Gale (crater)
Martian crater / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gale is a crater, and probable dry lake, at 5.4°S 137.8°E / -5.4; 137.8 in the northwestern part of the Aeolis quadrangle on Mars.[2] It is 154 km (96 mi) in diameter[1] and estimated to be about 3.5–3.8 billion years old.[3] The crater was named after Walter Frederick Gale, an amateur astronomer from Sydney, Australia, who observed Mars in the late 19th century.[4] Mount Sharp is a mountain in the center of Gale and rises 5.5 km (18,000 ft) high.[5][6] Aeolis Palus is the plain between the northern wall of Gale and the northern foothills of Aeolis Mons.[5][6] Peace Vallis,[7] a nearby outflow channel, 'flows' down from the hills to the Aeolis Palus below and seems to have been carved by flowing water.[8][9][10] Several lines of evidence suggest that a lake existed inside Gale shortly after the formation of the crater.[11]
Planet | Mars |
---|---|
Coordinates | 5.4°S 137.8°E / -5.4; 137.8 |
Quadrangle | Aeolis |
Diameter | 154 km (96 mi)[1] |
Eponym | Walter Frederick Gale |
The NASA Mars rover Curiosity, of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, landed in "Yellowknife" Quad 51[12][13][14][15] of Aeolis Palus in Gale at 05:32 UTC August 6, 2012.[16] NASA named the landing location Bradbury Landing on August 22, 2012.[17] Curiosity is exploring Aeolis Mons and surrounding areas.