Stunning new images from Europe's Mars Express orbiter reveal a rugged Martian landscape carved by catastrophic floods that once tore across the Red Planet billions of years ago.
The dramatic new view, released by the European Space Agency (ESA) on May 13, spotlights Shalbatana Vallis, a sprawling Martian channel system near the planet's equator that stretches roughly 800 miles (1,300 kilometers, or about the length of Italy. The image was taken by Mars Express' High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), highlighting what planetary scientists call "chaotic terrain," according to a statement from the space agency.
