NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Apollinaris Patera Erosion

Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-853, 18 September 2004

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Apollinaris Patera is an ancient volcano located northwest
of Gusev Crater, the landing site of the Mars Exploration
Rover, Spirit. Apollinaris Patera, being rather old, is covered
with craters, mantles of dust, and a wind-scoured covering
of indurated, fine material.
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
image shows a small portion of the Apollinaris Patera
volcano, revealing the exhumation of older surfaces from
beneath a relatively thin, wind-scoured material.
This view is located on the upper south slope of the volcano,
near 9.5°S, 186.4°W. The image
covers an area approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) across and
is illuminated by sunlight 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.