Gusev crater
Encyclopedia
Gusev is a crater
on the planet Mars
and is located at 14.5°S 175.4°E. The crater is about 166 kilometers in diameter and formed approximately three to four billion years ago. It was named after Russia
n astronomer Matvei Gusev
(1826–1866) in 1976.
A channel system named Ma'adim Vallis
drains into it that probably carried liquid water, or water and ice, at some point in Mars' past. The crater appears to be an old crater lake
bed, filled with sediment
s up to 3000 feet thick. Some exposed outcrops appear to show faint layering, and some researchers also believe that landforms visible in images of the mouth of Ma'adim Vallis where it enters Gusev resemble landforms seen in some terrestrial river delta
s. Deltas of this nature can take tens or hundreds of thousands of years to form on Earth, suggesting that the water flows may have lasted for long periods. Orbital images indicate that there may once have been a very large lake near the source of Ma'adim Vallis that could have provided the source of this water. It is not known whether this flow was slow and continuous, punctuated by sporadic large outbursts, or some combination of these patterns.
More recently, satellite images showed the trails of dust devil
s on Gusev's floor. The Spirit rover later photographed dust devils from the ground, and likely owes much of its longevity to dust devils cleaning its solar panels.
On January 3, 2004, Gusev was the landing site of the first rover in NASA
's two Mars Exploration Rovers
, named Spirit
. It is hoped that the numerous smaller and more recent craters in this region will have exposed sedimentary material from early eras, although at first the region proved disappointing in its lack of available bedrock
for study on the flat lava plains of the crater, Spirit's landing site. She eventually arrived at the Columbia Hills, however, and rocks examined in that region show that the Columbia Hills did have small amounts of briny (salty) water interacting with them in ancient times, though nowhere near as much as Meridiani Planum
, the landing area for Spirit's twin, Opportunity
.
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
on the planet Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and is located at 14.5°S 175.4°E. The crater is about 166 kilometers in diameter and formed approximately three to four billion years ago. It was named after Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n astronomer Matvei Gusev
Matvei Gusev
Matvey Matveyevich Gusev was a Russian astronomer who worked at Pulkovo Observatory near St. Petersburg from 1850 to 1852 and then at Vilnius Observatory thereafter....
(1826–1866) in 1976.
A channel system named Ma'adim Vallis
Ma'adim Vallis
Ma'adim Vallis is one of the largest outflow channels on Mars, about 700 km long and significantly larger than Earth's Grand Canyon. It is over 20 km wide and 2 km deep in some places. It runs from a region of southern lowlands thought to have once contained a large group of lakes ...
drains into it that probably carried liquid water, or water and ice, at some point in Mars' past. The crater appears to be an old crater lake
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
bed, filled with sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
s up to 3000 feet thick. Some exposed outcrops appear to show faint layering, and some researchers also believe that landforms visible in images of the mouth of Ma'adim Vallis where it enters Gusev resemble landforms seen in some terrestrial river delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
s. Deltas of this nature can take tens or hundreds of thousands of years to form on Earth, suggesting that the water flows may have lasted for long periods. Orbital images indicate that there may once have been a very large lake near the source of Ma'adim Vallis that could have provided the source of this water. It is not known whether this flow was slow and continuous, punctuated by sporadic large outbursts, or some combination of these patterns.
Dust devil
A dust devil is a strong, well-formed, and relatively long-lived whirlwind, ranging from small to large . The primary vertical motion is upward...
s on Gusev's floor. The Spirit rover later photographed dust devils from the ground, and likely owes much of its longevity to dust devils cleaning its solar panels.
On January 3, 2004, Gusev was the landing site of the first rover in NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's two Mars Exploration Rovers
Mars Exploration Rover
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission is an ongoing robotic space mission involving two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, exploring the planet Mars...
, named Spirit
Spirit rover
Spirit, MER-A , is a robotic rover on Mars, active from 2004 to 2010. It was one of two rovers of NASA's ongoing Mars Exploration Rover Mission. It landed successfully on Mars at 04:35 Ground UTC on January 4, 2004, three weeks before its twin, Opportunity , landed on the other side of the planet...
