Mars Global Surveyor
Mars Orbiter Camera
A Regional View of the Libya Montes
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-228, 22 May 2000
50% Size View 305 KBytes
Full Resolution View 1.0 MBytes
50% Size View 525 KBytes
Full Resolution View 2.3 MBytes
The Libya Montes are a ring of mountains up-lifted by the giant impact
that created the Isidis basin to the north.
During 1999, this region became one of the
top two that were being considered for the now-canceled Mars Surveyor
2001 lander. The Isidis basin is very, very ancient. Thus, the mountains
that form its rims would contain some of the oldest rocks available at
the martian surface, and a landing in this region might potentially
provide information about conditions on early Mars.
In May 1999, the wide angle cameras
of the Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera system
were used in what was called the
"Geodesy Campaign"
to obtain nearly global maps of the planet in color and in
stereo at resolutions of 240 m/pixel (787 ft/pixel) for the red camera
and 480 m/pixel (1575 ft/pixel) for the blue. Shown here are color and
stereo views constructed from mosaics of the Geodesy Campaign images
for the Libya Montes region of Mars.
After they formed by giant impact, the
Libya mountains and valleys were subsequently
modified and eroded by other processes,
including wind, impact cratering, and flow of liquid water to make the
many small valleys that can be seen running northward in the scene. The
pictures shown here cover nearly 122,000 square kilometers (47,000 square
miles) between latitudes 0.1°N and 4.0°N, longitudes
271.5°W and 279.9°W. The mosaics are about 518 km (322 mi) wide
by 235 km (146 mi) high. Red-blue "3-D" glasses are needed to view the
stereo image.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of
Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer
mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego,
CA. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project
operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial
partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA
and Denver, CO.
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