Mars Photo of the Day - Mar 23 2012

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Today's Image of Mars shows boulders on the floor of Hellas Basin, as taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera. Hellas basin is approximately 2300km in diameter and measures 7152m deep. While the source of the basin has not been confirmed, most scientists believe an enormous object must have impacted Mars sometime in it's early history.

Since that time there appears to have been some sort of glacial activity in the region, which scientists believe was responsible for depositing the crudely aligned boulders we see below. If you ask me they almost look like larger versions of the blueberries (grey hematite concretions) imaged by Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, but of course they aren't!

Clicking on this image will take you to the orignial high resolution image from HiRISE!

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Mars Photo of the Day - Feb 24 2012

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Today's Image of Mars shows scallops (pits open on one side) and boulders in Utopia Planitia. The 3D high resolution anaglyph shows polygon features that develop as a result of temperature changes that cause ice contraction and expansion.

There are also numerous boulders that measure approximately 1 meter in diameter. Scientists know they are boulders and not ice because ice cannot remain stable on the Martian surface.

It is speculated that at least ten meters of ice has sublimated from some places in this image, which has created the pits and other features we see in this image. But how did the ice get there in the first place? Mars once had a wetter, warmer environment, but over billions of years Mars became much colder and the water that once covered the surface froze or retreated underground.

Clicking on this image will take you to the original captioned image from HiRISE.

See All Mars Photo of the Day Posts!