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Awesome, Breath-Taking Images of Mars Via European Space Agency's Mars Express
European Space Commission ^ | October 22, 2013 | Staff

Posted on 10/22/2013 7:56:08 PM PDT by lbryce

There's a huge source of magnificent images of space, of Mars in particular, that are absolutely amazing but are not as readily seen by those of us here in the USA mostly because,
I think, the sources are not American in origin. I, myself am guilty of the same sort of attitude in choosing not to patronize space imagery sources unless they are those provided by NASA.

But as the stunning images of Mars provided below demonstrate, it is definitely something to reconsider.

I chose the following images at random from the nearly 12,000 images available from the European Space Agency's web site taken by the ESA Martian Orbiter, Mars Express. The ESA's archive
of space images contain many thousands taken of Mars by the Mars Express available to
search through at The European Space Agency Images Search

All About European Space Union's Mars Express

Title Hebes Chasma mesa Released 10/10/2013 11:00 am Copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Description

The details of the central mesa inside Hebes Chasma are seen in close-up detail in this perspective view. A horseshoe-shaped chunk has been taken out of one side of the mound (left in this image); the material has slumped down onto the floor of the valley below. A dark patch appears to pool like spilt ink across the debris. It is most likely loose material that has slid down the walls from an intermediate layer. Melted ice could have played a role by weakening the rocks to create its flow-like appearance.

Along the side of the mound fine horizontal layering is seen. The layers likely comprise a mix of wind-blown dust and ancient lake sediments, along with remnants of the older plateau.

Title Becquerel Crater Released 05/09/2013 11:00 am Copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Description

A striking scene in and around Becquerel crater – the largest crater in this view – reveals both the power of wind and water in the turbulent history of Mars. A mound of light-coloured sulphate deposits formed from evaporating water sits inside the crater amid a sea of dark wind-blown deposits. The darker material has blown towards the south-southwest (top left) of the image in a wide swath and across tiny craters there – their raised rims protect the material immediately downwind from being swept away.

The mosaic is composed of four images taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express, with an average ground resolution of 17 m per pixel. The image centre lies at about 22°N/352°E; North is to the right. The individual images were taken on 22 July 2006 (orbit 3253), and 26 February, 2 and 7 March 2008, corresponding to orbits 5332, 5350, and 5368, respectively.

Title Becquerel Crater sulphate mound Released 05/09/2013 11:00 am Copyright ESA Description

This detailed view of the approximately 1 km high mound inside Becquerel crater reveals its intricate layering. The layers are just a few metres thick each and are composed of sulphate-bearing minerals left behind after water has evaporated. Repeating patterns in the layers could reflect climatic changes that occurred as Mars evolved from a warm, wet world into a cold, dry planet some 3.5–3.8 billion years ago. The dark sediments were likely blown in from outside the crater, but local erosion of the mound may also have contributed to the supply of sediment.

Becquerel crater and its immediate surrounds were imaged during four orbits of Mars Express around the Red Planet: on 22 July 2006 (orbit 3253), and 26 February, 2 and 7 March 2008, corresponding to orbits 5332, 5350 and 5368, respectively. Becquerel crater lies within Arabia Terra, at about 22°N/352°E.

Title Tagus Valles colour view Released 01/08/2013 11:00 am Copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Description

In the ancient cratered southern highlands of Mars, the faint traces of a wet past are seen in the form of channels (lower centre), fluidised debris around craters (bottom right) and blocks of eroded sediments (top left). Volcanic activity may have deposited the fine dusting of dark material visible in the top left.

The image was taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express on 15 January 2013 (orbit 11504), with a ground resolution of approximately 22 m per pixel. The image centre lies at about 4°S / 114°E, close to Tagus Valles in an unnamed region north of Hesperia Planum.

Title Perspective view of Olympus Mons flanks Released 04/07/2013 11:00 am Copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Description

Lava once flowed down the flanks of the Olympus Mons volcano, spilling out onto the surrounding plains. Here, the paths of numerous individual lava flows can be seen curving around natural obstacles and cascading like waterfalls over cliff edges.

