Aeolis Palus is a plain between the northern wall of Gale crater and the northern foothills of Aeolis Mons on Mars. It is located at 4.47°S 137.42°E.
Gale crater - surface materials (false colors; THEMIS; 2001 Mars Odyssey).
Aeolis Mons rises from the middle of Gale Crater - Green dot marks the Curiosity rover landing site in Aeolis Palus.
Ancient Lake fills Gale Crater on Mars (simulated view).
Ancient Lake on Aeolis Palus in Gale Crater - possible size (December 9, 2013).
Gale is a crater, and probable dry lake, at 5.4°S 137.8°E in the northwestern part of the Aeolis quadrangle on Mars. It is 154 km (96 mi) in diameter and estimated to be about 3.5–3.8 billion years old. The crater was named after Walter Frederick Gale, an amateur astronomer from Sydney, Australia, who observed Mars in the late 19th century. Mount Sharp is a mountain in the center of Gale and rises 5.5 km (18,000 ft) high. Aeolis Palus is the plain between the northern wall of Gale and the northern foothills of Aeolis Mons. Peace Vallis, a nearby outflow channel, 'flows' down from the hills to the Aeolis Palus below and seems to have been carved by flowing water. Several lines of evidence suggest that a lake existed inside Gale shortly after the formation of the crater.
Mount Sharp rises from the middle of the crater - the green dot marks the Curiosity rover landing site in Aeolis Palus (click the image to expand, the dot is barely visible at this scale.) North is down in this image.
Mudcracks as seen by Curiosity in Gale crater Shapes imply that water saturated the area and dried out many times; hence, the existence of water was not just a one-time, short-lived event.
Mars between day and night, with an area containing Gale crater, beginning to catch the morning light
Gale crater - surface materials (false colors; THEMIS; 2001 Mars Odyssey)