PIA03042: Defrosting Patterns
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a frost-covered surface in the martian south polar region.
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) 
 Spacecraft:  Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
 Instrument:  Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) 
 Product Size:  669 x 867 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Producer ID:  MOC2-1251  
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA03042.tif (580.8 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA03042.jpg (100.8 kB)  

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Original Caption Released with Image:

15 October 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a frost-covered surface in the martian south polar region. As the seasonal frost begins to sublime away, local variations in surface texture-mostly dendritic cracks, in this case-lead to early defrosting in some areas. Those areas already defrosted appear dark in the image.

Location near: 79.1°S, 340.1°W
Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Spring

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2005-10-15