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Vastitas Borealis and Lomonosov Crater
Mars Express HRSC view of Vastitas Borealis, a large polar plain surrounding Mars' northern ice cap (visible near the top of the image). The polar plains have been smoothed by the formation and removal of ice deposits over the last few million years, and most small craters have been destroyed and covered with frost-shattered rock. Only very large craters, such as the 147 km diameter Lomonosov Crater, remain prominent on the landscape. In addition, strong winds descending off the ice cap have produced vast dune fields, visible here as dark, spotty regions.
This image was taken near the northern summer solstice, a time when sublimation of the ice cap reaches a maximum.
The cold air and rising atmospheric density allow the formation of dense, highly structured haze layers and clouds in the skies over the ice cap.
This image was taken during Mars Express' 15,145th orbit of Mars, December 12, 2015. This image is a single frame taken using HRSC's panchromatic filter.
Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/J. Cowart, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Vastitas Borealis and Lomonosov Crater
Mars Express HRSC view of Vastitas Borealis, a large polar plain surrounding Mars' northern ice cap (visible near the top of the image). The polar plains have been smoothed by the formation and removal of ice deposits over the last few million years, and most small craters have been destroyed and covered with frost-shattered rock. Only very large craters, such as the 147 km diameter Lomonosov Crater, remain prominent on the landscape. In addition, strong winds descending off the ice cap have produced vast dune fields, visible here as dark, spotty regions.
This image was taken near the northern summer solstice, a time when sublimation of the ice cap reaches a maximum.
The cold air and rising atmospheric density allow the formation of dense, highly structured haze layers and clouds in the skies over the ice cap.
This image was taken during Mars Express' 15,145th orbit of Mars, December 12, 2015. This image is a single frame taken using HRSC's panchromatic filter.
Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/J. Cowart, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO