The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has released an interactive map of Mars, made up of over 110,000 images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s (MRO) Context Camera (CTX). The Global CTX Mosaic of Mars is the highest resolution map of the planet to date, with a resolution of 5 meters per pixel and a total of 5.7 terapixels. The map was created by an algorithm developed by the Bruce Murray Laboratory for Planetary Visualization, which was able to accurately arrange the images automatically, except for around 13,000 images that had to be manually placed. The map has already been cited in over 120 scientific publications due to its high accuracy.
The map is accessible to anyone and includes various links to explore the planet, such as the Mars rovers and Olympus Mons, the highest known volcano in our solar system. Users can also explore the planet independently. The project leader, Jay Dickson, hopes that the map will increase interest in Mars and its exploration, stating that he wanted “something that is accessible to everyone. Students can use it. My mother, who just turned 78, can use it.”
The creation of the map took six years and tens of thousands of work hours due to the high level of accuracy required. Despite the challenges, the map is a significant achievement in planetary visualization and will undoubtedly contribute to future research and exploration of Mars.
