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Lander Petals of Rover 2
title Lander Petals of Rover 2
date 04.15.2003
description In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians reopen the lander petals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) to allow access to one of the spacecraft's circuit boards. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/KSC
Beagle 2 lander leaving the …
title Beagle 2 lander leaving the Mars Express orbiter
Description The Beagle 2 lander, to be carried on ESA's Mars Express, is equipped with a suite of instruments designed to look for evidence of life on Mars. The Soyuz/Fregat lifts off on 2 June 2003 with ESA's Mars Express. Europe's first mission to the Red Planet leaves Earth when the positions of the two planets make for the shortest possible route, a condition that occurs once every twenty-six months. The intrepid spacecraft will start its six-month journey from the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan onboard a Russian Soyuz/Fregat launcher. Credit: ESA
2003 Rover
title 2003 Rover
Description This artist's rendering shows a view of NASA's Mars 2003 Rover as it sets off roam the surface of the red planet. The rover is scheduled for launch in June 2003 and will arrive in January 2004, shielded in its landing by an airbag shell. The airbag/lander structure, which has no scientific instruments of its own, is shown to the right in this image, behind the rover. The rover will carry five scientific instruments and rock abrading device. The Panoramic Camera and the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer are located on the large mast shown on the front of the rover. The camera will be supplied by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and the spectrometer will be supplied by Arizona State University in Tempe. The payload also includes magnetic targets, provided by the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, that will collect magnetic dust for further study by the science instruments. The Rock Abrasion Tool is located on a robotic arm that can be deployed to study rocks and soil.(In this view, the robotic arm is tucked under the front of the rover.) The tool, provided by Honeybee Robotics Ltd., New York, N.Y., will grind away the outer surfaces of rocks, which may be dusty and weathered, allowing the science instruments to determine the nature of rock interiors. The three instruments that will study the abraded rocks are a Mossbauer Spectrometer, provided by the Johannes Gutenberg- University Mainz, Germany, an Alpha-Proton X-ray Spectrometer provided by Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, also in Mainz, Germany, and a Microscopic Imager, supplied by JPL. The payload also includes magnetic targets, provided by the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, that will collect magnetic dust for further study by the science instruments. In a landing similar to that of the 1997 Mars Pathfinder spacecraft, a parachute will deploy to slow the spacecraft down and airbags will inflate to cushion the landing. Petals of the landing structure will unfold to release the rover, which will drive off to begin its exploration. JPL manages the Mars 2003 Rover for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY is the lead institution for the science payload.
Three Years of Monitoring Ma …
PIA04297
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Spectromete …
Title Three Years of Monitoring Mars' Atmospheric Dust (Animation)
Original Caption Released with Image [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/archive/PIA04297.mpeg ] 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.
Rover 2
PIA04849
Title Rover 2
Original Caption Released with Image April 15, 2003Prelaunch at Kennedy Space Center In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the lander petals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) have been reopened and its solar panels deployed to allow technicians access to the spacecraft to remove one of its circuit boards. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Lander Petals of Rover 2
PIA04848
Title Lander Petals of Rover 2
Original Caption Released with Image April 15, 2003Prelaunch at Kennedy Space Center In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians reopen the lander petals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) to allow access to one of the spacecraft's circuit boards. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Circuit Boards on Rover 2
PIA04850
Title Circuit Boards on Rover 2
Original Caption Released with Image April 15, 2003Prelaunch at Kennedy Space Center In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians remove one of the circuit boards on the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2). To gain access to the spacecraft, its lander petals were reopened and its solar panels deployed. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Masursky Crater
PIA04559
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Masursky Crater
Original Caption Released with Image Released 9 June 2003 The large, tilted blocks in this THEMIS visible image are chaotic terrain in Masursky Crater. Chaotic terrain is thought to occur when subsurface water is suddenly released to the surface, and the resulting loss of ground support causes the surface material to slump and break into blocks. Most of the chaotic terrain on Mars is seen in the vicinity of the large catastrophic outflow channels. Many of the outflow channels actually have chaotic terrain as their source. This chaotic terrain is the source of a small channel that connects to the much larger Tiu Valles. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 12, Longitude 327.6 East (32.4 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Masursky Crater
PIA04559
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Masursky Crater
