NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Rippled Mars 10-25-2003

Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-524, 25 October 2003

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
image shows a rugged surface southwest of Huygens Basin
that is covered by large windblown ripples or small dunes.
Their orientations indicate that the responsible winds came
from either the northwest (upper left) or southeast (lower
right), or both. The more complex ripple patterns within
the two large craters result from local topographic
influences on the wind. This area is located
near 20.1°S, 307.3°W.
The picture covers an area about 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.