Observing Mars from orbit can help us understand the history of the planet, as recent Mars Express images of an impact crater show.
While rovers visiting the surface of Mars are invaluable research tools for understanding surface chemistry and other questions, observing Mars from orbit can help us understand the planet’s history — as recent images of a martian impact crater show. The Mars Express orbiter uses its High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) instrument to take photographs of the Martian surface, including geographical features and locations of water ice. Recently, ESA has shared images created from HRSC data of deep gouges on the surface of the Tantalus Fossae region. These troughs are part of a fault system that stretches nearly 1,500 miles across and are located around the edges of a low-lying volcano called Alba Mons.
“The fossae were created as the summit of Alba Mons rose in elevation, causing the surrounding surface to become warped, extended, and broken,” ESA explains.
