This 3D stereo view composed of two high resolution images of the “Victoria Crater” on Mars was photographed by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The Victoria Crater, approximately 750 m wide and about 70 m deep, was discovered by NASA’s Rover Opportunity. It was named for Victoria, one of Ferdinand Magellan’s five ships and the first to circle the globe.
Opportunity landed on Mars over two years ago and reached the rim of the crater on September 26, 2006, 7 km from the rover’s original landing site, having explored other craters and getting stuck in a sand dune for several months. Exploration of the Victoria Crater will grant scientists access to and analysis of geological layers of Mars inside the planet, which have been impossible to reach otherwise.
By donning blue-green goggles, the image can be viewed in 3D. However, the vertical relief appears much steeper than it actually is. Though some of the cliffs surrounding the crater are vertical, the lower slopes are less than 30 degrees steep.
More on the Victoria Crater image on NASA’s webpage.
