A huge scar carved into the surface of Mars has been captured in never before seen detail by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express orbiter.
The huge canyon, named Aganippe Fossa, stretches about 375 miles across the red planet, making it larger than the Grand Canyon, which is 277 miles. The Martian valley was first spotted by astronomers early in the 20th century but was officially named only in 1976. Now, it has been snapped in high definition.
Aganippe Fossa is situated in the Tharsis region of Mars, along the flanks of one of the planet's largest volcanoes, Arsia Mons. A 12-mile-high volcano, it is one of three volcanoes that make up the Tharsis Montes, which also includes Ascraeus Mons and Pavonis Mons.
The Aganippe Fossa valley itself is something called a graben, which is "a ditch-like groove with steep walls on either side," according to the ESA. The Tharsis Montes are located relatively close to the largest mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons, which is about two and a half times the height of Mount Everest.
While enormous, Aganippe Fossa pales in comparison to the solar system's largest valley, Valles Marineris, also found on Mars. This gargantuan canyon is around 2,500 miles long, over 100 miles wide and up to 5 miles deep in places.
Astronomers aren't entirely sure how Aganippe Fossa formed, though some suggest that it may be a result of magma beneath the Tharsis Montes volcanoes causing the crust of the planet to crack and tear open. This may have occurred around 50 million years ago, when NASA has previously estimated that Arsia Mons stopped erupting. But recently evidence has been found that Mars may have been volcanically active as recently as 50,000 years ago.
The image also shows "zebra-like patterns" of dust and sand. These strange shapes are formed when the Martian wind creates them on different-colored ground.
The new pictures were snapped by the ESA's Mars Express orbiter on December 13, 2023. Mars Express has orbited Mars since December 2003 and has since made numerous significant discoveries, including the detection of water ice at the planet's poles and the identification of methane in the atmosphere.
Strange features like Aganippe Fossa are of significant interest to scientists studying Mars' geology and tectonic history, as understanding these structures helps researchers gain insights into the past geological processes that have shaped the Martian surface over millions of years.
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