Original Caption Released with Image Released 9 June 2003 The large, tilted blocks in this THEMIS visible image are chaotic terrain in Masursky Crater. Chaotic terrain is thought to occur when subsurface water is suddenly released to the surface, and the resulting loss of ground support causes the surface material to slump and break into blocks. Most of the chaotic terrain on Mars is seen in the vicinity of the large catastrophic outflow channels. Many of the outflow channels actually have chaotic terrain as their source. This chaotic terrain is the source of a small channel that connects to the much larger Tiu Valles. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 12, Longitude 327.6 East (32.4 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Lycus Sulci
PIA04558
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Lycus Sulci
Original Caption Released with Image Released 6 June 2003 The remarkably rugged terrain that is part of a massive lobe of material extending over 700 km from the basal scarp of Olympus Mons is called sulci, which means furrows or grooves. This Latin word especially applies to the furrows on the surface of the brain, a definition that is visually fitting in the case of this image. The furrows are roughly a half to one km deep. Note the abundance of dark-toned slope streaks, which demonstrates that this is a region with significant dust accumulation. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 21.3, Longitude 213.6 East (146.4 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Lycus Sulci
PIA04558
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Lycus Sulci
Original Caption Released with Image Released 6 June 2003 The remarkably rugged terrain that is part of a massive lobe of material extending over 700 km from the basal scarp of Olympus Mons is called sulci, which means furrows or grooves. This Latin word especially applies to the furrows on the surface of the brain, a definition that is visually fitting in the case of this image. The furrows are roughly a half to one km deep. Note the abundance of dark-toned slope streaks, which demonstrates that this is a region with significant dust accumulation. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 21.3, Longitude 213.6 East (146.4 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Chaotic Terrain
PIA04556
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Chaotic Terrain
Original Caption Released with Image Released 4 June 2003 Chaotic terrain on Mars is thought to form when there is a sudden removal of subsurface water or ice, causing the surface material to slump and break into blocks. The chaotic terrain in this THEMIS visible image is confined to a crater just south of Elysium Planitia. It is common to see chaotic terrain in the vicinity of the catastrophic outflow channels on Mars, but the terrain in this image is on the opposite side of the planet from these channels, making it somewhat of an oddity. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -5.9, Longitude 108.1 East (251.9 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Chaotic Terrain
PIA04556
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Chaotic Terrain
Original Caption Released with Image Released 4 June 2003 Chaotic terrain on Mars is thought to form when there is a sudden removal of subsurface water or ice, causing the surface material to slump and break into blocks. The chaotic terrain in this THEMIS visible image is confined to a crater just south of Elysium Planitia. It is common to see chaotic terrain in the vicinity of the catastrophic outflow channels on Mars, but the terrain in this image is on the opposite side of the planet from these channels, making it somewhat of an oddity. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -5.9, Longitude 108.1 East (251.9 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Clouds Over Morning Limb
PIA04562
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Clouds Over Morning Limb
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-380, 3 June 2003 Mars Global Surveyor orbits the red planet 12 times each day. Half of each orbit is spent on the day side of Mars, which is where most Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images are obtained because sunlight is required to illuminate the surfaces being observed. However, on the night side of Mars, the wide angle cameras can see clouds and hazes above the sunward martian limb. The limb is the edge of the planet as it appears when viewed from an oblique perspective. This blue wide angle camera image, obtained on the night side of Mars on May 15, 2003, shows clouds picking up the first sunlight before dawn near 55° north latitude. The scene is illuminated by sunlight from the right. The sun is actually on the other side of the planet, and has not yet risen over this region. The dark area on the left side of the picture is the martian surface at night. The dark band on the right side is outer space. The bright features just right of center are the clouds hanging above the martian limb over the planet's northern plains. North is toward the top and east is to the right, the spacecraft was moving southward when the image was acquired.
Syria/Claritas Dust Storm
PIA04552
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Syria/Claritas Dust Storm
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-379, 2 June 2003 This color-enhanced composite of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle images shows dust-raising events--small dust "storms" and a few very large dust devils--in the Syria/Claritas region around 2 p.m. (1400) local time on May 21, 2003. The region is southwest of the Labyrinthus Noctis, near 14°S, 108°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left, winds were blowing from the west/southwest when the picture was taken. This composite was constructed from a full-resolution (240 meters per pixel) red wide angle image and a much lower resolution (7.5 km per pixel) blue wide angle image acquired at the same time.
