PIA03265: Ascraeus Depression
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows house-sized boulders and layered volcanic rock exposed in a pit on the north flank of the giant Tharsis volcano, Ascraeus Mons on Mars. The pit most likely formed by collapse.
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) 
 Spacecraft:  Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
 Instrument:  Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) 
 Product Size:  2048 x 3968 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Producer ID:  MOC2-1326  
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA03265.tif (8.135 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA03265.jpg (1.745 MB)  

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

29 December 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows house-sized boulders and layered volcanic rock exposed in a pit on the north flank of the giant Tharsis volcano, Ascraeus Mons. The pit most likely formed by collapse. Dust mantles much of the surrounding terrain and the pit floor.

Location near: 12.9°N, 101.6°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: lower left
Season: Southern Winter

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2005-12-29