What’s up and what’s down? This image covers mesas, or high-standing plateaus, to the north and pits, or low-standing, depressions to the south. If it looks the other way around, then you are not seeing the topography correctly.

Remember that the Sun is coming from the left (west) at MRO’s imaging time of about 3 p.m. What formed these mesas and pits is a question that is not so easy to answer.

Written by: Alfred McEwen (audio: Tre Gibbs)   (15 July 2016)

More info and image formats at http://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/ESP_045390_2215

Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona