PIA06799: Frosty Polar Slope


Frosty Polar Slope

Caption:

11 August 2004
Acquired just last week on 3 August 2004, this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a dark, layered scarp in the martian north polar region. All of the light-toned surfaces in this image are covered by frost left over from the previous winter. On the scarp, about half of the surfaces once covered by frost are now exposed (as the frost has sublimed away), leaving a large number of bright patches. These patches of frost enhance the appearance of layering on the slopes. This image is located near 81.8°N, 84.4°W. The image covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide, and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left.

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 2004-08-11
Date in Caption 2004-08-03 2004-08-11
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06799
Identifier PIA06799