Nili Fossae: Explore the Legendary Scars of Mars

Mars, the Red Planet, holds many mysteries etched into its rugged surface. Among the numerous fascinating features are the cat scratches of Nili Fossae. In today’s video release from Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), we delve deep into these stunning formations and unravel their secrets. Let’s embark on this cosmic journey to explore the parallel trenches of Nili Fossae and understand the history they reveal about Mars.

Nili Fossae is a complex system of parallel trenches (graben) situated along the eastern edge of Isidis Planitia, a massive impact crater on Mars. These trenches extend hundreds of meters deep and several hundred kilometers long, creating a fractured and uneven terrain.

The trenches of Nili Fossae were formed when the ground between two parallel faults fractured and subsided. This process, known as graben formation, likely occurred as Mars's crust settled following the impact that created Isidis Planitia. Similar formations, known as Amenthes Fossae, are located on the opposite side of the crater.

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Nili Fossae is a treasure trove of diverse minerals, such as silicates, carbonates, and clays. These minerals formed in the presence of water, indicating that the region was very wet in ancient Martian history. This area, with terrain over 3.5 billion years old, suggests that surface and underground hydrothermal flows were once common here.

Due to its rich mineral deposits and the potential for revealing Mars’s water-rich past, Nili Fossae was once a candidate landing site for NASA’s Curiosity rover. Although Curiosity was ultimately sent to Gale Crater, another mission, NASA’s Perseverance rover, was later sent to the nearby Jezero Crater. 

You can explore this crater further via ESA’s interactive map.

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The latest ESA video offers a north-to-south flyover of Nili Fossae, showcasing the fractured trenches and ending with a bird’s-eye view of Jezero Crater, where NASA's Perseverance rover is exploring.

IMPORTANT PROCESSING NOTES:

The video is centered at 23°N, 78°E and was created using Mars Chart (HMC30) data, which includes an image mosaic from single-orbit observations by Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). This mosaic is enhanced with topography from a digital terrain model of Mars to render a three-dimensional landscape.

For each second of the video, 50 individual frames are meticulously rendered along a pre-defined camera path. To enhance the visual experience, the vertical dimensions are exaggerated threefold. Additionally, atmospheric effects, such as clouds and haze, are introduced and start to appear at a distance of 50 kilometers.

Mars’s surface features tell a story of its dynamic past, prominently highlighted by formations such as Nili Fossae. 

Here are the essential points:

By exploring Nili Fossae, we continue to unravel the mysteries of Mars’s ancient past and its dynamic geological processes.

#StayCurious, Space Lovers!