Ares Vallis

Image of the Day explores Mars the nomenclature. Ares Vallis = Vallis: valley. Ares: Greek god of war, corresponding to the Roman god Mars. Ares Vallis is one of the larger channels on Mars. It is located near several other large channels that appear to empty into Chryse Planitia. This image is a mosaic of two VIS frames. Nomenclature Fact of the Day: The asteroid Mathilde is one of the darkest objects in the Solar System, reflecting only about 3% of the light that strikes it. It has been described as being 'blacker that coal', so its craters are named for coal fields and basins around the world.