The European Space Agency (ESA) recently released a set of stunning images showcasing a massive scar on the surface of Mars. Captured by the Mars Express orbiter's high-resolution stereo camera, the images capture a 600-kilometer-long (373-mile-long) scar on Mars' surface, longer than the Grand Canyon. This scar, known as Aganippe Fossa, is a patchy, roughly 600-km-long feature known as a 'graben', a feature formed when tectonic forces stretch and crack a planet's crust, ESA explained.
The images also reveal varied surface features of Mars in great detail, showing both clustered, uneven hills and smooth, gently sloping cliffs covered in debris, referred to as hummocky and lobate terrains, respectively.
''This incredible image from our Mars Express shows a giant crack, Aganippe Fossa, slicing across the flank of Arsia Mons, one of Mars' mightiest volcanoes (dwarfs even Earth's tallest!). Scientists believe this 600km long gash formed as magma stretched and tore the Martian crust. But the mysteries don't stop there! The strange, zebra-striped terrain nearby hints at windblown dust and ancient glaciers,'' ESA wrote while sharing the pictures on Instagram.
See the pictures here:
Notably, Mars Express is Europe's first mission to the Red Planet, which has been orbiting Mars since 2003. The orbiter has been imaging Mars' surface, mapping its minerals, identifying the composition and circulation of its tenuous atmosphere, probing beneath its crust, and exploring how various phenomena interact in the Martian environment. The mission has been extended until at least the end of 2026.
''Mars Express has been unravelling the Red Planet's secrets for over 20 years, and this image is a stunning reminder of its incredible discoveries,'' ESA added.
Reacting to the incredible images, one user wrote, ''Damn Mars, things have been rough.'' Another commented, ''What a shot quite amazing & puzzling the crust of Mars.'' A third said, ''Beautiful scars! The amount of history and knowledge they hold is just magical.''
A fourth added, ''Thanks for sharing; incredible images!''
