted a movie that focuses on an enclosed 8 km-deep trough in the northern most part of Valles Marineris, called Hebes Chasma. The movie glides over impact craters pockmarking the plains separating the troughs, down cliff faces scarred by landslides, and along the rough valley floor.

A while ago we posted a set of 3D photos of Mars showcasing some of the planet’s most amazing geological formations, including Valles Marineris. You might want to check it out.

The valley is not only important because of the milestone it sets in the solar system, but also because of its specific geological traits. Mars Express detected in parts of the valley water-bearing minerals, suggesting that significant quantities of water may  have once flowed through it.

The formation of Hebes Chasma is likely connected to the nearby volcanic Tharsis region, home to the planet’s vast Olympus Mons volcano.

During periods of intense volcanism the whole region stretched upwards, causing tremendous stress in the crust further way. Unable to withstand the strain, the crust ripped open, collapsing into the chasms found in and around Valles Marineris.

.

 

share Share

How Hot is the Moon? A New NASA Mission is About to Find Out

Understanding how heat moves through the lunar regolith can help scientists understand how the Moon's interior formed.

Should we treat Mars as a space archaeology museum? This researcher believes so

Mars isn’t just a cold, barren rock. Anthropologists argue that the tracks of rovers and broken probes are archaeological treasures.

Proba-3: The Budget Mission That Creates Solar Eclipses on Demand

Now scientists won't have to travel from one place to another to observe solar eclipses. They can create their own eclipses lasting for hours.

This Supermassive Black Hole Shot Out a Jet of Energy Unlike Anything We've Seen Before

A gamma-ray flare from a black hole 6.5 billion times the Sun’s mass leaves scientists stunned.

Astronauts will be making sake on the ISS — and a cosmic bottle will cost $650,000

Astronauts aboard the ISS are brewing more than just discoveries — they’re testing how sake ferments in space.

Superflares on Sun-Like Stars Are Much More Common Than We Thought

Sun-like stars release massive quantities of radiation into space more often than previously believed.

Astronomers Just Found Stars That Mimic Pulsars -- And This May Explain Mysterious Radio Pulses in Space

A white dwarf/M dwarf binary could be the secret.

These Satellites Are About to Create Artificial Solar Eclipses — And Unlock the Sun's Secrets

Two spacecraft will create artificial eclipses to study the Sun’s corona.

Mars Dust Storms Can Engulf Entire Planet, Shutting Down Rovers and Endangering Astronauts — Now We Know Why

Warm days may ignite the Red Planet’s huge dust storms.

The Smallest Asteroids Ever Detected Could Be a Game-Changer for Planetary Defense

A new technique allowed scientists to spot the smallest asteroids ever detected in the main belt.