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PIA08461: Outer Dregs
This Mars MOC image shows the very edge of the south polar residual cap of Mars. The bright areas, which appear somewhat like pieces of sliced Swiss cheese, are composed mainly of frozen carbon dioxide
Target Name: Mars
Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun)
Mission: Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Spacecraft: Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
Instrument: Mars Orbiter Camera
Product Size: 1024 samples x 1548 lines
Produced By: Malin Space Science Systems
Producer ID: MOC2-1463
Full-Res TIFF: PIA08461.tif (1.587 MB)
Full-Res JPEG: PIA08461.jpg (336.8 kB)

Click on the image to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original).

Original Caption Released with Image:

15 May 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the very edge of the south polar residual cap of Mars. The bright areas, which appear somewhat like pieces of sliced Swiss cheese, are composed mainly of frozen carbon dioxide. The scarps around the edges of the carbon dioxide mesas have been retreating at a rate of roughly 3 meters (~3 yards) per martian year; in this case, exposing a darker surface that lies below.

Location near: 85.4°S, 88.6°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Summer


Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

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