Attention Mars Lovers - Sharpest Mars Map

Hey Space Placers!

Now that Mars is dimming in the night sky and becoming a small view in telescopes Mars lovers need something to feed their Red Planet habit.

I've got just the thing for you.

The sharpest map of Mars has just been released to the public and it is a doozy as it shows the Martian surface in exquisite detail as you can see in this sample photograph release:

ASU/USGS

20,000 images made by a camera flown aboard NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter were put together to make the map.

The map allows users to specify a location/position of interest and really drill down to see details. There are coverage gaps, especially at 40 degrees to 90 degrees latitude N & S, but the remaining coverage is excellent.

As stated in their joint news release, "The new Mars map was developed by the Geological Survey's Robin Fergason at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, in collaboration with researchers at ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility. The work reflects the close ties between space exploration efforts at Arizona universities and the U.S. Geological Survey."

This map will be used to help NASA select the landing site for its 2020 mission to Mars.

Enjoy your arm chair exploration of Mars.

Sky Guy in VA