APOD: Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon... (2024 Nov 10)

[APOD Robot]

Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars

Explanation: The largest canyon in the Solar System cuts a wide swath across the face of Mars. Named Valles Marineris, the grand valley extends over 3,000 kilometers long, spans as much as 600 kilometers across, and delves as much as 8 kilometers deep. By comparison, the Earth's Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA is 800 kilometers long, 30 kilometers across, and 1.8 kilometers deep. The origin of the Valles Marineris remains unknown, although a leading hypothesis holds that it started as a crack billions of years ago as the planet cooled. Several geologic processes have been identified in the canyon. The featured mosaic was created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

[Eclectic Man]

Just a note to say that the Copper Canyon in Mexico is somewhat larger than the 'Grand Canyon' in Arizona, USA:

"The combined length of the ravines makes Mexico’s Copper Canyon a whopping four times larger than the Grand Canyon in the United States. In some places, it’s even deeper than the Grand Canyon, with a depth of over 1 mile (1.6 km)!"

https://visitcoppercanyon.com/facts-abo ... (1.6%20km)!

[Locutus76]

Just a note to say that the Copper Canyon in Mexico is somewhat larger than the 'Grand Canyon' in Arizona, USA:

"The combined length of the ravines makes Mexico’s Copper Canyon a whopping four times larger than the Grand Canyon in the United States. In some places, it’s even deeper than the Grand Canyon, with a depth of over 1 mile (1.6 km)!"

I had never heard of Copper Canyon. Thank you for enlightening me!

[Jim Armstrong]

Delves?

[johnnydeep]

Delves?

Makes sense to me. "Delves" as in digs, which is appropriate since it is STILL being dug or carved by running water!

delve (v.)
Middle English delven, from Old English delfan "to dig, turn up with a spade or other tool, excavate" (class III strong verb; past tense dealf, past participle dolfen), common West Germanic (cognates: Old Saxon delban, Dutch delven, Middle High German telben "to dig"). This is perhaps from a PIE root *dhelbh- (source also of Lithuanian delba "crowbar," Russian dolbit', Czech dlabati, Polish dłubać "to chisel;" Russian dolotó, Czech dlato, Polish dłuto "chisel").

Weak inflections emerged 14c.-16c. Figurative sense of "carry on laborious or continued research" is from mid-15c. Related: Delved; delving; delver.

[CuriousChimp]

Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars

Explanation: The largest canyon in the Solar System

The largest known canyon in the System.

The four rather large, gassy planets that make up most of the System that isn't the Sun could have solid cores with canyons larger then Mariner Valley. It is unlikely that we'll ever know.

I have a wallpaper-changer program on my PC. On 11/11/2024, it decided to pop this inage up as my background. I'm quite fond of it. It's about as close to Mars as I'll ever get.

[Matthew233]

Valles Marineris: The Grand Canyon of Mars

Explanation: The largest canyon in the Solar System cuts a wide swath across the face of Mars. Named Valles Marineris, the grand valley extends over 3,000 kilometers long, spans as much as 600 kilometers across, and delves as much as 8 kilometers deep slope ball. By comparison, the Earth's Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA is 800 kilometers long, 30 kilometers across, and 1.8 kilometers deep. The origin of the Valles Marineris remains unknown, although a leading hypothesis holds that it started as a crack billions of years ago as the planet cooled. Several geologic processes have been identified in the canyon. The featured mosaic was created from over 100 images of Mars taken by Viking Orbiters in the 1970s.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

The APOD image for November 10, 2024, showcases Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the Solar System, located on Mars. Spanning over 3,000 kilometers in length, up to 600 kilometers in width, and plunging to depths of 8 kilometers, it dwarfs Earth's Grand Canyon, which is 800 kilometers long, 30 kilometers wide, and 1.8 kilometers deep.