Battered VolcanoRainbow colors reveal elevation changes as the Tharsis Tholus volcano rises from the surrounding terrain on Mars, seen in a newly released picture from the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter.The volcano towers almost 5 miles (8 kilometers) and spreads more than 96 by 77 miles (155 by 125 kilometers) at its base. In addition to its deep, crater-like caldera—formed when the central magma chamber collapsed—the volcano suffered from collapses on its eastern and western flanks that created vertical cliffs several kilometres high.
Image courtesy G. Neukum, F.U. Berlin/DLR/ESA

Space Pictures This Week: Mars Volcano, Eagle Nebula, More

A "broken" Mars volcano, a Mercury crater full of hollows, and a neighboring star cluster feature among this week's best space pictures.

November 13, 2011