Cycloidal Dust Devil Track
PIA04564
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Cycloidal Dust Devil Track
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-382, 5 June 2003 The spiraling feature near the center of this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image is known as a cycloidal marking. Patterns like this can also occur on Earth. On Mars, the "cycloidal"pattern--and all of the other dark streaks in this picture--are thought to have been formed by passing dust devils. On Earth, cycloidal markings have been observed to result from some tornadoes. The pattern is created when more than one vortex (spinning column of air) is traveling, and spinning, together. This picture is near 62.9°S, 234.7°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.
Bizarre Crater Mound
PIA04557
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Bizarre Crater Mound
Original Caption Released with Image Released 5 June 2003 The height of the interior mound of sediment inside this crater exceeds the crater rim heights by 900 meters (3,000 ft). This is a confounding problem. How does all this material get inside this crater and actually rise higher than its holding chamber? What is this material? Where did it come from? Why is it still here? It is exactly these kinds of enigmas that makes Mars so very interesting. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 12.2, Longitude 26.3 East (333.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Bizarre Crater Mound
PIA04557
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Bizarre Crater Mound
Original Caption Released with Image Released 5 June 2003 The height of the interior mound of sediment inside this crater exceeds the crater rim heights by 900 meters (3,000 ft). This is a confounding problem. How does all this material get inside this crater and actually rise higher than its holding chamber? What is this material? Where did it come from? Why is it still here? It is exactly these kinds of enigmas that makes Mars so very interesting. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 12.2, Longitude 26.3 East (333.7 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Small Martian Mesa
PIA04563
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Small Martian Mesa
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-381, 4 June 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image was acquired during the first week of June 2003. It shows a small mesa surrounded by a plain of dust-mantled dunes and ripples near 5.9°S, 202.8°W. Large, house-sized boulders have tumbled down the mesa slopes. This one of the highest resolution images from Mars, each pixel covers an area of 1.5 meters (5 feet) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left.
Frost in Charitum Montes
PIA04569
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Frost in Charitum Montes
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-387, 10 June 2003 This is a Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle view of the Charitum Montes, south of Argyre Planitia, in early June 2003. The seasonal south polar frost cap, composed of carbon dioxide, has been retreating southward through this area since spring began a month ago. The bright features toward the bottom of this picture are surfaces covered by frost. The picture is located near 57°S, 43°W. North is at the top, south is at the bottom. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. The area shown is about 217 km (135 miles) wide.
South Polar Cap in Summer
PIA04566
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title South Polar Cap in Summer
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-384, 7 June 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle camera view of the martian south polar residual cap was acquired in March 2002, at the peak of the last southern summer. The ice at the surface of this summertime cap is mostly composed of carbon dioxide. The picture covers an area about 600 km (373 mi) wide near 90.0°S. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower right. Compare the view shown here with the appearance of the cap 1 Mars year earlier in April 2000 by visiting: MOC2-225, 27 April 2000, "South Polar Cap, Summer 2000" [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/4_27_00_spcap/ ].
Eroded Crater Ejecta
PIA04555
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Eroded Crater Ejecta
Original Caption Released with Image Released 3 June 2003 Two craters in Arabia Terra, in the old cratered highlands, are surrounded by many small mesas. The two craters are partially shown in the central-left and extreme upper-right of the image. These mesas are remnants of ejecta blankets of debris that were cast out when the impact craters originally formed. These former ejecta blankets formed a material resistant to weathering, and so they remain on the surface as mesas, while the surrounding terrain has been stripped away. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 17.1, Longitude 8 East (352 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Eroded Crater Ejecta
PIA04555
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Eroded Crater Ejecta
Original Caption Released with Image Released 3 June 2003 Two craters in Arabia Terra, in the old cratered highlands, are surrounded by many small mesas. The two craters are partially shown in the central-left and extreme upper-right of the image. These mesas are remnants of ejecta blankets of debris that were cast out when the impact craters originally formed. These former ejecta blankets formed a material resistant to weathering, and so they remain on the surface as mesas, while the surrounding terrain has been stripped away. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 17.1, Longitude 8 East (352 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Tractus Catena Collapse Pits
PIA04568
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Tractus Catena Collapse Pits
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-386, 9 June 2003 This chain of pits formed by collapse as faulting extended the upper crust in the Tractus Catena region of Mars. The layered bedrock can be seen in the upper walls of each pit in this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide near 28.5°N, 102.9°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left.
