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UA Releases New Breathtaking Images of Deepest Canyon in Solar System

Illustration of a view over the rim of a small crater on Mars. AFP
Illustration of a view over the rim of a small crater on Mars. AFP
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UA Releases New Breathtaking Images of Deepest Canyon in Solar System

Illustration of a view over the rim of a small crater on Mars. AFP
Illustration of a view over the rim of a small crater on Mars. AFP

Scientists from the University of Arizona (UA) have released on Monday a new batch of images described as "breathtaking" showing Mars' Valles Marineris, known as the largest and deepest canyon in the solar system.

Using an incredibly high-resolution camera called HiRISE (short for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, UA scientists have been taking close-up shots of the planet's strangest features in an attempt to understand how it was formed.

This gash in the bedrock of Mars is nearly 10 times as long as Earth's Grand Canyon and three times deeper, making it the largest canyon in the solar system, said UA scientists.

According to a report by the Live Science website, unlike Earth's Grand Canyon, Valles Marineris probably wasn't carved out by billions of years of rushing water; the Red Planet is too hot and dry to have ever accommodated a river large enough to slash through the crust like that.

The European Space Agency (ESA) explained that a majority of the canyon probably cracked open billions of years earlier, when a nearby super-group of volcanoes known as the Tharsis region was first thrusting out of the Martian soil. As magma bubbled up beneath these monster volcanoes (which include Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system), the planet's crust easily could have stretched, ripped and finally collapsed into the troughs and valleys that make up Valles Marineris today.

Evidence suggests that subsequent landslides, magma flows and, even some ancient rivers probably contributed to the canyon's continued erosion. Further analysis of high-resolution photos like these will help solve the puzzling origin story of the solar system's grandest canyon.

The Valles Marineris was discovered in 1971 with the Mariner 9 probe that launched on May 30, 1971 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and reached Mars on November 13 in the same year. The valley, which runs along the Martian equator, was named after the mission that discovered it.

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Varieties

Mobile Cinema Brings Tunisians Big Screen Experience

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
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Mobile Cinema Brings Tunisians Big Screen Experience

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP
Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs - AFP

Like many of his fellow Tunisians, 23-year-old Amine Elhani has never been to the cinema, but now, thanks to a mobile theater touring the country, he can finally enjoy the big screen.

The bright red truck of CinemaTdour, or "moving cinema", has transformed parking lots and factory grounds in underserved towns and neighbourhoods across the North African country into pop-up theaters.

In the central town of Djemmal, dozens of workers unloaded the expandable truck, easily setting up a fully equipped outdoor movie theater with 100 seats.

"The screen is huge, and the sound effects are amazing," said Elhani, who had so far only watched films on his phone or computer.

He had "never had the chance to go to a movie theater", he told AFP.

"It's a fantastic experience, especially because I'm watching with friends."

Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs.

Recognizing this gap, CinemaTdour was launched in May by private cultural network Agora and nonprofit Focus Gabes, with funding from private donors.

"We wanted a way to reach as many viewers as possible, in a short time and on a limited budget, while offering them an authentic cinematic experience," project director Ghofrane Heraghi told AFP.

Mobile cinemas have long existed in other countries, but Heraghi said CinemaTdour was "unique" for turning a truck into a full-fledged theater.

Without government funding, CinemaTdour relies heavily on partnerships with private companies to cover costs like film rights, maintenance and staffing.

The truck itself was purchased on credit for about one million Tunisian dinars ($315,000), Heraghi said, with annual operating expenses of around 500,000 dinars.

For 10 days in Djemmal, residents could watch films for free thanks to a partnership with German car parts manufacturer Draxlmaier, which has a factory in the town.

Jihene Ben Amor, Draxlmaier's communications manager in Tunisia, said the company wanted to "contribute to the development" of remote and underserved regions where it operates.

For many workers, earning up to 1,000 dinars a month, the cost of tickets and the journey to a main city with a movie theater can be prohibitive.

"Having this cinema right outside their workplace also gives workers a sense of pride and belonging," said Ben Amor.

- 'Social impact' -

After Djemmal, CinemaTdour set up in Hay Hlel, an impoverished neighbourhood of the capital Tunis.

Many children gathered around the pop-up theater, eager for their turn.

Yomna Warhani, 11, was beaming with excitement, anticipating her first ever movie screening.

"I can't wait to see what it's like inside and what films they'll show," she said.

Nejiba El Hadji, a 47-year-old mother of four, said: "It's not just the kids who are thrilled, believe me."

To her, the mobile cinema was a rare source of joy in an otherwise bleak environment.

"We have nothing here, no cultural centers and no entertainment, just the streets," said Hadji.

"People say our kids are lost, but no one does anything about it."

CinemaTdour's two-week stay in Hay Hlel was funded by the World Health Organization, with screenings themed on mental health, smoking and drug abuse, and violence against women.

The shows were tailored for younger audiences as well as for viewers with hearing or visual impairments.

Heraghi, the project head, said that "what drives us is the social impact of culture."

"We want to break stereotypes, shift mindsets, and promote values like social cohesion and community spirit."

In just a few months, CinemaTdour has reached more than 15,000 people, including 7,500 in the southern oasis town of Nefta where a month of free screenings was sponsored by a date exporter.

The project now hopes to secure funding for additional trucks to expand its activities across the country.

But Heraghli has even bigger aspirations, she said, "taking it to Algeria, Libya, and maybe even across Africa".