Aganippe Fossa stretches about 375 miles across the surface of Mars, making it longer than the 277-mile-long Grand Canyon.
A huge scar carved into the surface of Mars has been captured in never before seen detail by the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter.The huge valley, named Aganippe Fossa, stretches about 375 miles across the red planet, making it larger than the Grand Canyon, which is 277 miles. The Martian canyon was first spotted by astronomers early in the 20th century but was officially named only in 1976. Now, it has been snapped in high definition.
Astronomers aren't entirely sure how Aganippe Fossa formed, though some suggest that it may be a result of magma beneath the Tharsis Montes volcanoes causing the crust of the planet to crack and tear open. This may have occurred around 50 million years ago, when NASA has previously estimated that Arsia Mons stopped erupting. But recently evidence has been found that Mars may have been volcanically active as recently as 50,000 years ago.
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