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skywizard
27th December 2014, 00:02
http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/dnews-files-2014-12-frosted-mars1-670x440-141224-jpg.jpg


The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on board NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter constantly watches the red planet’s surface, keeping tabs on the Martian seasons.

In this observation, which covers an area of about 1.5 kilometers by 3 kilometers, the slopes of an equatorial crater are detailed, showing intricate gullies covered in ice. The presence of gullies in the crater rim suggest geological processes are occurring.

Some gullies on Mars are thought to be etched out by occasional spurts of melt-water, as would be expected on Earth; others are likely caused by landslides triggered by the sublimation of carbon dioxide ices cracking and eroding rocky outcrops.

This particular Mars crater is slowly moving into summer, so only the south-facing slopes are able to retain any ice. But as we approach Christmas on Earth, and the Northern Hemisphere on our planet is in the depths of winter, it’s hard not to see a festive landscape, albeit on another planet.

A wider view of the crater slopes and gullies is shown below:

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/blogs/dnews-files-2014-12-frosted-mars-670x440-141224-jpg.jpg
Wide-angle view of the crater gullies and frost (rotated).



Source: http://news.discovery.com/space/the-frosted-slopes-of-mars-141224.htm



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