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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Expanse of Jezero Crater's river delta

Expanse of Jezero Crater's river delta
Expanse of Jezero Crater's river delta NASA's Perseverance Mars rover looks out at the expanse of Jezero Crater's river delta. The color bands of the image have been processed to improve visual contrast and accentuate color differences. The sky would not actually look blue to a human explorer on the Red Planet. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

The delta formed billions of years ago from sediment that an ancient river carried to the mouth of the lake that once existed in the crater. Aeolian bedforms (sand dunes) can be seen running along the base of the delta. The hills visible on the distant horizon to the far left of the image – about 3.8 miles (6.2 kilometers) away from the rover – are actually part of the rim of Jezero Crater. The peak of the delta remnant to the right center of the image is about 920 feet (260 meters) away and the peak of the hill camera right is about 950 feet (280 meters) away.

The portion of the delta farthest left in this image (visible directly below the crater wall) is the area where "Cape Nukshak" and "Hawksbill Gap" channels can be found. The rover is expected to ascend to the top of the delta via one of these two channels.