The Martian North Polar Cap in Summer

Launched on November 7, 1996, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) began its mission of mapping Mars in March 1999. For nine years, four times longer than originally planned, it observed Mars from a low-altitude, nearly polar orbit. The mission returned more than 240,000 images and other data until November 2006.

This is a wide angle view of Mars's north polar cap as it appeared to the MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in early northern summer. The picture was acquired on March 13, 1999, near the start of the Mapping Phase of the MGS mission. The light-toned surfaces are residual water ice that remains through the summer season. The nearly circular band of dark material surrounding the cap consists mainly of sand dunes formed and shaped by wind. The north polar cap is roughly 1100 kilometers (680 miles) across.

NASA Media Usage Guidelines

Credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS
Image Number: PIA02800
Date: March 13, 1999

No known copyright restrictions

Taken on: March 13, 1999

Tags:

Mars

north pole

Mars Global Surveyor

MGS

Mars Orbiter Camera

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Sets appears in: • Mars Global Surveyor • Mars Exploration

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