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Outer Dregs

May 15, 2006
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows the very edge of the south polar residual cap of Mars. The bright areas, which appear somewhat like pieces of sliced Swiss cheese, are composed mainly of frozen carbon dioxide.

15 May 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows the very edge of the south polar residual cap of Mars. The bright areas, which appear somewhat like pieces of sliced Swiss cheese, are composed mainly of frozen carbon dioxide. The scarps around the edges of the carbon dioxide mesas have been retreating at a rate of roughly 3 meters (~3 yards) per martian year; in this case, exposing a darker surface that lies below.

Location near: 85.4°S, 88.6°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Summer

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