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Defrosting Sand
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- Full-Res JPEG (836 x 3188) (473.1 kB)
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Caption:
2 September 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a patch of frost-covered, dark sand that, at the time the picture was acquired in June 2005, had begun to defrost. The frost is carbon dioxide. Dunes and other patches of sand are usually the first polar features to develop dark spots as the frost begins to sublime away.
Location near
: 78.9°S, 80.2°W
Image width
: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from
: upper left
Season
: Southern 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 | 2005-09-02 | |
| Date in Caption | 2005-09-02 | |
| Image Credit | NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems | |
| Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04199 | |
| Identifier | PIA04199 | |