Hebes ILD
PIA04554
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Hebes ILD
Original Caption Released with Image Released 2 June 2003 Hebes Chasma is the northernmost canyon of the vast Valles Marineris system. It contains a 7-km thick pile of sediments known as an interior layered deposit (ILD), which is common to many of the VM canyons. This ILD shows fine layers, deep spur-and-gulley erosion, and an unusual texture on the plateau surface that may be due to dunes. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -1.1, Longitude 283 East (77 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Hebes ILD
PIA04554
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys …
Title Hebes ILD
Original Caption Released with Image Released 2 June 2003 Hebes Chasma is the northernmost canyon of the vast Valles Marineris system. It contains a 7-km thick pile of sediments known as an interior layered deposit (ILD), which is common to many of the VM canyons. This ILD shows fine layers, deep spur-and-gulley erosion, and an unusual texture on the plateau surface that may be due to dunes. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude -1.1, Longitude 283 East (77 West). 19 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Apollinaris Patera Surfaces
PIA04551
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Apollinaris Patera Surfaces
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-378, 1 June 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows rugged, wind-eroded material that once used to completely cover the upper flanks of the martian volcano, Apollinaris Patera. This material, perhaps ancient volcanic ash or more recent, cemented dust, has been partially removed by wind erosion, revealing a smoother surface beneath. This view is located near the summit of the volcano, around 9.3°S, 186.1°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.
Terrain Near Gordii Dorsum
PIA04565
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Terrain Near Gordii Dorsum
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-383, 6 June 2003 Small ridges known as "yardangs" in the upper left quarter of this April 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image indicate that wind has stripped away a mantling layer of sediment to reveal the terrain beneath. Layers and boulders on the cliff face near the south-center of the image show that the substrate is quite competent, its location southwest of Olympus Mons near Gordii Dorsum suggests the bedrock here may include old lava flows. The picture is located near 4.8°N, 142.7°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left/lower left.
Layers in Galle Crater
PIA04567
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Layers in Galle Crater
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-385, 8 June 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image provides a glimpse of the layered sedimentary rocks in southern Galle Crater. The picture covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide near 52.3°S, 30.1°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.
Phobos Over the Martian Limb
PIA04589
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Phobos Over the Martian Limb
Original Caption Released with Image MOC Wide Angle ViewMOC Narrow Angle Camera View MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-400, 23 June 2003 Mars has two natural satellites, or moons, Phobos and Deimos. On 1 June 2003, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft was slewed eastward to capture these views of the inner moon, Phobos, shortly before it set over the afternoon limb. Phobos orbits Mars about 3 times a day at an average distance of 9,378 km (5,828 mi). About 0.006 times the size of Earth's Moon, Phobos is a potato-shaped object with dimensions approximately 27 by 22 by 18 kilometers (about 17 by 14 by 11 miles). The first picture shown here is a color composite of four MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle images, the second is the same as the first, but indicates the location of Phobos. The third view is a MOC narrow angle image, taken at the same time as the wide angle views, showing details on the surface of the tiny moon. Phobos is one of the darkest objects in the Solar System. Thus, four wide angle images were obtained to make the picture of Phobos over the martian limb: a pair of red and blue wide angle images was acquired for the limb, and a pair of separate images were required to see Phobos. The wide angle images illustrate the fact that Phobos is mostly colorless (dark gray), the faint orange/red hue in the wide angle picture is a combination of slight differences in the focal lengths of the blue and red cameras and the orange/red illumination provided by reflection of sunlight off Mars. To a person standing on Phobos, the red planet would fill most of the sky. The high resolution image (bottom) was taken at the same time as the wide angle views. MGS was about 9,670 kilometers (6,010 miles) from Phobos when the picture was taken. At this distance, the image resolution is about 36 meters (470 ft.) per pixel, the maximum dimension of Phobos as seen in this image (the diagonal from lower left to upper right) is just over 24 km (15 mi). This is the "trailing" hemisphere, the part of Phobos that faces opposite the direction that the moon orbits Mars. This is a part of Phobos that was not seen by MOC in 1998, when MGS made several close flybys of the tiny moon. The rows of grooves and aligned pits on Phobos are related to, and were probably caused by, a large meteor impact that occurred on the side of Phobos that is not seen here. That large crater, Stickney, was named for the maiden name of the wife of the astronomer that discovered Phobos and the other martian satellite, Deimos, in 1877, Asaph Hall. Examples, with descriptive captions, of the views of Phobos obtained by MOC in 1998 can be seen at:http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ ]http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ ] All of the previous MOC images of Phobos are available in the MOC Gallery at:, http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html ]http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html ]
