PIA04886: Crater Cluster Near Pathfinder
 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:  1024 x 1536 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA04886.tif (1.575 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA04886.jpg (468.3 kB)

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:

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-552, 22 November 2003

This October 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of a large cluster of small craters located northeast of the Mars Pathfinder landing site, on the plains scoured by the old Ares and Tiu Valles outflow channels. Clusters of craters, such as these, usually form as secondary impacts. Secondary impacts are the result of a larger, single meteor, asteroid, or cometary impact--the impact ejects debris that falls elsewhere and creates smaller, secondary craters. In other words, the material that hit the ground to form these craters did not come from space, it came from Mars. The craters are located near 19.9°N, 33.3°W. The image shows an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2003-11-24