APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Layers of the Martian South Polar Cap
Explanation: The South Pole of Mars is stranger than was previously thought. Pictured above are unexpectedly complex layers photographed recently by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft currently orbiting Mars . The layers probably include carbon dioxide ice , water ice , rock and dust . The intricate structures might indicate erosion patterns that hold clues to the history of the Martian climate over the past 100 million years. The above image covers a region five kilometers across, resolving details as small as 25 meters across.
| Date | April 25, 2000 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: Malin Space Science Systems , MGS , JPL , NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |