PIA05186: South Polar Troughs


South Polar Troughs

Caption:

13 January 2004
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows troughs eroded into the south polar residual cap. The residual cap is made largely of frozen carbon dioxide, which freezes on Mars at a temperature around 148 Kelvin (about -125°C, -193°F). When this picture was acquired in early summer during October 2003, the temperature at the surface probably was very close to 148 Kelvin (brrrr!). Sunlight illuminates this image from the upper left; it is located near 86.9°S, 15.7°W. The 200 meter scale bar is approximately 656 feet across.

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Instrument Host Mars Global Surveyor
Host Type Orbiter
Instrument Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
Detector
Extra Keywords Grayscale
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2004-01-13
Date in Caption 2004-01-13
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05186
Identifier PIA05186