A real trip to the Red Planet might not be imminent, but this video version is a fine first step

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Ready for an intergalactic adventure? Take this virtual flight over Mariner Valley, Mars's version of the Grand Canyon, a geological feature as deep as Mt. Everest and as wide as the distance from New York to Los Angeles. Kind of makes Earth's biggest dry river bed seem a bit less "Grand," doesn't it?

This video, created by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, includes a mosaic image of the Mariner Valley that was compiled at Arizona State University using photos taken by the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) from NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. Click "play" below to watch (QuickTime plugin required), or right-click here to save a version formatted for your video iPod.

You'll need the QuickTime plug-in to view this video. Download it here for free if you don't already have it installed.













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June 2013: American Energy Independence

Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


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