Crater Galle, the "happy face" on Mars

Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

The above image, taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA's Mars Express spacecraft, show the Galle Crater, an impact crater located on the eastern rim of the Argyre Planitia impact basin on Mars.

 

The images of this 145 miles diameter impact crater are mosaics created from five individual HRSC nadir and colour strips, each tens of miles wide.

Close-up perspective view of Crater Galle, looking north

A large stack of layered sediments forms an outcrop in the southern part of the crater. Several parallel gullies, possible evidence for liquid water on the Martian surface, originate at the inner crater walls of the southern rim.

 

The perspective views have been calculated from a mosaic of digital terrain models derived from the stereo channels.

Perspective view of Crater Galle, looking south-east

Related Information:

• Crater Galle, named after the German astronomer J.G. Galle (1812-1910), is informally known as the "happy face" crater.

• The 'face' was first pointed out in images taken during NASA's Viking Orbiter 1 mission.

• Its interior shows a surface which is shaped by 'aeolian' (wind-caused) activity as seen in numerous dunes and dark dust devil tracks which removed the bright dusty surface coating.

• The perspective views have been calculated from a mosaic of digital terrain models derived from the stereo channels.

• The images of this 145 miles diameter impact crater are mosaics created from five individual HRSC nadir and colour strips, each tens of miles wide.

• A large stack of layered sediments forms an outcrop in the southern part of the crater. Several parallel gullies, possible evidence for liquid water on the Martian surface, originate at the inner crater walls of the southern rim.