2023-10-22 09:00:30
SPACE – On Mars, there are valleys that from a distance resemble our famous Grand Canyon. But as soon as we approach it, we measure an abysmal difference in scale. On earth, le Grand Canyon measures 446 kilometers in length and 1600 meters in average depth; on Mars, the Noctis Labyrinthus or “Night Labyrinth” extends over 1,200 km for an average depth of… 6 kilometers.
A glimpse of what a flight over this area would be like recently unveiled by the ESA, the European Space Agency. The origin of this gigantic natural network would probably be geological movements and volcanic activity. The Night Labyrinth is located near the Tharsis Dome, a region home to some of the largest Martian volcanoes.
A work spanning more than twenty years
In addition to images, the team used topographical information that allows digitization the Martian surface. This helped the researchers reconstruct a three-dimensional landscape. In total, each second includes more than 50 images.
This is the fruit of work begun at the beginning of the century, during the deployment of Mars Express. This probe was launched in June 2003. It was then the first European mission to the red planet. Since then, the desire to lead a human expedition on Martian soil has been affirmed, even if it “ would not be possible before 2035-2040 “ estimated in an interview for theExpress French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
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#Images #planet #Mars #valleys #ridicule #Grand #Canyon