This observation was taken on the western edge of the proposed landing ellipse for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover in Gale Crater.

The top of the image shows a relatively smooth and boulder-free area for the rover to land and traverse safely. In the bottom half of the image, light-toned material, layered mounds, dunes and etched terrain are visible near the base of the large mound in the center of Gale Crater.

This is a stereo pair with PSP_009650_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.