Media Information

 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Title:
North Polar Ice Cap Surface
Original Caption Released with Image:
On Mars, Northern Hemisphere Summer (and Southern Hemisphere Winter) began on December 16, 2000. In this December holiday season, many children across the U.S. and elsewhere are perhaps anticipating an annual visit from a generous and jolly red-suited soul from the Earth's North Pole. As the December holidays were approaching, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) was busy acquiring new views of the region around the martian north pole. The three best views obtained this month are shown here. The top (A) and bottom (C) views show many layers exposed and eroded into the form of ridges and troughs on shallow slopes within the martian north polar cap. The middle (B) view is a picture of the rugged, eroded polar ice cap surface itself. The layers are believed to have formed over tens to hundreds of thousands of years by deposition of dust and ice each cold martian winter. These surfaces today all appear to have been eroded. The brightest material in each image is frost--temperatures at this time of year indicate that the frost is composed of frozen water. In winter, temperatures can be cold enough to freeze carbon dioxide, as well.
Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/MSSS
Produced By:
Malin Space Science Systems
Mission:
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Spacecraft:
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
Target Name:
Mars
Is a satellite of:
Sol (our sun)
Instrument:
Mars Orbiter Camera
Product Size:
2003 samples x 601 lines
Primary Data Set:
MGS EDRs
Producer ID:
MOC2-266B
facet_what:
Sun
facet_what:
Earth
facet_what:
Polar
facet_what:
Mars
facet_what:
Surveyor
facet_what:
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what:
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
facet_where:
Mars
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_when:
December 16, 2000
facet_when_year:
2000
Image #:
PIA02898
UID:
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA02898
orignial url:

North Polar Ice Cap Surface