Mind-blowing image of alien ‘Grand Canyon’ on MARS captured by Nasa space probe
A NASA probe has snapped a mind-blowing image of an alien "Grand Canyon" on the surface of Mars.
The stunning scene was captured from Martian orbit – and could one day be a prime spot for tourists visiting the red planet.
The image shows a massive area called the Juventae Chasma.
This is a canyon that makes up part of the Valles Marineris – a vast area around 4,000km long.
It can reach depths of up to 7km – around four times deeper than the Grand Canyon's lowest points.
In the top half of the image, you can see vast plains with craters and ridges.
Scientists think those ridges might be inverted stream channels, created when a low-lying area becomes high-standing over time.
"There are several possible reasons why channels might stand out in inverted relief," University of Arizona researchers explained.
"The streambed material may become cemented by precipating minerals, contain larger rocks, or become filled with lava, all which are more resistant to erosion.
"Finer-grained, more erodable material surrounding the channel is blown away by the wind or carried away by water, leaving the resistant channel bed high and dry around its environs."
You can also see significant erosion in the terrain covering two-thirds of the bottom half of the image.
Erosion has created the light and dark layers – around 1km across.
Scientists say layers are common in Martian canyons, but details of their exact formation remain a mystery.
Mars facts
Here's what you need to know about the red planet...
- Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun
- It is named after the Roman god of war
- The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth but due to the difference in gravity you could jump three times higher there than you can here
- Mars is mountainous and hosts the tallest mountain known in the Solar System called Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Everest
- Mars is considered to be the second most habitable planet after Earth
- It takes the planet 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun
- So far, there has been 39 missions to Mars but only 16 of these have been successful
The image was snapped by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter – a $720million spacecraft built by Nasa and Lockheed Martin.
It was launched in August 2005 and entered Martian orbit in March 2006.
The probe is packed full of sensors, including cameras, spectrometers and radar.
And it works to analyse Mars' alien geography, minerals and ice.
Estimates suggest the MRO has enough propellant to keep functioning into the 2030s.
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In other news, Mars could have alien life lurking at its icy poles.
An eerie panorama captured by Curiosity from the surface of Mars is the most detailed ever.
And the water that once flowed on Mars contained just the right ingredients to support life, scientists say.
Do you think humanity will ever set foot on Mars? Let us know in the comments!
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