Page 59 - (DK) Eyewitness - Mars

Dark blue areas show Light blue areas
carbon dioxide ice show water ice
OMEGA FINDS WATER ICE
In March 2004, the Mars Express
-84 -84 OMEGA spectrometer showed
0 0 carbon dioxide ice, far left, and
-45 45 -45 45 water ice, near right, at the
south polar region. Blue areas
-87 -87
on the diagrams indicate a
-90 -90 90 -90 90 strong ice presence, while red
-90 shows lack of ice. All Mars
Express instruments are
programmed to look for the
-135 135 -135 135 presence of water—liquid,
180 180 vapor, or ice.
OMEGA’S VIEW
Three views of the South Polar
region show, left, water ice;
Red areas have Red areas have middle, carbon dioxide ice;
no water ice no water ice Digital and, right, the region as it
processing unit appears to the eye.
Mars in three dimensions

Among the Mars Express mission’s most spectacular
results are the images transmitted by its High Resolution
Stereo Color Camera (HRSC). This camera produces full-
color, three-dimensional images of objects as small as
6.5 feet (2 m). Perhaps even the missing Beagle lander Super-
will one day be spotted by the HRSC. resolution
optical
system

High Resolution
Stereo Color Camera
ALBOR THOLUS
The HRSC reveals wind-
blown dust pouring
into the caldera of
Albor Tholus, a
dormant Elysium
volcano. Other Mars
Express instruments
detected the presence
of methane gas on the
planet. This is possible
evidence of ongoing
volcanism, which can
produce methane.
CRUISING OVER VALLES MARINERIS
Mars Express Orbiter’s first stereoscopic color picture
of Mars was taken by the HRSC in January 2004.
A 1,056-mile (1,700 km) stretch of Valles
Marineris is seen from 170 miles
(275 km) above the surface.

WATER-SCULPTED FEATURES
Revealing photographs of dry riverbeds,
sediments, and eroded features in eastern
Valles Marineris are convincing proof that
liquid water was abundant in the early
history of the planet.

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