ESA's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter Sends Back First Picture

The European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter recently reached its scientific operating orbit of just 250 miles above the Martian surface and ahead of starting scientific observations of the Martian atmosphere it has sent back this first test image of a 24-mile-long segment of Mars featuring the ice covered peaks of the Korolev crater located high in the northern hemisphere.

The Color and Stereo Surface Imaging System camera aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captured this view of the rim of Mars' Korolev Crater on April 15, 2018. The picture is a composite of three images in different colors that were taken almost simultaneously. The dimensions are about 6 by 25 miles (10 by 40 kilometers).

Perhaps soon we will answer the question of the source of the mystery methane emissions detected on Mars.

TGO's main job involves sniffing for methane and other low-abundance (or trace) gases in the Martian atmosphere, which it began doing using its two onboard spectrometers on April 21. Methane is a possible sign of life; most of the methane in Earth's air is generated by microbes and other organisms. But the stuff can also be produced by geological processes. TGO's observations could help researchers better understand where, and how, Mars methane is being generated, ExoMars team members have said.
www.space.com...

But for now this rather lovely picture is a welcome addition to my Mars picture gallery.

a reply to: gortex

Beautiful image.

Gorgeous image!

I would like to see such hi-res images of 'the scar of Mars'.

I believe that there was a small planet or large comet that broke up via impact. Some pieces of this body flung towards Mars and caused catastrophic damage leaving it in red dust, literally

The same body became the asteroid belt, and meteor shower that forwarded the extinction of the dinosaurs and changed life on Earth.

Regardless of belief, this image is stunning and I'd love to see on equal to the scar in Mars.

Double post

Triple post

Quadruple post

My pareidolia kicked in as soon as I saw the layout. Cool image! Other worlds are fascinating, to say the least!

this is amazing! for once an mars image that an layman can understand easily

Top part looks like the design for a Japanese kite:

i.pinimg.com...

Look forward to seeing HD 3D movies that can be played on my TV

Beautiful picture...

I wonder if those white wispy things are high atmosphere clouds?

So is it 24 Earth Miles or Mars Miles....

Next mission, I want a droid/drone operated UAV to fly in the light atmosphere and travel at only 100 feet above the surface...and map the "Good bits" of the planet.

You know, like the secret black triangles do on Earth.......with no visible means of support.

Great picture.

I wonder how long before someone spots a face in it

...oops, actually I spotted one... aliens.

Wow could be easily mistaken for a picture of earth..

Where's all the redness? 😉

originally posted by: samuelsson
Where's all the redness? 😉

I know you're half-kidding, but the colors pretty much match many of the images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter:
www.nasa.gov...

originally posted by: Elementalist
Gorgeous image!

I would like to see such hi-res images of 'the scar of Mars'.

I believe that there was a small planet or large comet that broke up via impact. Some pieces of this body flung towards Mars and caused catastrophic damage leaving it in red dust, literally

The same body became the asteroid belt, and meteor shower that forwarded the extinction of the dinosaurs and changed life on Earth.

Regardless of belief, this image is stunning and I'd love to see on equal to the scar in Mars.

Not enough mass in the asteroid belt for a decent sized moon never mind a small planet if you want detailed surface images here you go HiRise

For example click on the link you can download a 460 mb b&w image or very large colour images of the crater
Victoria Crater at Meridiani Planum

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

originally posted by: samuelsson
Where's all the redness? 😉

I know you're half-kidding, but the colors pretty much match many of the images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter:
www.nasa.gov...

...which are usually published in false-colour.

I've asked at the Unmanned Spaceflight Forum whether anyone has any information as to which filters were used for this image, but to me it looks like an IRB (infrared/red/green-blue) image, similar to what we often see coming from the Mars Reconaissance Orbiter, with its telltale yellow and blue hues.

If that's indeed the case, here's my attempt at representing this image in RGB (approx true-colour) by reassigning the colour channels:


image.ibb.co...

So there is some martian-red there, along with white CO2 frost and bluish sand.