Mars Polar Cap – This image of the polar cap on Mars was created this past month from combined images from the NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s wide-angle camera on NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor. It is a composite mosaic of four polar views of Mars, taken at midnight, 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. local Martian time. This is possible because during summer the north polar region is illuminated the entire Martian day. It shows the mostly water-ice perennial cap (white area), sitting atop the north polar layered materials (light tan immediately adjacent to the ice), and the dark circumpolar dunes.
This view shows the region poleward of about 72 degrees north latitude. The data were acquired at about 900 meters (about 3,000 feet) per pixel. Three channels are shown here, centered on wavelengths of 425 nanometers, 550 nanometers, and 600 nanometers.
More information from NASA’s webpage.
