The largest canyon in the Solar System photographed
0The largest canyon in the Solar System photographed
New photos from Mars allow the exploration of the depths of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon system in the Solar System. The photos shared by the European Space Agency (ESA) will make it possible to understand whether the canyon is suitable for life.
Valles Marineris canyon photographed by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express. The canyon, which is 4,000 km long, 200 km wide and more than 6.5 km deep, is known as the largest canyon in the Solar System.
150 times the size of Istanbul
Valles Marineris also has an area of approximately 150 times larger than Istanbul.
The new images featured two cliffs that form part of the western portion of Valles Marineris. In the photo, on the left is the 840 km long Lus Chasma and on the right is the 805 km long Tithonium Chasma. The photo was taken using data from the High Definition Stereo Camera (HRSC) aboard Mars Express.
Scientists have announced that the giant canyon of the Red Planet may have been formed by the drift of tectonic plates.
IT HAS COME ON THE AGENDA THAT IT CONTAINS WATER BEFORE
On the other hand, according to ESA, Mars Express had previously found water-containing sulfate minerals in this region.
WORKS ON MARS
On the other hand, ESA's Mars Express has been orbiting the Red Planet since 2003 to conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments, including imaging the surface of Mars, mapping its minerals, determining the composition and circulation of its atmosphere, and probing beneath its crust.
NASA's Mars Persevance Rover has also been exploring the Red Planet for almost a year and a half. The American space agency wants to send humans to Mars in the 2030s.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has long been planning trips to the Red Planet, saying Mars must be colonized and humans become a multi-planetary species.