(Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)
What it is: A rift valley called Noctis Labyrinthus (“maze of night”)
When it was launched: Jan. 24, 2024
Where it is: In Between Valles Marineris and Tharsis on Mars
Why it’s so unique: Noctis Labyrinthus differs from anywhere else in the planetary systemAround 739 miles (1,190 kilometers) long, 19 miles (30 km) broad and 4 miles (6 km) deep, it’s a rift valley area of Mars studded with dune, canyons and landslides.
A brand-new identified and zoomable image released today by the European Space Agency (ESAoriginates from information gathered by ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft, which has actually been orbiting the Red Planet considering that December 2003. In October 2023, ESA launched a flyover video of the very same area that utilized images from Mars Express and topographic information to recreate the landscape in 3D.
In the brand-new image, the initial ground level can still be seen, however much of the ground has actually deteriorated. That’s since volcanism has actually triggered the surface area to extend up, thinning the world’s crust and forming fractures.
Noctis Labyrinthus is in between the western edge of Valles Marineris, a substantial canyon system called the “Grand Canyon” of Mars, and Tharsis, the biggest volcanic area on Mars, which includes 12 big volcanoes.
Throughout its practically 20 years of science, Mars Express has actually supplied magnificent pictures of the Red Planet and traced the history of water throughout its surface area, supplying proof that Mars as soon as had ecological conditions ideal for life.
How to see it in the night sky: It’s possible to see Mars simply before daybreak, the world looks its brightest close to opposition, when it’s closest to Earth. That happens every 26 months and will next take place on Jan. 15, 2025.