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Mars. December 25, 2003 - This is how Mars appeared to the Mars Global Surveyor
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Mars. December 25, 2003 - This is how Mars appeared to the Mars Global Surveyor
December 25, 2003 - This is how Mars appeared to the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle system on December 25, 2003, the day that Beagle 2 and Mars Express reached the red planet. The large, dark region just left of center is Syrtis Major, a persistent low albedo terrain known to astronomers for nearly four centuries before the first spacecraft went to Mars. Immediately to the right (east) of Syrtis Major is the somewhat circular plain, Isidis Planitia. Beagle 2 arrived in Isidis Planitia only about 18 minutes before Mars Global Surveyor flew over the region and acquired a portion of this global view.
Relative to other global images of Mars acquired by MGS over the past several martian years, the surface features were not as sharp and distinct on December 25, 2003 because of considerable haze kicked up by large dust storms in the western and southern hemispheres during th previous two weeks. The picture is a composite of several MGS MOC red and blue daily global images that have been map-projected and digitally wrapped to a sphere. Although the effect here is minor, inspection of this mosaic shows zones that appear smudged or blurry. The high dust opacity impacted MOCs oblique viewing geometry toward the edges of each orbits daily global mapping image, thus emphasizing the blurry zones between images acquired on successive orbits
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Media ID 13067517
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Areology Astrogeology Circle Crater Deposit Depression Equator Exogeology Full Geography Geology Global Globe Mars Martian Meteorology Plains Planet Planetary Science Planitia Round Solar System Space Weather Sphere Storm Surface Terrain Texture Topography Weather View From Space
EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures the mesmerizing beauty of Mars on December 25,2003, a significant day in space exploration history. As Beagle 2 and Mars Express successfully reached the red planet, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) wide angle system captured this breathtaking image. The focal point of the photograph is Syrtis Major, a prominent dark region just left of center. This terrain has intrigued astronomers for centuries before any spacecraft ventured to Mars. Adjacent to Syrtis Major lies Isidis Planitia, a circular plain that welcomed Beagle 2's arrival only moments before MGS flew over it. However, due to intense dust storms in the western and southern hemispheres during the previous two weeks, surface features appear slightly hazy and less distinct than in other global images acquired by MGS over several martian years. The composite nature of this picture combines multiple MOC red and blue daily global images that have been digitally wrapped onto a sphere. Upon closer inspection, some zones may seem smudged or blurry due to high dust opacity impacting MOC's oblique viewing geometry at the edges of each orbit's daily global mapping image. Nonetheless, this minor effect does not diminish the overall magnificence of this mosaic. This remarkable print from Stocktrek Images serves as a reminder of humanity's relentless pursuit to explore distant worlds like Mars and unravel their mysteries for generations to come.
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