Images of Mars and its canyons mock those of the Grand Canyon

Space – On Mars there are valleys that remotely resemble the famous Grand Canyon. But once we get close to it, we measure a huge difference in size. On Earth, the Grand Canyon is 446 kilometers long and has an average depth of 1,600 metres; On Mars, Noctis Labyrinthus or “Labyrinth of Night” It extends over a distance of 1,200 km, with an average depth of 6 km.

A glimpse of what the journey over this area will be like Recently revealed by the European Space Agency, European Space Agency. The origin of this giant natural network is likely geological movements and volcanic activity. The Night Labyrinth is located near Tharsis Dome, an area home to some of the largest Martian volcanoes.

Work spanning more than twenty years

In addition to images, the team used topographic information that allows the Martian surface to be digitized. This helped researchers reconstruct a 3D scene. In total, each second includes more than 50 images.

This is the fruit of work that began at the beginning of the century during the deployment of forces 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 to Mars has been confirmed, even if it is “ “It will not be possible before 2035-2040.” Estimated in an interview forpass French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

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