Ruimtekolonisatie

The High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA's Mars Express has captured breathtaking images of the Deuteronilus Mensae region on Mars.

The images were taken on 14 March 2005 during orbit number 1483 of the Mars Express spacecraft with a ground resolution of approximately 29 metres per pixel. They show the Deuteronilus Mensae region, located on the northern edge of Arabia Terra and bordering the southern highlands and the northern lowlands. Situated at approximately 39° North and 23° East, Deuteronilus Mensae are primarily characterised by glacial features. The scene is illuminated by the Sun from the south-west.

It is believed that these valleys may have originated due to intense flooding by melted water ice. The water then froze rather quickly, flowing down the slopes of the depression like a glacier. Aeolian sediments (eroded by the action of wind) traced the flow pattern on the surface.

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