NASA Mars Picture of the Day: South Polar Autumn
Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-1440, 22 April 2006
 NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
| This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a portion of the south polar residual cap. The darkened edges of the pits and mesas are evidence of the removal—by sublimation—of frozen carbon dioxide during the recent martian summer. Summer ended and autumn began in January 2006, shortly before this image was acquired. |
| Location near: 86.8°S, 90.5°W |
| Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi) |
| Illumination from: upper left |
| Season: Southern Summer |
