PIA22012: Investigating Mars: Nili and Meroe Paterae


Investigating Mars: Nili and Meroe Paterae

Caption:

Context image for PIA22012
Context image

This image shows part of the dune field near Meroe Patera. High resolution imaging by other spacecraft has revealed that the dunes in this region are moving. Winds are blowing the dunes across a rough surface of regional volcanic lava flows. The paterae are calderas on the volcanic complex called Syrtis Major Planum. Dunes are found in both Nili and Meroe Paterae and in the region between the two calderas.

Orbit Number: 11606 Latitude: 7.06099 Longitude: 68.2238 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2004-07-27 00:59

Background Info:

The Odyssey spacecraft has spent over 15 years in orbit around Mars, circling the planet more than 69000 times. It holds the record for longest working spacecraft at Mars. THEMIS, the IR/VIS camera system, has collected data for the entire mission and provides images covering all seasons and lighting conditions. Over the years many features of interest have received repeated imaging, building up a suite of images covering the entire feature. From the deepest chasma to the tallest volcano, individual dunes inside craters and dune fields that encircle the north pole, channels carved by water and lava, and a variety of other feature, THEMIS has imaged them all. For the next several months the image of the day will focus on the Tharsis volcanoes, the various chasmata of Valles Marineris, and the major dunes fields. We hope you enjoy these images!

Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, 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:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission 2001 Mars Odyssey Mariner
Instrument Host Mars Odyssey
Host Type Orbiter Flyby Spacecraft
Instrument Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS)
Detector
Extra Keywords Crater, Dune, Grayscale, Infrared, Thermal, Volcano, Water
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2017-10-24
Date in Caption 2004-07-27
Image Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22012
Identifier PIA22012