Why it matters

Gale shows how a crater can become an archive of sediments, water, and climate.

What happenedA Martian crater with Mount Sharp at its center, transformed into a laboratory by the Curiosity mission.
Why it mattersGale shows how a crater can become an archive of sediments, water, and climate.
How scientists knowNASA Image and Video Library

Measurements and uncertainty

Diamètre154 km
Depthnot listed
Agemore than 3.5 billion years
StatutConfirmé
Coordinates5.400° S / 137.800° E
Record levelextended

Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.

Profil scientifique

Layers in the central mound and floor materials record long histories of sedimentation, aeolian reworking, and possible watery conditions.

Data provenanceNASA Image and Video Library

Galerie de reconstruction

Davantage de lectures visuelles du cratère

Si l'image vérifiée ne suffit pas, la fiche reçoit une reconstruction scientifique : non pas de la fantaisie à la place du fait, mais une hypothèse visuelle séparée des sources.

Palette du mondeMartian rust, dust, and ochre
Orbital view of Gale crater and its central mound.
Aperçu visuel actuelPlaque de base : source, matériau orbital ou planche éditoriale où commence la lecture visuelle.
Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Visual reconstruction

Reverse reconstruction → Chronological inversion → Bidirectional analysis → The present as an archive of the future

Chaque fiche doit avoir un aperçu visuel : image existante, source traitée esthétiquement ou reconstruction scientifique.

Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
Bidirectional analysischecking past-to-present and present-to-past interpretations
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Historique de recherche

Since 2012, Curiosity has made Gale one of the most intensively studied places on Mars.

Sources

CSVJSONGale. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
NASA Image and Video Library
Uncertainty note
Extended record: core parameters have an editorial baseline, while age, depth, and preservation still require primary-source review.
NASA Image and Video LibraryNASA

Education mode

Faits

  • Its center contains Aeolis Mons, known as Mount Sharp.
  • Curiosity studies layers that help reconstruct ancient environments.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
CompareJezero