HUGE SCAR ON MOON CAPTURED BY NEW SATELLITE IS LONGER THAN THE GRAND CANYON
Mars, which is one planet away from Earth, is referred to as the Red Planet because of its hue as it shines in the night sky. The planet is very chilly, despite many satellite photographs making it appear like a balmy desert; this is a truth that any human mission will eventually have to deal with. With satellites and rovers devoted to the task, space exploration has spent a great deal of time and energy learning more about the neighbouring planet. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express orbiter is one example of such a satellite. A High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) is on board, and it recently returned to Earth with some amazing photos of Aganippe Fossa, a 373 mile (600 km) "scar" on the planet's surface.
Technically speaking, Aganippe Fossa is a graben, which the ESA describes as "a ditch-like groove with steep walls on either side." It is longer than the Grand Canyon in the United States, which is 277 miles long, at an amazing 373 miles.
The canyon's depth (in blue) is depicted in topographical photos that show the relative heights of Mars' surface. The volcano Arsia Mons, which rises 5.6 miles (9 km) above the planet's surface, can be seen rising up to the bottom left of the image below. It is one of many volcanoes in the Tharsis area of Mars.
The Aganippe Fossa is believed to have formed as a result of the region's volcanic activity. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), "It seems likely that it was formed as magma rising underneath the colossal mass of the Tharsis volcanoes caused Mars’ crust to stretch and crack." This geological feature, akin to a planet with a stretch mark, tells a story of change. It spans across two vastly different landscapes, as illustrated by the images. The leftmost, rough half is known as "hummocky terrain," characterised by rocky hills and valleys. This transitions into "lobate terrain," which features more gentle slopes and rocky features. To the far right, "zebra stripes" are formed by winds that whip sand into patterns, creating a striking visual contrast.