This observation covers the eastern portion of the proposed landing ellipse for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover in Gale Crater.

The middle to bottom part of the image shows a dune field and exposures of light-toned layered material near the base of a very large layered mound in the center of Gale crater. This image is part of a stereo pair with PSP_009505_1755.

Written by: Sharon Wilson Purdy

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: Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. 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. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the project and built the spacecraft. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona. The image data were processed using the U.S. Geological Survey’s ISIS3 software.