1 October 2006
These images capture what Mars typically looks like
in mid-afternoon at Ls 121°. In other words, with the
exception of occasional differences in weather and polar frost patterns,
this is what the red planet looks like this month (October 2006).
Six views are shown, including the two polar regions. These are composites
of 24-26 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) daily global
mapping images acquired at red and blue wavelengths. The 'hole' over the
south pole is an area where no images were obtained, because this polar
region is enveloped in wintertime darkness.
Presently, it is summer in the northern hemisphere and winter in the
southern hemisphere. Ls, solar longitude, a measure of the
time of year on Mars. Mars travels 360° around the Sun in 1 Mars year.
The year begins at Ls 0°, the start of northern spring and
southern autumn. Northern summer/southern winter begins at Ls
90°, northern autumn/southern spring start at Ls 180°, and
northern winter/southern summer begin at Ls 270°.
Ls 121° occurs in the middle of this month (October 2006). The
pictures show how Mars appeared to the MOC wide angle cameras at a
previous Ls 121° in February 2001. The six views are centered
on the Tharsis region (upper left), Acidalia and Mare Eyrthraeum (upper
right), Syrtis Major and Hellas (middle left), Elysium and Mare Cimmeria
(middle right), the north pole (lower left), and the south pole (lower
right).
