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Scientists using data from the HRSC experiment onboard ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft have produced the first ‘hiker’s maps‘ of Mars. Giving detailed height contours and names of geological features in the Iani Chaos region, the maps could become a standard reference for future Martian research.
The maps are known as topographic maps because they use contour lines to show the heights of the landscape.The contour lines are superimposed upon high-resolution images of Mars, taken by the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard Mars Express. On Earth, such maps are used by hikers and planning authorities.
They are known in the UK as ordinance survey maps. Every country has its own equivalent. The contour lines themselves were determined using data from the HRSC.
I’m ready! Just get me there.
Isn’t that Quartzsite down in the lower lefthand corner?
Just out of curiosity, how do they determine how high something is on Mars? What I mean is, here on Earth, a mountain may be 2000 meters tall, but that is 2000 meters above sea level. What refrence point do they make on Mars to be the equivalent to sea level? I’m guessing that they just find the lowest point on the planet, call it zero, and work up from there. Anyone know if my guess is close to the truth? Thanks for the help! ~ Lb
#2 Just guessing but I’ll bet that it is still MSL where MSL means mean SURFACE level as opposed to mean SEA level.
There would probably be a lot more negative numbers doing that but what else you gonna do?
Now NASA just has to tweak their psychological profiling before they can somebody who can put these maps to use.
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Eideard- you live in NM right? Pretty much the same, just go walk around the desert.
#7 – Dang, I thought the guys at Pixar edited that out of the image.
#1…Moss….nope….if it was Quartzsite it would be surrounded by RV’s and American flags.