Planet Mars from 5.5 million kilometres

Paris, 03 Dec 2003

Mars from 5.5 million km

This picture was taken on 1 December 2003 from ESA's Mars Express spacecraft by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) under the responsibility of the Principal Investigator Prof. Gerhard Neukum. It was processed by DLR Institute for Planetary Research, also involved in the development of the camera, and by the Freie Universität Berlin.

The picture shows planet Mars as seen from a distance of about 5.5 million kilometres. This is a very unusual view of Mars because the planet is illuminated in a way never seen from Earth. The Sun shines on part of the western hemisphere, but more than a third of the Martian disc lies in the dark. The dark features at the top are part of the northern lowlands of Mars, where oceans possibly existed thousands of millions of years ago.

Mars from 5.5 million km

For further information please contact:
ESA Media Relations Service
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690

Prof. Gerhard Neukum
Freie Universität Berlin
Department of Earth Sciences Malterserstr. 74-100, Building D
D-12249 Berlin
Germany
Tel: +49 30-83870-579 (or -575)
Fax: +49 30-83870-188
email: gneukum@zedat.fu-berlin.de

European Space Agency
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/index.html
Item source: http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMN3GUZ JND_index_0.html