PIA03009: Defrosting Spots
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows dark, defrosting spots formed on a polygon-cracked plain in the south polar region of Mars.
 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:  672 x 957 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Producer ID:  MOC2-1239  
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA03009.tif (644 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA03009.jpg (180.1 kB)  

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Original Caption Released with Image:

3 October 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark, defrosting spots formed on a polygon-cracked plain in the south polar region of Mars. The surface was covered with carbon dioxide frost during the previous winter. In spring, the material begins to sublime away, creating a pattern of dark spots that sometimes have wind streaks emanating from them, as wind carries away or erodes the frost.

Location near: 87.2°S, 28.4°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:
2005-10-03