Mars - Athabasca Valles Landforms
The Mars - Athabasca Valles Landforms print from the Radiance Series presents the stark geological formations of the Athabasca Valles in the central Elysium Planitia region of Mars. Captured by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on 11 January 2009, the image records a landscape shaped by some of the planet’s most dynamic and recent geologic events. Immense volcanic and fluvial forces have carved channels and plains that bear witness to the planet’s evolving surface and interior activity.
Athabasca Valles is thought to be one of the youngest outflow channel systems on Mars, likely formed through a combination of catastrophic floods and vast lava flows. Geological evidence points to sudden water release from fissures known as Cerberus Fossae, followed by lava inundation in one of the planet’s largest and most recent flood-lava episodes. The result is a terrain of wrinkled ridges, braided channels, and complex surface textures - a record of the interplay between water, magma, and tectonic motion that defines Martian geological history.
This print was created from high-fidelity raw image data (JP2 format) sourced directly from the HiRISE mission archive. Each file has been carefully processed and prepared to preserve the authentic structure and tonal subtlety of the Martian surface, balancing scientific accuracy with visual clarity.
HiRISE - the most powerful camera ever sent to another planet - has revolutionised Martian science since entering orbit in 2006. With sub-metre resolution imagery, it continues to reveal the planet’s morphology in extraordinary detail, assisting in landing-site selection, the study of surface processes, and the reconstruction of Mars’s climatic and geological evolution.
Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Radiance Series
Radiance is our series devoted to image-born works — pictures made by light itself. Drawn from observatory archives and scientific instruments, these pieces begin as high-fidelity sensor images: Mars at meter-scale detail from HiRISE, deep-sky vistas from JWST and ESO/ESA observatories, wide-area surveys, and even terrestrial science—oceanic, geological and biological imagery—where structure and texture emerge directly from the data.
The craft is exacting. We source the highest-resolution originals, reconstruct large fields (for example, stitching complex Mars terrains), and make restrained, evidence-minded adjustments to reveal tone, micro-contrast and fine structure without losing the character of the capture. Each image is then prepared for print at generous sizes—profiled, proofed and tuned with our specialist UK printers—so dune morphologies, dust lanes, cloud bands, crystalline patterns and microscopic architectures resolve with quiet clarity.
Printed on museum-grade papers, Radiance presents planetary, earthly and microscopic worlds with archival discipline and a sense of presence you can stand in front of — photographs in the deepest sense: light recorded, honoured, and given room to breathe.
Printing & Materials
Our Radiance series is produced in collaboration with specialist fine-art printing partners using museum-grade 250 gsm archival giclée paper.
Each print is made to order with exceptional precision and colour accuracy, using pigment-based inks for long-term stability and rich tonal depth.
Prints are carefully rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in rigid cardboard tubes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition, ready for framing.
All materials and processes are chosen for their longevity, texture, and fidelity to the original artwork, reflecting our commitment to quality and craft.