NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Lycus Sulci Terrain
Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-1076, 29 April 2005
 NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a small mountain in the Lycus Sulci region, northwest of the Olympus Mons volcano. Dark streaks, probably caused by avalanching and flow of extremely dry dust, have formed on the mountain’s slopes. The various ridged and grooved textures in this scene were formed by wind erosion. |
Location near: 22.6°N, 145.5°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.
