On the Hunt for New Impact Craters
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
On the Hunt for New Impact Craters
ESP_027077_1785  Science Theme: Impact Processes
How exactly can we tell if an impact crater is new?

In this observation, we see a dark spot with a larger, rayed "blast zone" that was also apparent in a Context Camera image taken in 2011 (an instrument with a larger footprint than HiRISE and also on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). However, a THEMIS image of the same area acquired in 2009 does not show the dark spot at all.

This is a great example of using three different instruments to view the same area not only to look for changes in the Martian landscape, but also to use the resolution of HiRISE to determine if this is indeed a new impact site.

This caption is based on the original science rationale.

Written by: HiRISE Science Team  (15 August 2012)
 
Acquisition date
06 May 2012

Local Mars time
15:15

Latitude (centered)
-1.345°

Longitude (East)
279.729°

Spacecraft altitude
261.9 km (162.8 miles)

Original image scale range
26.5 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~80 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
8.8°

Phase angle
60.8°

Solar incidence angle
54°, with the Sun about 36° above the horizon

Solar longitude
106.6°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  37.6°
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non-map           (227MB)

IRB color
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non-map           (205MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (105MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (100MB)

RGB color
non map           (202MB)
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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

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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.