Gale Crater

E86317

Gale Crater is a large impact crater on Mars that has been extensively explored for its layered geological history and past habitability clues.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (4)

Surface form Occurrences
Gale Crater on Mars 3
Mount Sharp 2
Aeolis Palus 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Martian geological feature
impact crater
alsoKnownAs Gale
centralMoundHeight about 3 miles
about 5 kilometers
containsMineral basaltic materials
clay minerals
hematite
phyllosilicates
sulfates
evidenceFor ancient lake system
habitable environmental conditions
long-lived liquid water
neutral to mildly alkaline water
exploredBy Curiosity rover
Mars Science Laboratory
surface form: Mars Science Laboratory mission
formedBy large impact event
hasApproximateAge Late Noachian to Early Hesperian
hasCentralPeak Aeolis Mons
hasCoordinateLatitude about 5.4 degrees south
hasCoordinateLongitude about 137.8 degrees east
hasDiameter about 154 kilometers
about 96 miles
hasFeature Aeolis Mons
surface form: Mount Sharp

alluvial fans
ancient lakebed deposits
central mound
clay-bearing units
crater rim
dune fields
layered sedimentary rocks
sulfate-bearing units
unconformities
hasStratigraphicRecord hundreds of meters of layered rocks
landingDateOfCuriosity 2012-08-06
landingSiteOf Curiosity rover
locatedIn Aeolis quadrangle
locatedOn Mars
nameApprovedBy International Astronomical Union
namedAfter Walter Frederick Gale
selectedAsLandingSiteFor Mars Science Laboratory
studiedFor ancient aqueous environments
climate evolution of Mars
past habitability
sedimentary stratigraphy
usedToInvestigate potential preservation of organics
sedimentary processes on Mars
transition from wetter to drier Mars

Referenced by (14)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Curiosity rover explores Gale Crater
this entity surface form: Mount Sharp
Curiosity rover landingRegion Gale Crater
this entity surface form: Aeolis Palus
Curiosity rover landingSite Gale Crater
MARDI landingSite Gale Crater
CheMin landingSiteContext Gale Crater
this entity surface form: Gale Crater on Mars
REMS locatedAt Gale Crater
Rubin Ridge on Mars locatedIn Gale Crater
subject surface form: Rubin Ridge
DAN location Gale Crater
this entity surface form: Gale Crater on Mars
MARDI location Gale Crater
this entity surface form: Gale Crater on Mars
Rubin Ridge on Mars partOf Gale Crater
subject surface form: Rubin Ridge
this entity surface form: Mount Sharp
Rubin Ridge on Mars region Gale Crater
subject surface form: Rubin Ridge
this entity surface form: Aeolis region of Mars
Mastcam targetBody Gale Crater