This image shows an unnamed, bowl-shaped impact crater located in the Southern Highlands. The crater is approximately 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) in diameter and 600 meters (2,000 feet) deep.

The colors depicted in this image are not those we would see with our naked eyes. An infrared band and two visible bands (red and blue-green, respectively) have been combined to produce this enhanced-color image. Enhanced color combinations are often utilized to look for subtle compositional differences that may not be evident in true color images.

This subimage (enhanced to exaggerate color contrast) shows part of the north-facing walls of the crater, deeply carved by landslides. Rocky layers, mostly purplish in color, can be followed for hundreds of meters, poking through the loose materials that cover the slopes. Locally, the rocky layers show patches of diverse colors (blue, green, yellow.) These colors may be indicative of compositional differences in the rocky layers.

Written by: Sara Martinez-Alonso   (20 March 2008)

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/PSP_007151_1445

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona