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ESA discovers a larger-than-expected Martian feature that resembles the ‘Grand Canyon on Mars’

The Earth-centric view of the universe that we humans have is probably fine. We live, eat, work, and sleep on the same globe from sunrise to dusk (and beyond). Moon and Mars colonial settlements are still just ideas. We only have one blue planet until then.

It is difficult for us to comprehend that the biggest canyon in the Solar System is not on Earth because of our Earth-centered mentality. Sorry Grand Canyon, but this award goes to a canyon system on Mars. And the European Space Agency took a photo of it.

The canyon system called Valles Marineris on Mars is larger, wider, and deeper than the Grand Canyon. It is up to 7 km deep, 200 km wide, and 4000 km long. These dimensions are much greater than the Grand Canyon. To put things in Indian perspective, the length of Valles Marineris is greater than the distance between Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

ESA’s Mars Express has taken a picture of the Valles Marineris. Two trenches, known as Chasma, may be seen in the western part of Valles Marineris. Southern direction is in the left-hand corner of the photograph. There and on the right side of the photograph are the 805-kilometer-long Tithonium Chasma and the 840-kilometer-long Lus Chasma, respectively. This high definition photograph of Valles Marineris, which is up to 7 kilometres deep, contains amazing surface details.

Black sand makes up the Tithonium Chasma’s darkened area. According to scientists, the sand must have originated in the Tharsis volcanic zone.

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