Ophir and Candor Chasmata

Today's VIS image crosses both Ophir Chasma (top) and Candor Chasma (bottom). Layered and eroded material covers the floors of both chasmata. Both canyons are part of Valles Marineris. Often called the grand canyon of Mars, Valles Marineris extends over 3,000 kilometers (1864 miles) long, spans as much as 600 kilometers across, and as deep as 8 kilometers. By comparison, the Earth's Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA is 800 kilometers long, 30 kilometers across, and 1.8 kilometers deep.

Orbit Number: 84551 Latitude: -4.18643 Longitude: 286.548 Instrument: VIS Captured: 2021-01-05 04:50

Please see the THEMIS Data Citation Note for details on crediting THEMIS images.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.