NASA Mars Picture of the Day: Winter Clouds Over Mie

Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-663, 12 March 2004

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
red wide angle image shows late winter clouds over the
104 km (~65 mi) diameter crater, Mie. Cellular clouds occur
in the lower martian atmosphere, surrounding Mie Crater. Their
cloudtops are at an altitude that is below the crater
rim. Higher than the crater rim occurs a series of lee wave
clouds, indicating air circulation moving from west/northwest
(left) toward the east/southeast (right). Mie Crater is located
in Utopia Planitia, not too far from the Viking 2 landing site,
near 48.5°N, 220.4°W.
Sunlight illuminates this January 2004 scene from the lower 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.