PIA08510: Undercover


Undercover

Caption:

3 June 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dunes covered with a seasonally-deposited layer of solid carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the north polar region of Mars. The dark spots indicate areas where the CO 2 frost has begun to change, either by being sublimed away, or by becoming rougher or coarser-grained, such that it appears darker than surrounding frost. Over the course of the spring season, the frost will be completely removed and the dark sands that make up the dune field will be visible by summer.

Location near : 77.7°N, 41.7°W
Image width : ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from : lower left
Season : Northern Spring

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 Atmosphere, Dune, Grayscale, Storm
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2006-06-03
Date in Caption 2006-06-03
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08510
Identifier PIA08510