PIA03921: Defrosting Features
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a surface in Mars' south polar region, covered by carbon dioxide frost.
 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:  836 x 1082 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Producer ID:  MOC2-1106  
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA03921.tif (905.8 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA03921.jpg (191.3 kB)  

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

29 May 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a surface in the south polar region, covered by carbon dioxide frost. In this springtime scene, the frost has begun to sublime or change character so that sandy surfaces exhibit an abundance of dark spots. The circular depression is probably the remains of an impact crater. In summer, the spotted surfaces in this image would be darker than their surroundings, because they are patches of windblown sand.

Location near: 67.6°S, 254.3°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Spring

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2005-05-29