Valles Marineris

Valles Marineris is a huge canyon on the planet Mars. It is the biggest canyon in the whole solar system. If you put it on Earth, it would stretch across the entire United States. Compared to this canyon, the Grand Canyon looks tiny.

A Massive Crack

Valles Marineris is about 2,500 miles long. It is up to 120 miles wide and 4 miles deep in some places. That is almost ten times longer and four times deeper than the Grand Canyon. The canyon runs along the middle of Mars near the equator. You can see it easily from space.

How It Formed

Scientists think Valles Marineris formed a very long time ago. The ground cracked open when the planet cooled and shifted. Water and wind may have made the canyon even bigger over time. Its name means Mariner Valleys in Latin. It was named after the Mariner 9 spacecraft that found it in 1971.

Fun Facts

• Valles Marineris is about as long as the United States is wide.
• It is named after a NASA spacecraft.
• Some parts are over 4 miles deep.

Did You Know?

If astronauts stood at the bottom of Valles Marineris, they would not be able to see the top of the canyon walls because they are so far away.