Crater Wall and Floor

• Click the image above for a larger view
• Full-Res JPEG (1222 x 3133) (468.1 kB)
• Full-Res TIFF (1222 x 3133) (3.2 MB)

Caption:

3D Projection onto MOLA data

The impact crater observed in this THEMIS image taken in Terra Cimmeria suggests sediments have filled the crater due to the flat and smooth nature of the floor compared to rougher surfaces at higher elevations. The abundance of several smaller impact craters on the floor of the larger crater indicate however that the flat surface has been exposed for an extended period of time. The smooth surface of the crater floor and rougher surfaces at higher elevations are observed in the 3-D THEMIS image that is draped over MOLA topography (2X vertical exaggeration).

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -22.9°, Longitude 155.7° East (204.3%deg; West). 19 meter/pixel resolution.

Background Info:

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Cataloging Keywords: