NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Mars Says “hi”!

Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-877, 12 October 2004

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Although one might argue that most of the “i” is missing,
and part of the “h” has been eroded away,
this Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
image shows light-toned sedimentary rock outcrops in
northern Sinus Meridiani that almost seem to spell out
the word, “hi”. This natural graffiti is all that remains
of a suite of sedimentary rock that once covered the
area shown here. The 400 meter scale bar is about
437 yards long. The features are located
near 1.8°N, 357.2°W.
Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left.

Malin Space Science Systems and the California Institute of Technology
built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission.
MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, California.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars Surveyor Operations Project
operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial
partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena,
California and Denver, Colorado.