This is an image of the central pit of an impact crater in the ancient highlands.

The central uplifts of large impact craters often collapse to form pits on Mars, but they are still structural uplifts and often expose deep bedrock with diverse rock types which have a variety of colors.

In this enhanced color subimage, we see colorful streaks, where the bedrock is eroding, moving downhill a bit, then getting swept by the wind.


Written by: Alfred McEwen

All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible: Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona. The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey’s ISIS3 software.