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Collection:
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NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Three Years of Monitoring Mars' Atmospheric Dust (Animation)
Title
Three Years of Monitoring Mars' Atmospheric Dust (Animation)
Title
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Original Caption Released with Image:
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Animation
This movie shows the daily abundance of dust in the martian atmosphere over a period of three full martian years, from April 1999 through February 2005. The Thermal Emission Spectrometer instrument on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter has been tracking the weather on Mars for six years. The infrared spectrum observed by this instrument yields information about the spectral properties of the dust and the temperature of the atmosphere. These two properties can then be used to derive how much dust is in the atmosphere.
Of particular interest are large regional and global dust storms that occur during summer in the southern hemisphere each Mars year. The 2001 storm was by far the largest, lasting over six months (June to October, 2001) and covering the entire planet. The storms in the other two Mars years shown here were much smaller and never covered the planet. The most recent storm season (June 2003 through January 2005) actually had two separate storms, one in June and a second in December. Unlike most large martian dust storms that start in the southern hemisphere, the December storm began in the north and swept toward the equator. Between storms the atmosphere becomes quite clear, with much smaller dust storms scattered throughout the year and over the planet.
Seasons on Mars are determined by the position of Mars in its orbit around the Sun. The position is measured in degrees of solar longitude (Ls) around the orbit, beginning at 0 degrees Ls at the northern spring equinox, progressing to 90 degrees Ls at the start of northern summer, 180 degrees Ls at the fall equinox, 270 degrees Ls at the start of northern winter, and finally back to 360 degrees, or 0 degrees, Ls at the spring equinox. Dust abundance is measured as opacity (tau), with values of 0 tau representing a completely clear atmosphere, and values of 2 indicating that it is nearly impossible to see through to the surface.
The Thermal Emission Spectrometer is operated by a team led at Arizona State University, Tempe. Mars Global Surveyor left Earth on Nov. 7, 1996, and began orbiting Mars on Sept. 12, 1997. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages Mars Global Surveyor for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
Animation
This movie shows the daily abundance of dust in the martian atmosphere over a period of three full martian years, from April 1999 through February 2005. The Thermal Emission Spectrometer instrument on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter has been tracking the weather on Mars for six years. The infrared spectrum observed by this instrument yields information about the spectral properties of the dust and the temperature of the atmosphere. These two properties can then be used to derive how much dust is in the atmosphere.
Of particular interest are large regional and global dust storms that occur during summer in the southern hemisphere each Mars year. The 2001 storm was by far the largest, lasting over six months (June to October, 2001) and covering the entire planet. The storms in the other two Mars years shown here were much smaller and never covered the planet. The most recent storm season (June 2003 through January 2005) actually had two separate storms, one in June and a second in December. Unlike most large martian dust storms that start in the southern hemisphere, the December storm began in the north and swept toward the equator. Between storms the atmosphere becomes quite clear, with much smaller dust storms scattered throughout the year and over the planet.
Seasons on Mars are determined by the position of Mars in its orbit around the Sun. The position is measured in degrees of solar longitude (Ls) around the orbit, beginning at 0 degrees Ls at the northern spring equinox, progressing to 90 degrees Ls at the start of northern summer, 180 degrees Ls at the fall equinox, 270 degrees Ls at the start of northern winter, and finally back to 360 degrees, or 0 degrees, Ls at the spring equinox. Dust abundance is measured as opacity (tau), with values of 0 tau representing a completely clear atmosphere, and values of 2 indicating that it is nearly impossible to see through to the surface.
The Thermal Emission Spectrometer is operated by a team led at Arizona State University, Tempe. Mars Global Surveyor left Earth on Nov. 7, 1996, and began orbiting Mars on Sept. 12, 1997. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages Mars Global Surveyor for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Original Caption Released with Image
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note:
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Three Years of Monitoring Mars' Atmospheric Dust (Animation) [ http //photojournal.jpl.n asa.gov/animation/PI A04297 ]
Click on graphic to obtain download options
note
Three Years of Monitoring Mars' Atmospheric Dust (Animation) [ http //photojournal.jpl.n asa.gov/animation/PI A04297 ]
Click on graphic to obtain download options
note
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL/ASU
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL/ASU
Image Credit
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Produced By:
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Arizona State University
Produced_By
Arizona State University
Produced By
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Mission:
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Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Mission
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Mission
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Spacecraft:
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Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
Spacecraft
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
Spacecraft
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Target Name:
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Mars
Target_Name
Mars
Target Name
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Is a satellite of:
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Sol (our sun)
Is_a_satellite_of
Sol (our sun)
Is a satellite of
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Instrument:
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Thermal Emission Spectrometer
Instrument
Thermal Emission Spectrometer
Instrument
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Product Size:
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355 samples x 256 lines
Product_Size
355 samples x 256 lines
Product Size
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Spectrometer
facet_what
Spectrometer
facet_what
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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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Surveyor
facet_what
Surveyor
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter (MGS)
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES)
facet_what
Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES)
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Mars
facet_where
Mars
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
facet_where
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facet_where:
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California
facet_where
California
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington
facet_where
Washington
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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April 1999
facet_when
April 1999
facet_when
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facet_when:
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February 2005
facet_when
February 2005
facet_when
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facet_when:
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January 2005
facet_when
January 2005
facet_when
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facet_when:
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October, 2001
facet_when
October, 2001
facet_when
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facet_when:
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June 2003
facet_when
June 2003
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1999
facet_when_year
1999
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2003
facet_when_year
2003
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2005
facet_when_year
2005
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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2001
facet_when_year
2001
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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PIA04297
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UID:
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SPD-PHOTJ-PIA04297
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA04297
UID
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orignial url:
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orignial_url
orignial url
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