A crater at the boundary

This close-up view is part of a larger image that shows ash creeping across the surface of Mars. Here we see a crater at the border between the light and dark patches. The crater is surrounded by an 'ejecta blanket', which is made of material thrown out by the impact that formed the crater itself.

This view was generated from the digital terrain model and the nadir and colour channels of the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express.

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[Image description: An angled view across the Martian surface in warm orange and reddish tones. A small, shallow circular crater sits near the upper left, while the surrounding terrain looks rough and cracked, with faint ridges and mottled textures. The surface gradually darkens toward the top right, adding depth and contrast to the scene.]