|
||
|
|
|
|
First Mapping of Mars
A nice depiction of the Mare Acidalium Quadrangle on the surface of Mars. This print is part of a collection of images captured by the Mariner 9 television photography satellite launched in 1971. For the first time, the Martian planet could be analyzed and accurately mapped as evidenced by the many small craters and contours scattered around the surface. With the additional information on surface conditions, some areas are named like Vastitas Borealis and Acidalia Planitia, but usually, locations consist of only a series of a few letters.
An interesting feature of this map is the color. The main concern was to illustrate the albedo of the region and a note indicates that no attempt was made to accurately depict the color of the surface, although it is similar. The acknowledgment of this fact is a good indication of the growing body of knowledge on Mars at this time.
The bottom left features a large illustration that shows the location of this quadrangle on the larger planet. As this is a series of maps, this section also illustrates the placement of other charts should one want to see the entire planet mapped.
The U.S. Geological Service has archived this series of maps online here. We also have a few other charts from this series: Arcadia and Oxia Palus.
