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PIA04520: "Happy Face" Crater
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows Galle Crater on Mars, informally known as 'Happy Face,' as it appeared in early southern winter.
 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:  1995 x 2993 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA04520.tif (14.63 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA04520.jpg (238.6 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:

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-361, 15 May 2003

Every day, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle instruments obtain a global view of the planet to help monitor weather and seasonal patterns of frost deposition and removal. The two pictures shown here are taken from the same daily global image mosaic (the only difference is that each was processed slightly differently). The pictures show Galle Crater, informally known as "Happy Face," as it appeared in early southern winter. The white-ish gray surfaces are coated with wintertime carbon dioxide frost. The pattern of frost distribution gives the appearance that "Happy Face" has opened its mouth. Galle Crater is located on the east rim of Argyre at 51°S, 31°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. Galle Crater is 230 km (143 mi) across.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2003-05-16