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PIA04841: Defrosting Scene
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows
 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 1008 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA04841.tif (678.3 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA04841.jpg (159.1 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. MOC2-531, 1 November 2003

This June 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows patterns created by subliming carbon dioxide frost in the south polar region of Mars. The circular feature on the west (left) side of the image is a meteor impact crater; its center is just out of view. The dark, spotted features at the bottom and right are patches of windblown sand that have been covered with frost. In this springtime image, the frost has been subliming away for several months. As frost is removed from the patches of sand, it creates a pattern of dark spots. This picture is located near 66.1°S, 322.6°W. The image is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2003-11-05