CHANNELS ON MARS 5-E Activity Module

Learning Through Inquiry

What is THEMIS?

THEMIS stands for Thermal Emission Imaging System and is a type of camera on board the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

It contains two independent multi-spectral imaging sub-systems: a 10-band thermal infrared imager (IR), and a 5-band visible imager (VIS)

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 Selected channel images from THEMIS website (www.themis.asu.edu).

Martian outflow channel with chaotic terrain (http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mars/images/mars_outflow_channel_jpg_image.html)

How did thesechannels form?

What other featuresdo you see in this3-dimensionalcomputer-generatedimage?

3D Image: SEMSZ9474OD, East of Valles Marineris, HRSC image, ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum), 14 January 2004 . http://www.esa.int.

Section of Valles Marineris from the 2001 Mars Odyssey website.

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This cliff hassome small channelsforming onits slope.

How mightThese havebeen made?

Can you alsosee a landslide?

Newton Basin, Mars http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030205.html

Engage: Prior Knowledge Activity

• Use your KWL table with your partner to brainstorm your ideas and questions.

• What do we know about channels on Mars? (what they look like, how they are made, when were they formed?)

• What questions do we have about channels on Mars?

• How might channels on Mars be different from channels that are formed on Earth?