Fall in the Hellas Basin
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Fall in the Hellas Basin
PSP_008427_1380  Science Theme: Landscape Evolution
We took this image during the Martian fall in the Southern Hemisphere, in the giant impact crater known as Hellas Basin where small boulders cast long shadows. The long shadows emphasize small scale topographic features. Wind erosion is responsible for much of the morphology in this region.

Frost is condensing, and shows up as bright blue patches in this enhanced color image. This is seasonal carbon dioxide frost. Closer to the pole, carbon dioxide condenses from the atmosphere and forms a seasonal polar cap. At this latitude we do not expect a thick layer to form but rather the frost collects in cold protected areas on poleward-facing slopes.

Written by: Candy Hansen  (9 July 2008)
 
Acquisition date
14 May 2008

Local Mars time
15:23

Latitude (centered)
-41.507°

Longitude (East)
56.938°

Spacecraft altitude
258.8 km (160.9 miles)

Original image scale range
51.8 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~155 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
1.4°

Phase angle
80.0°

Solar incidence angle
81°, with the Sun about 9° above the horizon

Solar longitude
71.5°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  49.9°
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   (295MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (138MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (116MB)
non-map           (188MB)

IRB color
map projected  (47MB)
non-map           (137MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (277MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (267MB)

RGB color
non map           (133MB)
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.