Record #00304Space archive
Longest Canyon System in the Solar System
Valles Marineris on Mars is the Solar System's longest known canyon system, stretching about 4,000 kilometres including its western extension.
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Current Record
about4,000km
Current record value
- Holder
- Valles Marineris
- Location
- Valles Marineris, Mars · Solar System
- Start date
- —
- Record status
- Verified · currentReport an issue
Overview
Archive NoteValles Marineris stretches across the near-equatorial surface of Mars and comprises multiple linked chasms and faults. A mosaic assembled from more than 500 daytime infrared images from the THEMIS instrument on Mars Odyssey maps the system.
Researchers link its initial opening about 3.5 billion years ago to tectonic stretching associated with the Tharsis region. Later landslides further enlarged parts of the canyon. Reported length depends on whether the western Noctis Labyrinthus extension is included.
Record history
1 Milestones- about 4,000 kmValles MarinerisValles Marineris, MarsCurrent Record
Sources
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