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10.12.2010
HRSC Press Release #488 - Schiaparelli Crater (orbit 8636)
Perspective view [1] |
On 15 July 2010 the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), under the leadership of the Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Gerhard Neukum of Freie Universitaet Berlin, onboard the ESA spacecraft Mars Express obtained image data in orbit 8363 with a ground resolution of approximately 19 meters per pixel. The data were acquired in the region Schiaparelli Crater at approximately 0° latitude and 14° eastern longitude.
Context Map [2] |
Schiaparelli is a large impact basin about 460 km in diameter and is located in the eastern Terra Meridiani region at the equator. It was named after the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli (1835-1910) who was well known for his observations on Mercury and Venus and his assumed "canali" (channels) on Mars. The International Astronomical Union commemorates persons who have worked on planetary bodies by naming, for example, large craters after them.
Color-coded elevation model [3] |
The scene shows the northwestern area of Schiaparelli crater with the crater rim, the crater interior, and parts of the surrounding highland. The interior of the crater is largely modified by multiple geological processes such as deposition of fallback ejecta, which was emplaced right after the impact, and smooth plains interpreted to be composed of lava flows and lacustrine sediments. Box 1 shows remnants of interpreted sediment deposits. They are light- and dark-coloured. Smaller impact craters were partially flooded and filled; in places faint layering is recognisable.
Feature Map [4] |
Box 1 shows remnants of interpreted sediment deposits. They are light- and dark-coloured. Smaller impact craters were partially flooded and filled; in places faint layering is recognisable.
Nadir Image [5] |
The sediments forming the smooth plains were also modified [box 2]. Here, erosion by wind or water formed sharp contours such as the skinny plateau-like feature. At other places, surface material was eroded and reworked by prolonged activity of wind sculpturing numerous rounded hills and dunes. As a result, the surface texture appears rough where erosion dominated and smooth where deposition of fine windblown material occurred (i.e. where dunes are).
RGB Colour Image [6] |
While looking at the entire scene presented here, the eye is primarily drawn to the 42 km-diameter crater resting on the inner crater rim of Schiaparelli [box 3]. The interior of the crater is filled by sediments which appear to form a terrace in the northern part and a delta-like structure near the centre. The latter seems to be partially composed of rounded light-coloured mounds. Dark wind-transported material accumulated preferentially in the southern portion of the crater. Again, the prevalent activity of wind is observed by the presence of dune fields.
Red-cyan anaglyph [7] |
The colour scenes have been derived from the three HRSC-colour channels and the nadir channel. The perspective views have been calculated from the digital terrain model derived from the stereo channels. The anaglyph image was calculated from the nadir and one stereo channel. The black and white high resolution images were derived form the nadir channel which provides the highest detail of all channels.
Perspective view #2 [8] |
The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) experiment on the ESA Mars Express Mission is led by the Principal Investigator (PI) Prof. Dr. Gerhard Neukum who also designed the camera technically. The science team of the experiment consists of 40 Co-Investigators from 33 institutions and 10 nations. The camera was developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) under the leadership of the PI G. Neukum and built in cooperation with industrial partners (EADS Astrium, Lewicki Microelectronic GmbH and Jena-Optronik GmbH). The experiment on Mars Express is operated by the DLR Institute of Planetary Research, through ESA/ESOC. The systematic processing of the HRSC image data is carried out at DLR. The scenes shown here were created by the PI-group at the Institute for Geological Sciences of the Freie Universitaet Berlin in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin.
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hochaufgelöste Bilddaten / high resolution image data
Context Map [2]: |
Color-coded elevation model [3]: |
Feature Map [4]: |
Nadir Image [5]: |
RGB Colour Image [6]: |
Red-cyan anaglyph [7]: |
Perspective view [1]: |
Perspective view #2 [8]: |
© Copyright: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)