This is my first Mars image of the 2020 apparition. We are gaining on Mars for an October 13th opposition, so right now we can see ‘around’ the corner of the planet and see a portion of the nighttime side. The upper part of the large dark area is Syrtis Major. The dark area is largely basaltic volcanic rock. At one time it was thought to be a volcanic plain but based on recent information obtained by Mars Global Surveyor it is now recognized as a fairly flat shield volcano. Just south of the dark area is the brighter Hellas Basin. The Hellas Basin is one of the largest known impact structures in the solar system. There is a distance of 30,000 feet between the rim and the floor of the basin.
 Mars |
 Illustration courtesy WinJUPOS |