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Collection:
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NASA Mars Collecton
Collection
NASA Mars Collecton
Collection
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title:
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Mid-Winter Dust Storms Near Hellas Planitia
title
Mid-Winter Dust Storms Near Hellas Planitia
title
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Description:
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One of the primary objectives for the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) during the Extended Mission is to continue daily monitoring of martian weather as expressed in clouds, dust storms, and patches of polar frost. During the Primary Mission, which lasted from March 1999 through January 2001, changes that occurred over a single martian year (687 Earth days) were observed. Now it is possible to see what the martian atmosphere will do for at least two-thirds of a second martian year, because the Extended Mission will run into April 2002.
This picture captures two dust storms, each large enough to cover Arizona or New Mexico. One is located near the lower left, the other at the lower right. Taken on April 8, 2001 (mid-southern winter), this is a mosaic of six MOC daily global images centered around Hellas Planitia in the martian southern hemisphere. Hellas Planitia is the dominant elliptical feature just below the center of the picture. The bright, nearly white surfaces along the lower (southern) edge of the picture are covered by wintertime frost. The strong temperature difference between the winter frost and the warmer air just off the edge of this polar cap generates winds that---at this time of year---are often strong enough to lift dust into large, reddish-brown, billowy clouds.
North is up and sunlight illuminates the area from the upper left. The martian equator forms the arc along the top of the picture; 500 kilometers (km) is equal to about 311 miles. The approximately 500 kilometer-wide circular feature just above the center is the crater Huygens.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Description
One of the primary objectives for the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) during the Extended Mission is to continue daily monitoring of martian weather as expressed in clouds, dust storms, and patches of polar frost. During the Primary Mission, which lasted from March 1999 through January 2001, changes that occurred over a single martian year (687 Earth days) were observed. Now it is possible to see what the martian atmosphere will do for at least two-thirds of a second martian year, because the Extended Mission will run into April 2002.
This picture captures two dust storms, each large enough to cover Arizona or New Mexico. One is located near the lower left, the other at the lower right. Taken on April 8, 2001 (mid-southern winter), this is a mosaic of six MOC daily global images centered around Hellas Planitia in the martian southern hemisphere. Hellas Planitia is the dominant elliptical feature just below the center of the picture. The bright, nearly white surfaces along the lower (southern) edge of the picture are covered by wintertime frost. The strong temperature difference between the winter frost and the warmer air just off the edge of this polar cap generates winds that---at this time of year---are often strong enough to lift dust into large, reddish-brown, billowy clouds.
North is up and sunlight illuminates the area from the upper left. The martian equator forms the arc along the top of the picture; 500 kilometers (km) is equal to about 311 miles. The approximately 500 kilometer-wide circular feature just above the center is the crater Huygens.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Description
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section:
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Dust Storms
section
Dust Storms
section
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facet_what:
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Mars
facet_what
Mars
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
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Earth
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facet_what:
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Surveyor
facet_what
Surveyor
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facet_what:
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Polar
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Polar
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facet_what:
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Crater
facet_what
Crater
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facet_what:
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Planitia
facet_what
Planitia
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Hellas Planitia
facet_what
Hellas Planitia
facet_what
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facet_what:
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dust storms
facet_what
dust storms
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facet_what:
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Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
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facet_what:
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Huygens Probe
facet_what
Huygens Probe
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
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facet_where:
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Arizona
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Arizona
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
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facet_when:
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April 2002
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April 2002
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facet_when:
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March 1999
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March 1999
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facet_when:
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January 2001
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January 2001
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facet_when:
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April 8, 2001
facet_when
April 8, 2001
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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2001
facet_when_year
2001
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1999
facet_when_year
1999
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facet_when_year:
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2002
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2002
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UID:
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SPD-MARS-gallery/dus tstorms/E3_795-796_8 03-804_816-817.html
UID
SPD-MARS-gallery/dus tstorms/E3_795-796_8 03-804_816-817.html
UID
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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