. It is hoped that the numerous smaller and more recent craters in this region will have exposed sedimentary material from early eras, although at first the region proved disappointing in its lack of available bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
for study on the flat lava plains of the crater, Spirit's landing site. She eventually arrived at the Columbia Hills, however, and rocks examined in that region show that the Columbia Hills did have small amounts of briny (salty) water interacting with them in ancient times, though nowhere near as much as Meridiani Planum
Meridiani Planum
Meridiani Planum is a plain located 2 degrees south of Mars' equator , in the westernmost portion of Terra Meridiani. It hosts a rare occurrence of gray crystalline hematite...
, the landing area for Spirit's twin, Opportunity
Opportunity rover
Opportunity, MER-B , is a robotic rover on the planet Mars, active since 2004. It is the remaining rover in NASA's ongoing Mars Exploration Rover Mission...
.
Hills
- The Columbia Hills is a range of low hills 3 km from Spirit's original landing site; Spirit is currently exploring them
- Husband HillHusband HillHusband Hill is one of the Columbia Hills in Gusev crater, Mars, which are close to the landing site of NASA's Spirit rover. It was named in honor of Rick D...
is one of these hills - McCool HillMcCool HillMcCool Hill is the tallest of the Columbia Hills in Gusev crater, Mars. It was named in honor of William C. McCool, an astronaut of the Space Shuttle Columbia during its final mission where it disintegrated during atmospheric reentry .The hill was to be Spirit rover's next target...
is the tallest of the Columbia Hills - Larry's LookoutLarry's LookoutLarry's Lookout is located on Husband Hill, Gusev Crater, Mars. It is named after geologist Larry Crumpler.In 2005 Spirit, a Mars Exploration Rover, spent 70 sols ascending Larry's Lookout and then 4 sols taking panoramic photographs of the Tennessee Valley below.-External links:*...
is within Columbia Hills
- Husband Hill
- The Apollo 1 HillsApollo 1 HillsThe Apollo 1 Hills are three vastly separated hills located in Gusev Crater, on Mars. They were photographed from a great distance by the Spirit Rover...
are three widely-spaced hills 7–14 km away from Spirit's landing site
Craters
- BonnevilleBonneville (crater)Bonneville is an impact crater on Mars. It is located within the much larger crater Gusev. Bonneville was visited by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in 2004, during its exploration of the floor of Gusev...
is a 200-metre crater visited by Spirit - CrivitzCrivitz (crater)Crivitz is an impact crater on Mars. It is named after the small town of Crivitz in western Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The crater has a diameter of 6.1 kilometers and is located at 14.5 deg south and 174.7 deg east, within the larger crater Gusev....
is a smaller crater located within Gusev - ThiraThira (crater)Thira is a crater on Mars. It is located within the larger crater Gusev. It is named after the town of Fira on the island of Santorini, Greece....
is a crater located within Gusev, and could be seen from the summit of Husband Hill
Other
- Sleepy HollowSleepy Hollow (Mars)Sleepy Hollow is the name given to a circular, shallow depression in Gusev Crater on Mars near the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover "Spirit" in 2004.About 12 meters from the landing site, Sleepy Hollow measures about 9 meters across....
is a shallow depression near Spirit's landing site - AdirondackAdirondack (Mars)Adirondack is the nickname for Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's first target rock. Scientists chose Adirondack to be Spirit's first target rock after considering another, called Sashimi, that would have been a shorter, straight-ahead drive...
is the name of the first rock visited by Spirit - Home PlateHome Plate (Mars)Home Plate is a plateau roughly 90 m across within the Columbia Hills, Mars. It is informally named for its similarity in shape to a baseball home plate. Home Plate is a rocky outcrop that appears to show layered features....
is a layered geological feature recently studied by Spirit
In popular culture
- The setting of Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "The Waters of MarsThe Waters of Mars"The Waters of Mars" is the second 2009 special of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast on BBC One on 15 November 2009. It aired on BBC America on 19 December 2009 and was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on 11 January 2010 and in the US on 2 February 2010...
" is Bowie Base One, in Gusev Crater. - Gusev Crater is featured in the science fiction TV series Defying GravityDefying Gravity (TV series)Defying Gravity is a multi-nationally produced space travel television science fiction drama series, first aired on August 2, 2009 on ABC and CTV and canceled in the autumn of 2009...
as the location of an extraterrestrial signal central to the plot.
External links
- Google Mars zoomable map - centered on Gusev