To Great Depths
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
To Great Depths
ESP_049330_1425  Science Theme: Sedimentary/Layering Processes
Hellas is an ancient impact structure and is the deepest and broadest enclosed basin on Mars. It measures about 2,300 kilometers across and the floor of the basin, Hellas Planitia, contains the lowest elevations on Mars.

The Hellas region can often be difficult to view from orbit due to seasonal frost, water-ice clouds and dust storms, yet this region is intriguing because of its diverse, and oftentimes bizarre, landforms.

This image from eastern Hellas Planitia shows some of the unusual features on the basin floor. These relatively flat-lying “cells” appear to have concentric layers or bands, similar to a honeycomb. This “honeycomb” terrain exists elsewhere in Hellas, but the geologic process responsible for creating these features remains unresolved.



Written by: Sharon Wilson (audio: Tre Gibbs)  (22 March 2017)
 
Acquisition date
03 February 2017

Local Mars time
14:16

Latitude (centered)
-37.392°

Longitude (East)
83.448°

Spacecraft altitude
258.2 km (160.5 miles)

Original image scale range
52.2 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~157 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
9.3°

Phase angle
27.6°

Solar incidence angle
35°, with the Sun about 55° above the horizon

Solar longitude
310.8°, Northern Winter

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  29.7°
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   (85MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (46MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (32MB)
non-map           (53MB)

IRB color
map projected  (10MB)
non-map           (52MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (94MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (86MB)

RGB color
non map           (49MB)
BONUS
4K (TIFF)
8K (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.