Phobos Over the Martian Limb
PIA04589
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Phobos Over the Martian Limb
Original Caption Released with Image MOC Wide Angle ViewMOC Narrow Angle Camera View MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-400, 23 June 2003 Mars has two natural satellites, or moons, Phobos and Deimos. On 1 June 2003, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft was slewed eastward to capture these views of the inner moon, Phobos, shortly before it set over the afternoon limb. Phobos orbits Mars about 3 times a day at an average distance of 9,378 km (5,828 mi). About 0.006 times the size of Earth's Moon, Phobos is a potato-shaped object with dimensions approximately 27 by 22 by 18 kilometers (about 17 by 14 by 11 miles). The first picture shown here is a color composite of four MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle images, the second is the same as the first, but indicates the location of Phobos. The third view is a MOC narrow angle image, taken at the same time as the wide angle views, showing details on the surface of the tiny moon. Phobos is one of the darkest objects in the Solar System. Thus, four wide angle images were obtained to make the picture of Phobos over the martian limb: a pair of red and blue wide angle images was acquired for the limb, and a pair of separate images were required to see Phobos. The wide angle images illustrate the fact that Phobos is mostly colorless (dark gray), the faint orange/red hue in the wide angle picture is a combination of slight differences in the focal lengths of the blue and red cameras and the orange/red illumination provided by reflection of sunlight off Mars. To a person standing on Phobos, the red planet would fill most of the sky. The high resolution image (bottom) was taken at the same time as the wide angle views. MGS was about 9,670 kilometers (6,010 miles) from Phobos when the picture was taken. At this distance, the image resolution is about 36 meters (470 ft.) per pixel, the maximum dimension of Phobos as seen in this image (the diagonal from lower left to upper right) is just over 24 km (15 mi). This is the "trailing" hemisphere, the part of Phobos that faces opposite the direction that the moon orbits Mars. This is a part of Phobos that was not seen by MOC in 1998, when MGS made several close flybys of the tiny moon. The rows of grooves and aligned pits on Phobos are related to, and were probably caused by, a large meteor impact that occurred on the side of Phobos that is not seen here. That large crater, Stickney, was named for the maiden name of the wife of the astronomer that discovered Phobos and the other martian satellite, Deimos, in 1877, Asaph Hall. Examples, with descriptive captions, of the views of Phobos obtained by MOC in 1998 can be seen at:http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ ]http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ ] All of the previous MOC images of Phobos are available in the MOC Gallery at:, http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html ]http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html ]
Phobos Over the Martian Limb
PIA04589
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Phobos Over the Martian Limb
Original Caption Released with Image MOC Wide Angle ViewMOC Narrow Angle Camera View MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-400, 23 June 2003 Mars has two natural satellites, or moons, Phobos and Deimos. On 1 June 2003, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft was slewed eastward to capture these views of the inner moon, Phobos, shortly before it set over the afternoon limb. Phobos orbits Mars about 3 times a day at an average distance of 9,378 km (5,828 mi). About 0.006 times the size of Earth's Moon, Phobos is a potato-shaped object with dimensions approximately 27 by 22 by 18 kilometers (about 17 by 14 by 11 miles). The first picture shown here is a color composite of four MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle images, the second is the same as the first, but indicates the location of Phobos. The third view is a MOC narrow angle image, taken at the same time as the wide angle views, showing details on the surface of the tiny moon. Phobos is one of the darkest objects in the Solar System. Thus, four wide angle images were obtained to make the picture of Phobos over the martian limb: a pair of red and blue wide angle images was acquired for the limb, and a pair of separate images were required to see Phobos. The wide angle images illustrate the fact that Phobos is mostly colorless (dark gray), the faint orange/red hue in the wide angle picture is a combination of slight differences in the focal lengths of the blue and red cameras and the orange/red illumination provided by reflection of sunlight off Mars. To a person standing on Phobos, the red planet would fill most of the sky. The high resolution image (bottom) was taken at the same time as the wide angle views. MGS was about 9,670 kilometers (6,010 miles) from Phobos when the picture was taken. At this distance, the image resolution is about 36 meters (470 ft.) per pixel, the maximum dimension of Phobos as seen in this image (the diagonal from lower left to upper right) is just over 24 km (15 mi). This is the "trailing" hemisphere, the part of Phobos that faces opposite the direction that the moon orbits Mars. This is a part of Phobos that was not seen by MOC in 1998, when MGS made several close flybys of the tiny moon. The rows of grooves and aligned pits on Phobos are related to, and were probably caused by, a large meteor impact that occurred on the side of Phobos that is not seen here. That large crater, Stickney, was named for the maiden name of the wife of the astronomer that discovered Phobos and the other martian satellite, Deimos, in 1877, Asaph Hall. Examples, with descriptive captions, of the views of Phobos obtained by MOC in 1998 can be seen at:http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ ]http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ ] All of the previous MOC images of Phobos are available in the MOC Gallery at:, http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html ]http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html ]
