NASA Mars Picture of the Day: North Polar Dunes 01-23-2006
Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-1351, 23 January 2006
 NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows dark sand dunes in the north polar region of Mars. Surrounding much of the north polar ice cap are fields of sand dunes. In this case, the strongest winds responsible for the dunes blew off the polar cap (not seen here), from the north-northwest (upper left). |
Location near: 76.5°N, 63.7°W |
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) |
Illumination from: lower left |
Season: Northern Summer |
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.
