Experience a mesmerizing new satellite video flying through a 1000-mile-long maze on Mars
Explore the fascinating landscape of Mars like never before with a captivating new video created using data from the Mars Express Orbiter. This mesmerizing video allows viewers to traverse over a sprawling maze on the Red Planet and witness intricate details like never seen before.
The animation, compiled from ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft data, provides an enthralling flight over winding channels formed by water, resilient islands that have withstood erosion, and a complex network of hilly terrain. Utilizing high-resolution stereo camera images captured by the spacecraft, this immersive experience showcases a 1300 km outflow channel known as Shalbatana Vallis that extends from the Xanthe Terra highlands to the Chryse Planitia lowlands. Billions of years ago, this channel witnessed a surge of water, resulting in the formation of many prominent features visible today, culminating in a breathtaking view of a 100 km wide impact crater created by a collision with a space rock.
Xanthe Terra, a region named by the International Astronomical Union in 1979 following the mapping of Mars, translates to mean “golden-yellow land.” While soaring over this region in the video, viewers will cross the Martian dichotomy boundary where the hilly southern highlands transition into the flatter northern lowlands. The origins of this dichotomy are still a mystery to researchers.
The video also showcases outflow channels, which are vast, deeply incised valleys believed to have been formed during catastrophic flood events on Mars, shaping the geology of the planet in its ancient past. This erosion may have occurred due to volcanoes melting subsurface ice deposits, sculpting the Martian landscapes we see today.
The advanced camera aboard the Mars Express plays a crucial role in studying Mars’ geology as part of its broader mission to search for potential signs of life. Despite initially planned for a two-year mission, the spacecraft has been operational at Mars since 2003, surpassing 20 years of service and receiving mission extensions due to its invaluable scientific contributions. Despite its age, Mars Express continues to reveal hidden secrets of the Red Planet, offering profound insights into Mars that may enhance our understanding of Earth.
The enthralling video of Xanthe Terra and its surrounding features, captured by the Mars Express spacecraft, provides a unique and captivating perspective of the Martian landscape, offering viewers a glimpse into the planet’s ancient past and the geologic processes that have shaped its terrain over billions of years.