Random pointed and flat-topped blocks protrude from the flank edges, rotated or uplifted as the sides of the volcano collapsed.

Only a few very faint traces of ancient lava channels can be seen in the surrounding plain, which was flooded by a later outpouring of lava.

The image was taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera onESA’s Mars Express on 21 January 2013 (orbit 11524), with a ground resolution of approximately 17 m per pixel. The image centre is located at approximately 14°N / 229°E.

Title Olympus Mons SE flank Released 04/07/2013 11:00 am Copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Description

A portion of the southeastern flank of Olympus Mons as imaged by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express on 21 January 2013 (orbit 11524), with a ground resolution of approximately 17 m per pixel. The image centre is located at approximately 14°N / 229°E. North is to the right.

The image highlights the stark contrast between the hundreds of narrow, individual lava flows on the flanks of the volcano, and the smooth lava plains that surround it.

iimg src="http://spaceinimages.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2013/05/sulci_gordii_close-up/12656908-4-eng-GB/Sulci_Gordii_close-up.jpg">

Title Sulci Gordii close-up Released 02/05/2013 11:00 am Copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Description

This image focuses on a region on the western limb of Sulci Gordii (top centre-right on the corresponding main image). It shows clearly in the foreground the near-parallel characteristic of the ridges and valleys that define geological features called sulci. Close inspection of the ridges reveals dark streaks along their faces, evidence of numerous small landslides of rocky and dusty debris.

Sulci Gordii is an aureole deposit resulting from the dramatic collapse of the flank of Olympus Mons in its distant past.

The image was taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera onESA’s Mars Express on 23 January 2013 (orbit 11531), with a ground resolution of about 31 m per pixel. Sulci Gordii lies at approximately 17°N / 234°E, about 200 km east of Olympus Mons.

Title Perspective view of Orcus Patera Released 29/08/2010 4:57 pm Copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Description

Orcus Patera is an enigmatic elliptical depression located between the volcanoes of Elysium Mons and Olympus Mons. This well-defined depression extends approximately 380 km by 140 km in a NNE–SSW direction. It has a rim that rises up to 1800 m above the surrounding plains, while the floor of the depression lies 400–600 m below the surroundings. The straight graben that cut across its rim are clearly seen in this image.

Title Perspective view of the Orcus Patera Released 29/08/2010 4:56 pm Copyright ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum) Description

Orcus Patera is an enigmatic elliptical depression located between the volcanoes of Elysium Mons and Olympus Mons. This well-defined depression extends approximately 380 km by 140 km in a NNE–SSW direction. It has a rim that rises up to 1800 m above the surrounding plains, while the floor of the depression lies 400–600 m below the surroundings.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: esa; mars; marsexpress
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To: lbryce

As I look at those pics I am wonder-struck.


41 posted on 10/22/2013 9:35:37 PM PDT by Gator113
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To: The Cajun

There’s definitely a pipe sticking out. Maybe it was from a Martian toilet or something.

The original NASA photo can be found here. It’s over on the center right of the image.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/00064/mcam/0064MR0285005000E1_DXXX.jpg

Other part of the image with the object on the left center.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/msss/00064/mcam/0064MR0285006000E1_DXXX.jpg


42 posted on 10/22/2013 9:39:34 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (IÂ’m not a Republican, I'm a Conservative! Pubbies haven't been conservative since before T.R.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
First thing that popped into my mind was gun turret, LOL.

I imagine there was no way NASA rolled the rover over there to have a close look.

43 posted on 10/22/2013 9:45:57 PM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Ted Cruz......Nuff said.)
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To: The Cajun

Of course not. They’ll never turn around and check it out. It would prove somebody was there and they can’t have any of that.

There are plenty of “anomalous” images on Mars you can find online.


44 posted on 10/22/2013 9:49:04 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (IÂ’m not a Republican, I'm a Conservative! Pubbies haven't been conservative since before T.R.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
If each of those images was individually taken with left and right mast cams you could produce a stereoscopic image that could be viewed with stereoscopic viewer.



