There are still so many we don’t know about Mars, but thanks to some recently released pictures, we have got a much better view of the Red Planet which is the equivalent of the Grand Canyon. Although, that’s not quite right: the one on Mars – called Valles Marineris – is nearly 10 times as long and three times as deep as ours on Earth. And while scientists still don’t know how the canyon was created, new images from ongoing research at the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson takes a few more knots. Here’s how to take a look at the pictures outside of this (sad) world.
What makes this canyon so special?
Basically, it’s two things: it’s really big and mysterious. Per Space.com:
Known as Valles Marineris, this system of deep, massive canyons runs more than 2,500 miles (4,000 km) on the Martian equator, spanning nearly a quarter of the planet’s circumference. This gash in Mars’ runway is nearly 10 times as far as Earth’s Grand Canyon and three times deeper, making it the largest canyon in the solar system and … one of the most mysterious.
Given how hot and dry it is on Mars, scientists don’t think Valles Marineris was carved out with running water, as the Grand Canyon. Although, researchers from European Space Agency (ESA) stated that there is evidence that flowing water may have deepened some of the canyon ‘s channels – even if it was hundreds of years ago.
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As you can see the new images of the canyon on Mars
they are most recent images are released using a high-resolution camera called HiRISE (short for High Resolution Image Science Test) that is aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. To check out these, or any of the other photos of the canyon (or taken from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter), visit the University of Arizona at Tucson’s HicISE website.