NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Sand Dunes with Frost

Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-721, 9 May 2004

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
image shows a suite of frost-covered sand dunes in the
north polar region of Mars in early spring, 2004. The dunes
indicate wind transport of sand from left to right (west to
east). These landforms are located
near 78.1°N, 220.8°W.
This picture is illuminated by sunlight from the lower
left and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across.

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.