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The Martian North Polar Cap in Summer

May 22, 2000
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the martian north polar cap on March 13, 1999, in early northern summer. The light-toned surfaces are residual water ice that remains through the summer season.

This is a wide angle view of the martian north polar cap as it appeared to the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) in early northern summer. The picture was acquired on March 13, 1999, near the start of the Mapping Phase of the MGS mission. The light-toned surfaces are residual water ice that remains through the summer season. The nearly circular band of dark material surrounding the cap consists mainly of sand dunes formed and shaped by wind. The north polar cap is roughly 1100 kilometers (680 miles) across.

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