Philips Atlas of the Universe

ATLAS OF THE UNIVERSE

ATLAS OF THE UNIVERSE

Map of Mars

T

he map of Mars given here shows many features which

can be seen with an adequate telescope, such

as a 30-centimetre (12-inch) reflector, under good con-

ditions, though others, such as craters, are out of range.

The map is drawn with south at the top, as this is the

normal telescopic view. The most prominent feature is

the triangular Syrtis Major, once thought to be an old sea-

bed filled with vegetation but now known to be a plateau.

A band of dark markings (the ‘Great Diaphragm’) runs

round the planet rather south of the equator, and there

are some features of special interest, such as the Solis

Planum, which shows variations in shape and intensity.

There are two large basins, Hellas and Argyre, which can

sometimes be very bright, Hellas particularly so; this is

the deepest basin on Mars, and at the bottom the atmos-

pheric pressure is 8.9 millibars, though this is still not

high enough to allow liquid water to exist. In the north

the main feature is the wedge-shaped Acidalia Planitia.

Observers sometimes continue to use the pre-Space Age

names, so that Solis Planum is ‘Solis Lacus’ and Acidalia

Planitia is ‘Mare Acidalium’.

▼ Map of Mars prepared

by Paul Doherty from my

observations using my

39-cm (15-inch) Newtonian

reflector.

SELECTED FEATURES OF MARS

180°

60°

40°

20°

0°

20°

40°

60°

200° 240° 280° 320° 0°

Lat.° Long.° Diameter,

km

CATENA

Coprates 14 S–16 S 067–058 505

Ganges 02 S–03 S 071–067 233

Tithonia 06 S–05 S 087–080 400

CHAOS

Aromatum 01 S 044 –

Aureum 02 S–07 S 030–024 365

Margaritifer 07 S–13 S 017–025 430

CHASMA

Australe 80 S–89 S 284–257 501

Candor 04 S–08 S 078–070 400

Capri 15 S–03 S 053–031 1275

Coprates 10 S–16 S 069–053 975

Gangis 06 S–09 S 055–043 575

Tithonium 03 S–07 S 092–077 880

CRATERS

Antoniadi 22 N 299 380

Barabashov 47 N 069 130

Becquerel 22 N 008 675

Cassini 24 N 328 440

Copernicus 50 S 169 280

Flaugergues 17 S 341 230

Herschel 14 S 230 320

Huygens 14 S 304 495

Kepler 47 S 219 238

Lowell 52 S 081 200

Lyot 50 N 331 220

Newton 40 S 158 280

Ptolemaeus 46 S 158 160

Proctor 48 S 330 160

Schiaparelli 03 S 343 500

Schroter 02 S 304 310

Prouvelot 16 N 013 150

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