Martian Thunderbird
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Martian Thunderbird
ESP_033297_1745  Science Theme: Impact Processes
This non-circular pit is due to a low angle impact from an asteroid or comet. The raised plateau west of the crater was where most of the impact debris landed.

This debris protected the material underneath, but else where this material was slowly removed by the wind and the debris-covered area was left behind as this high-standing and interestingly-shaped plateau.

(Note: the wallpaper images have been rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise for better effect).

Written by: HiRISE Science Team (narration: Tre Gibbs)  (30 October 2013)
 
Acquisition date
03 September 2013

Local Mars time
14:34

Latitude (centered)
-5.278°

Longitude (East)
28.264°

Spacecraft altitude
264.0 km (164.1 miles)

Original image scale range
53.5 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~161 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
9.3°

Phase angle
32.1°

Solar incidence angle
40°, with the Sun about 50° above the horizon

Solar longitude
16.3°, Northern Spring

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  23.9°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
map projected  non-map

Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (134MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (68MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (50MB)
non-map           (84MB)

IRB color
map projected  (17MB)
non-map           (75MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (146MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (137MB)

RGB color
non map           (71MB)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.