page_title: Phaethontis quadrangle
hierarchical_section_title: Phaethontis quadrangle
caption_attribution_description: English: PIA00184: MC-24 Phaethontis Region http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/pia00184 Mars digital-image mosaic merged with color of the MC-24 quadrangle, Phaethontis region of Mars. The Phaethontis quadrangle is dominated by heavily cratered highlands and low-lying areas forming relatively smooth plains. Latitude range -65 to -30 degrees, longitude range 120 to 180.
context_page_description: The Phaethontis quadrangle is one of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the United States Geological Survey Astrogeology Research Program. The Phaethontis quadrangle is also referred to as MC-24.
  The name comes from Phaethon, the son of Helios.
  The Phaethontis quadrangle lies between 30° and 65 ° south latitude and 120° and 180 ° west longitude on Mars. This latitude range is where numerous gullies have been discovered. An old feature in this area, called Terra Sirenum lies in this quadrangle; Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered iron/magnesium smectites there. Part of this quadrangle contains what is called the Electris deposits, a deposit that is 100–200 metres thick. It is light-toned and appears to be weak because of few boulders. Among a group of large craters is Mariner Crater, first observed by the Mariner IV spacecraft in the summer of 1965. It was named after that spacecraft. A low area in Terra Sirenum is believed to have once held a lake that eventually drained through Ma'adim Vallis. Russia's Mars 3 probe landed in the Phaethontis quadrangle at 44.9° S and 160.1° W in December 1971.
context_section_description: The Phaethontis quadrangle is one of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Research Program. The Phaethontis quadrangle is also referred to as MC-24 (Mars Chart-24).
  The name comes from Phaethon, the son of Helios.
  The Phaethontis quadrangle lies between 30° and 65 ° south latitude and 120° and 180 ° west longitude on Mars.  This latitude range is where numerous gullies have been discovered.  An old feature in this area, called Terra Sirenum lies in this quadrangle; Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered iron/magnesium smectites there. Part of this quadrangle contains what is called the Electris deposits, a deposit that is 100–200 metres (330–660 ft) thick.  It is light-toned and appears to be weak because of few boulders. Among a group of large craters is Mariner Crater, first observed by the Mariner IV spacecraft in the summer of 1965.  It was named after that spacecraft.   A low area in Terra Sirenum is believed to have once held a lake that eventually drained through Ma'adim Vallis.  Russia's Mars 3 probe landed in the Phaethontis quadrangle at 44.9° S and 160.1° W in December 1971.  It landed at a speed of 75 km per hour, but survived to radio back 20 seconds of signal, then it went dead.  Its message just appeared as a blank screen.
caption: Image of the Phaethontis Quadrangle (MC-24). The region is dominated by heavily cratered highlands and low-lying areas forming relatively smooth plains.
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