Phobos Over the Martian Limb
PIA04589
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Phobos Over the Martian Limb
Original Caption Released with Image MOC Wide Angle ViewMOC Narrow Angle Camera View MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-400, 23 June 2003 Mars has two natural satellites, or moons, Phobos and Deimos. On 1 June 2003, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft was slewed eastward to capture these views of the inner moon, Phobos, shortly before it set over the afternoon limb. Phobos orbits Mars about 3 times a day at an average distance of 9,378 km (5,828 mi). About 0.006 times the size of Earth's Moon, Phobos is a potato-shaped object with dimensions approximately 27 by 22 by 18 kilometers (about 17 by 14 by 11 miles). The first picture shown here is a color composite of four MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle images, the second is the same as the first, but indicates the location of Phobos. The third view is a MOC narrow angle image, taken at the same time as the wide angle views, showing details on the surface of the tiny moon. Phobos is one of the darkest objects in the Solar System. Thus, four wide angle images were obtained to make the picture of Phobos over the martian limb: a pair of red and blue wide angle images was acquired for the limb, and a pair of separate images were required to see Phobos. The wide angle images illustrate the fact that Phobos is mostly colorless (dark gray), the faint orange/red hue in the wide angle picture is a combination of slight differences in the focal lengths of the blue and red cameras and the orange/red illumination provided by reflection of sunlight off Mars. To a person standing on Phobos, the red planet would fill most of the sky. The high resolution image (bottom) was taken at the same time as the wide angle views. MGS was about 9,670 kilometers (6,010 miles) from Phobos when the picture was taken. At this distance, the image resolution is about 36 meters (470 ft.) per pixel, the maximum dimension of Phobos as seen in this image (the diagonal from lower left to upper right) is just over 24 km (15 mi). This is the "trailing" hemisphere, the part of Phobos that faces opposite the direction that the moon orbits Mars. This is a part of Phobos that was not seen by MOC in 1998, when MGS made several close flybys of the tiny moon. The rows of grooves and aligned pits on Phobos are related to, and were probably caused by, a large meteor impact that occurred on the side of Phobos that is not seen here. That large crater, Stickney, was named for the maiden name of the wife of the astronomer that discovered Phobos and the other martian satellite, Deimos, in 1877, Asaph Hall. Examples, with descriptive captions, of the views of Phobos obtained by MOC in 1998 can be seen at:http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ ]http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ ] All of the previous MOC images of Phobos are available in the MOC Gallery at:, http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html ]http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html ]
Phobos Over the Martian Limb
PIA04589
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Phobos Over the Martian Limb
Original Caption Released with Image MOC Wide Angle ViewMOC Narrow Angle Camera View MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-400, 23 June 2003 Mars has two natural satellites, or moons, Phobos and Deimos. On 1 June 2003, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft was slewed eastward to capture these views of the inner moon, Phobos, shortly before it set over the afternoon limb. Phobos orbits Mars about 3 times a day at an average distance of 9,378 km (5,828 mi). About 0.006 times the size of Earth's Moon, Phobos is a potato-shaped object with dimensions approximately 27 by 22 by 18 kilometers (about 17 by 14 by 11 miles). The first picture shown here is a color composite of four MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle images, the second is the same as the first, but indicates the location of Phobos. The third view is a MOC narrow angle image, taken at the same time as the wide angle views, showing details on the surface of the tiny moon. Phobos is one of the darkest objects in the Solar System. Thus, four wide angle images were obtained to make the picture of Phobos over the martian limb: a pair of red and blue wide angle images was acquired for the limb, and a pair of separate images were required to see Phobos. The wide angle images illustrate the fact that Phobos is mostly colorless (dark gray), the faint orange/red hue in the wide angle picture is a combination of slight differences in the focal lengths of the blue and red cameras and the orange/red illumination provided by reflection of sunlight off Mars. To a person standing on Phobos, the red planet would fill most of the sky. The high resolution image (bottom) was taken at the same time as the wide angle views. MGS was about 9,670 kilometers (6,010 miles) from Phobos when the picture was taken. At this distance, the image resolution is about 36 meters (470 ft.) per pixel, the maximum dimension of Phobos as seen in this image (the diagonal from lower left to upper right) is just over 24 km (15 mi). This is the "trailing" hemisphere, the part of Phobos that faces opposite the direction that the moon orbits Mars. This is a part of Phobos that was not seen by MOC in 1998, when MGS made several close flybys of the tiny moon. The rows of grooves and aligned pits on Phobos are related to, and were probably caused by, a large meteor impact that occurred on the side of Phobos that is not seen here. That large crater, Stickney, was named for the maiden name of the wife of the astronomer that discovered Phobos and the other martian satellite, Deimos, in 1877, Asaph Hall. Examples, with descriptive captions, of the views of Phobos obtained by MOC in 1998 can be seen at:http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/9_11_98_phobos_rel/ ]http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/05/16/ ] All of the previous MOC images of Phobos are available in the MOC Gallery at:, http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/natables/na999.html ]http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html [ http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/ab1_m04/watables/wa999.html ]
Dark Slope Streaks
PIA04613
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Dark Slope Streaks
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-412, 5 July 2003 On the dry, desert planet, Mars, wind is not the only contemporary geologic process that modifies the surface. Gravity also has a role to play. In regions such as Amazonis, Tharsis, and Arabia, most surfaces are covered by mantles of very fine dust. From time to time, an avalanche occurs on a dust-covered slope. This process is happening today, because changes have been observed by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) over the course if its mission, which began in September 1997. This picture shows a variety of dark slope streaks, formed by avalanches of dust, on the walls of a crater in southwest Amazonis near 7.6°N, 171.8°W. The size and shape of each slope streak, including the wide feature near the upper right, is determined by the steepness and texture of the slope on which it occurs. New slope streaks in some regions have been observed to form over periods of less than a few months to a year. This picture was taken in June 2003, and is illuminated from the lower left. The image is 2.3 km (1.4 mi) wide.
Frosty Mountains
PIA04606
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Frosty Mountains
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-409, 2 July 2003 The Mars Picture of the Day for June 10, 2003, [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/06/10/ ] showed an early southern spring view of the frost-covered Charitum Montes, south of Argyre Planitia. Today's picture shows some of the same mountain range, as it appeared in early June 2003 when viewed the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle cameras. This perspective view was created by combining MOC red and blue camera images with topographic data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), another instrument onboard MGS. The bright areas are surfaces covered by frost. The picture is located near 57°S, 43°W. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left. North, and Argyre Planitia, are toward the top.
Kaiser Dune Avalanches
PIA04610
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Kaiser Dune Avalanches
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-410, 3 July 2003 Mars Global Surveyor's (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has obtained thousands of images of martian sand dunes since it began observing the planet from orbit in 1997. Many of the dunes appear to be inactive in the modern environment, but appear to be quite young, otherwise (they do not have any small meteor impact craters on them, they often have sharp edges and brinks--all attributes of modern, active dunes). In some dune fields, as in Herschel Basin in Terra Cimmeria, the dunes are grooved (e.g., see Mars Picture of the Day for April 19, 2003 [ http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2003/04/19/ ]), indicating that they have been cemented and then eroded by wind. In the Noachis Terra region of Mars, many dune fields also appear to have been cemented. The evidence in this case comes from the deep scars formed on the slip face slopes by avalanches of sand. This MOC image shows more than a dozen examples a dune in eastern Kaiser Crater near 47.1°S, 340.0°W. If the dunes were not cemented--that is, if the sand was loose--then the avalanches would not leave steep-sided chutes on the slip face slopes. The implication that many martian dunes are cemented and inactive in the modern martian environment, but were active sometime in the not-too-distant past, suggests that the climate of Mars may have changed in recent times. This picture was obtained in June 2003, it is illuminated from the upper left. North is toward the upper right, the area shown here is about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide.
Layers in Terby Crater
PIA04600
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Layers in Terby Crater
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-407, 30 June 2003 Whether on Earth or Mars, sedimentary rocks provide a record of past environments. Of course, it is difficult to read that record without being able to visit the site. However, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) has revealed hundreds of locales on Mars at which sedimentary rocks are exposed at the surface. Terby Crater exhibits hundreds of layers of similar thickness and physical properties--some have speculated these may be the record of an ancient lake or sea. This MOC image shows some of the layer outcrops in Terby Crater. Fans of debris have eroded from the steep, layered slopes in some places. This picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide near 27.5°S, 285.7°W. The image is illuminated from the upper left and was obtained in June 2003.
