Springtime on Mars
Explanation:
Vast canyons, towering volcanoes, sprawling fields of ice,
deep craters, and high clouds can all be seen in this image of the
Solar System's
fourth planet:
Mars.
The orbiting robot
Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft took the
above mosaic of images as
springtime dawned in Northern Mars in 2002 May.
Sprawled across the image bottom is
Valles Marinaris,
a canyon three times the length of Earth's
Grand Canyon,
and four times as deep.
On the left are several volcanoes including
Olympus Mons,
a volcano three times higher than Earth's
Mt. Everest.
At the top is the
North Polar Cap
made of thawing water and
carbon-dioxide based ice.
Swirling
white clouds and
circular impact craters
are also visible around
Mars.
Two
rovers
will be launched to Mars this summer and should arrive in 2004 January.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
