* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Mars Global Surveyor image

Blobrana · L

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR October 23, 2006, Image of the Week

o A Few Good Barchans (Released 23 October 2006)

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows several small, dark sand dunes and a small crater (about 1 kilometre in diameter) within a much larger crater. The floor of the larger crater is rough and has been eroded with time. The floor of the smaller crater contains windblown ripples. The steep faces of the dunes point to the east (top), indicating that the dominant winds blew from the west (bottom). This scene is located near 38.5°S, 347.1°W, and covers an area approximately 3 km wide. Sunlight illuminates the landscape from the bottom left. This southern autumn image was acquired on 1 July 2006.

Blobrana · L

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR IMAGES October 17, 2006

o Frost-free North Polar Layers in the Good Old Summertime (Released 17 October 2006)

The middle portion of the northern summer season is the ideal time of year to capture relatively dust- and haze-free views of martian north polar terrain. This year, much more of the north polar cap has sublimed away than has been evident in previous northern summers going back to 1999, when Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) began the Mapping Phase of the mission. This MGS Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a nearly ice-free view of layers exposed by erosion in the north polar region. The light-toned patches are remnants of water ice frost. The layers are generally considered by the Mars scientific community to be record of past depositions of ice and dust. This picture is located near 82.5N, 118.6W, and covers an area about 3 km by 10 km. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the upper left; the image was acquired on 22 September 2006.

Blobrana · L

A new image taken by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft is now available:

o Summertime View of North Polar Sand Dunes (Released 10 October 2006)

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a suite of dunes in one of the several north polar dune fields. The bright surfaces adjacent to some of the dunes are patches of frost. These dunes spend much of the autumn, winter, and spring seasons covered with carbon dioxide frost. Only in late spring and in summer are the dark windblown sands fully exposed.

The view covers an area approximately 3 km wide and is illuminated by sunlight from the lower left. The dunes are located near 79.8°N, 127.1°W, and the picture was acquired on 11 September 2006.

Blobrana · L

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR IMAGES September 28 - October 2, 2006

o To Beat the Band (Released 28 September 2006)
o Autumn Gullies (Released 29 September 2006)
o Scrambled Hellas (Released 30 September 2006)
o Mars at Ls 121 Degrees (Released 02 October 2006)

Blobrana · L

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR IMAGES September 21-27, 2006

o Cracky Mars (Released 21 September 2006)
o West Candor Rocks (Released 22 September 2006)
o Mesa with Apron (Released 23 September 2006)
o Yardang City (Released 24 September 2006)
o Patterned Plains (Released 25 September 2006)
o Mars at Ls 107 Degrees (Released 26 September 2006)
o Ganges Quagmire (Released 27 September 2006)

Blobrana · L

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR IMAGES September 14-20, 2006

o Sandy Dunes (Released 14 September 2006)
o Mars Slide Show (Released 15 September 2006)
o Layered Crater Walls (Released 16 September 2006)
o Buried Craters (Released 17 September 2006)
o Rippley Channel (Released 18 September 2006)
o Mars at Ls 107 Degrees (Released 19 September 2006)
o Something Old, Something New (Released 20 September 2006)

Blobrana · L

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR IMAGES September 7-13, 2006

o Crater with Gullies (Released 07 September 2006)
o Rippled Labyrinth (Released 08 September 2006)
o Ring Things (Released 09 September 2006)
o Dunes of Wirtz (Released 10 September 2006)
o Embaying Flow (Released 11 September 2006)
o 9 Years at Mars! (Released 12 September 2006)
o Mars at Ls 107 Degrees (Released 13 September 2006)

Blobrana · L

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR IMAGES August 31 - September 6, 2006

o Devil's Scratches (Released 31 August 2006)
o Dark Polar Dunes (Released 01 September 2006)
o Tiled Floor (Released 02 September 2006)
o Viking 2's 30th! (Released 03 September 2006)
o Becquerel Outcrops (Released 04 September 2006)
o Mars at Ls 107 Degrees (Released 05 September 2006)
o Polar Terminus (Released 06 September 2006)

Blobrana · L

MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR IMAGES August 24-30, 2006

o Archangel's Dunes (Released 24 August 2006)
o Springtime Dunes (Released 25 August 2006)
o Polar Unconformity (Released 26 August 2006)
o Mutch Crater (Released 27 August 2006)
o Polar Band (Released 28 August 2006)
o Mars at Ls 93 Degrees (Released 29 August 2006)
o Windy Work (Released 30 August 2006)