DIY Hacks & How To’s: Make Your Own Stereoscopic Viewer
45 posted on 10/22/2013 9:57:13 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (IÂ’m not a Republican, I'm a Conservative! Pubbies haven't been conservative since before T.R.)
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To: lbryce
I've noted your user name and have placed you as #1 on The European Space Agency pings list.

Thanks! It's a good thread, and the pictures are awesome.

46 posted on 10/22/2013 10:05:56 PM PDT by Mr. Jeeves (CTRL-GALT-DELETE)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
Tell you what, looked at that pic every way I could using Adobe.
Changed it to black and white, made a negative out of it, played with color balance, that's a pipe of some type and purpose.
With the negative view, you can see the *barrel* run into the main portion.
Who knows?
47 posted on 10/22/2013 10:13:12 PM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Ted Cruz......Nuff said.)
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To: The Cajun

Did you look at the originals at the links I posted?


48 posted on 10/22/2013 10:14:44 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (IÂ’m not a Republican, I'm a Conservative! Pubbies haven't been conservative since before T.R.)
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To: The Cajun

“...you can see the *barrel* run into the main portion.”

Maybe the former Martians were conservatives that enjoyed their 2nd Amendment?


49 posted on 10/22/2013 10:16:04 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (IÂ’m not a Republican, I'm a Conservative! Pubbies haven't been conservative since before T.R.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
Did you look at the originals at the links I posted?

Yup, will see if I can get better detail out of them with enlargement, etc.

Would imagine thousands of people have played with those images trying to improve them.

50 posted on 10/22/2013 10:23:54 PM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Ted Cruz......Nuff said.)
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To: The Cajun

I’m sure they have.


51 posted on 10/22/2013 10:24:39 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (IÂ’m not a Republican, I'm a Conservative! Pubbies haven't been conservative since before T.R.)
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To: Delta 21

You just described the SoCal high desert.


52 posted on 10/22/2013 10:52:30 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: Jack Hydrazine
From the link you posted:

On *A* you can see where the edge dug into the soil on that side and on *B* you can see where a squarish projection is supporting it on a rock giving it the angle off of flat.

Only thing I did was convert it to B/W, enlarge, brighten and play with contrast.

One heck of a natural rock there.
Not even going to mention the hatch cover and gun barrel :)

53 posted on 10/22/2013 11:04:15 PM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Ted Cruz......Nuff said.)
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To: The Cajun

Amazing find, and pretty hard to explain away as a natural rock formation.


54 posted on 10/22/2013 11:24:27 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: lbryce

I think I just found my 1957 Chevy 210.

Okay. The craters. What caused them? Meteors? Volcanic eruptions/calderas? Gas bubbles bursting at the surface?
Any combination thereof?

Some of the best photos I’ve seen of Mars since the movie “Angry Red Planet”. sarc/


55 posted on 10/22/2013 11:27:32 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: Windflier
I like weird stuff like this that explanations are hard to come by.

Anomalies are what makes science interesting to me.

56 posted on 10/22/2013 11:44:59 PM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Ted Cruz......Nuff said.)
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To: The Cajun
I like weird stuff like this that explanations are hard to come by. Anomalies are what makes science interesting to me.

Check out this NASA photo of the backside of the moon:

Apollo Image Atlas
AS15-P-9625

What's that resting inside that depression?

57 posted on 10/22/2013 11:53:17 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: Windflier
Worry not, NASA will never try to get a better picture :)
58 posted on 10/23/2013 12:05:45 AM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Ted Cruz......Nuff said.)
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To: lbryce

Fantastic pictures and post. Thank you very much for taking the time to show us.


59 posted on 10/23/2013 2:20:45 AM PDT by catbertz
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To: catbertz

Your kind words make it all worthwhile.


60 posted on 10/23/2013 2:35:36 AM PDT by lbryce (Obama:The Worst is Yet To Come)
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