The Western Wall of Holden Crater
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
The Western Wall of Holden Crater
ESP_021946_1535  Science Theme: Hydrothermal Processes
Holden Crater is a 140-kilometer crater located in the southern highlands of Mars.

This observation of the wall of Holden Crater falls with other areas closest to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) landing site ellipse and contiguous with existing imagery. There is a potential for the formation of hydrothermal deposits and impactites in the area that represent a possible target for direct investigation by MSL. (“Impactites” is an informal term describing a rock created or modified by the impact of a meteorite.)

This material could also be transported into the fan making up the surface of the landing site ellipse by fluvial processes or as ejecta from small impacts on the crater rim. Hydrothermal deposits may represent evidence for a habitable environment on Mars.

This caption is based on the original science rationale.

Written by: HiRISE Science Team  (2 May 2011)
 
Acquisition date
02 April 2011

Local Mars time
14:55

Latitude (centered)
-26.311°

Longitude (East)
324.509°

Spacecraft altitude
256.6 km (159.5 miles)

Original image scale range
51.4 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~154 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
1.5°

Phase angle
37.9°

Solar incidence angle
39°, with the Sun about 51° above the horizon

Solar longitude
266.3°, Northern Autumn

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  357.6°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
map projected  non-map

Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (172MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (91MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (88MB)
non-map           (91MB)

IRB color
map projected  (33MB)
non-map           (101MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (189MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (169MB)

RGB color
non map           (87MB)
BONUS
4K (TIFF)
8K (TIFF)
10K (TIFF)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
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:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
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. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.