HiRISE | Exploring Antoniadi Crater (ESP_025331

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

Exploring Antoniadi Crater
ESP_025331_2005 Science Theme: Future Exploration/Landing Sites

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Some of of the challenges of exploring Mars is not only finding a safe landing spot for a future rover, but a place that is scientifically compelling as well.

HiRISE has taken scores of observations for other missions like Phoenix and the Mars Science Laboratory to help those science teams better understand possible terrain hazards. In this observation, we are trying to explore for the presence of minerals called quartz and feldspar, which are even more common on Earth than Mars.

Antoniadi Crater was identified, even prior to the MRO mission, as a likely ancient lake (now dry) that was supplied by both surface water and ground water. Note also how “flat” the terrain appears, an important factor for any potential landing spot.

Written by: HiRISE Science Team (audio: Robert Rappaport) (20 June 2012)

Acquisition date
22 December 2011

Local Mars time
14:41

Latitude (centered)
20.732°

Longitude (East)
62.803°

Spacecraft altitude
280.6 km (174.4 miles)

Original image scale range
28.7 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~86 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
13.0°

Phase angle
51.0°

Solar incidence angle
38°, with the Sun about 52° above the horizon

Solar longitude
46.6°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth: 97°
Sub-solar azimuth: 9.0°

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   (1041MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (601MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected (480MB)
non-map           (547MB)

IRB color
map projected (204MB)
non-map           (455MB)

Merged IRB
map projected (280MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected (288MB)

RGB color
non map           (429MB)

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.