Mars Picture of the Day: May Dust Storm in Acidalia
Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-374, 28 May 2003
![]() NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
Northern Acidalia Planitia was engulfed in a
continent-sized dust storm in mid-May 2003.
This composite of
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
daily global images shows the early
autumn dust storm (top 1/4 of the picture) sweeping
east-northeast (toward upper right) across the northern plains.
Dust storms like these are common in early autumn and
generally last about a day or two.
This simple cylindrical view of Mars covers regions
from eastern Kasei Valles/northeast Tempe Terra (in
the upper left), to central Arabia Terra (center right),
Argyre Basin (lower left), Noachis Terra (lower right),
and the northern edge of the retreating south polar
seasonal frost cap (bottom).
Sunlight illuminates the scene from the 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.