Mars orbiter looks deep into chasms and valleys on the Martian surface

A series of streaks and dots in a muddy brownish reddish surface on the planet Mars. .

For more than 20 years, the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express orbiter has been imaging the surface of the Red Planet. One region, in particular, continues to fascinate the Mars Express team, known as Acheron Fossae. A new high-resolution photo examines the western edge of this region, giving us a closer look at the fascinating topography found here.

Acheron Fossae is filled with dramatic landscape features — most notably, its namesake fossae, or fault-like channels that criss-cross the surface. Here, the land is split into raised ridges known as horsts and sunken valleys known as grabens, which together create the impression of long scars across the surface.