Eastern Cerberus
PIA04640
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Eastern Cerberus
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-423, 16 July 2003 This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the dark, wind-streaked plains of eastern Cerberus, located southeast of the Elysium volcanoes. The dark, diagonal lines are the Cerberus Fossae, a series of cracks where the surface of Mars has literally split open. This composite of red and blue MOC wide angle images was obtained in June 2003. The center of this view is located at 12.5°N, 201°W. North is up, east is to the right, and sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Polygons in Martian Frost
PIA04655
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Polygons in Martian Frost
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-428, 21 July 2003 This June 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a polygonal pattern developed in seasonal carbon dioxide frost in the martian southern hemisphere. The frost accumulated during the recent southern winter, it is now spring, and the carbon dioxide frost is subliming away. This image is located near 80.4°S, 200.2°W, it is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) across.
Dark Slope Streaks
PIA04691
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Dark Slope Streaks
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-457, 19 August 2003 This June 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a crater rim mantled with fine dust near 7.6°N, 171.8°W. Occasional avalanches of dust have created dark streaks that are tapered at their source and broaden downslope. A suite of particularly large streaks are seen in the lower right quarter of the picture. The MOC narrow angle camera does not take color images, this full-resolution (1.5 m/pixel, 5 ft/pixel) picture has been "colorized" using data from a previous color image of Mars. Sunlight illuminates this scene from the lower left.
Exhumed Ridge Pattern
PIA04756
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Exhumed Ridge Pattern
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-490, 21 September 2003 The lower half of this June 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows an array of ridges arranged in a somewhat polygonal pattern. These ridges are being exhumed from within a blanket of material that covers the region south (toward the bottom) of this image. The origin of the ridges is not known, they might, for example, have started out as cracks and joints in the overlying material that became filled with coarser or cemented material that was left standing as solid ridges when the overlying sediment was eroded away. This picture is located near 11.0°N, 147.8°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) across. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Defrosting Patterns
PIA04750
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Defrosting Patterns
Original Caption Released with Image MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-487, 18 September 2003 This June 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows patterns created by defrosting processes on the south polar seasonal ice cap. "Seasonal cap" refers to the part of the polar cap that comes and goes with the seasons, as opposed to the "residual cap", which lasts throughout the summer. The area shown here, in summer, will have no frost. This picture was taken during southern spring. As the seasonal frost begins to sublime away, dark cracks form a polygon pattern, and wind blows material to form varied bright and dark streaks. What is unknown is whether the dark streaks consist of sand and silt from beneath the seasonal frost, or whether they, too, consist of frost that has been transformed into coarse-grained particles that can be mobilized by wind. Alternatively, the streaks represent erosion and removal of frost, rather than deposition of granular material. The bright streaks are most likely made of frost--whether they are water ice or carbon dioxide ice remains to be determined. The bulk of the frosted surface shown here is carbon dioxide ice. The image is located near 87.3°S, 192.4°W. The picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.
Defrosting Scene
PIA04841
Sol (our sun)
Mars Orbiter Camera
Title Defrosting Scene
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.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, preparations are under way to reopen the lander petals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) to allow technicians access to one of the spacecraft's circuit boards. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Release Date 04/15/2003
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the lander petals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) have been reopened to allow technicians access to one of the spacecraft's circuit boards. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Release Date 04/15/2003
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the lander petals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) have been reopened and its solar panels deployed to allow technicians access to the spacecraft to remove one of its circuit boards. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Release Date 04/15/2003
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians reopen the lander petals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) to allow access to one of the spacecraft's circuit boards. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Release Date 04/15/2003
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians remove one of the circuit boards on the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2). To gain access to the spacecraft, its lander petals were reopened and its solar panels deployed. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Release Date 04/15/2003
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …
Description KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians reopen the lander petals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-2) to allow access to one of the spacecraft's circuit boards. A concern arose during prelaunch testing regarding how the spacecraft interprets signals sent from its main computer to peripherals in the cruise stage, lander and small deep space transponder. The MER Mission consists of two identical rovers set to launch in June 2003. The problem will be fixed on both rovers.
Release Date 04/15/2003
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