On the Edge of the South Pole Layered Deposit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
On the Edge of the South Pole Layered Deposit
ESP_047087_1065  Science Theme: Seasonal Processes
This image shows the edge of the Martian South Polar layered deposit. The stack of fine layering is highlighted by the rays of the polar sun.

These layers show the pervasive red coloring of Mars which have built up over the ages. While this is a polar deposit, no ice or frost is visible on these layers, as they face the sun. However, if you look beyond the rim of the layered slope at the “top” of the deposit, you can see that red rock and dust are covered with frost, as well as small radial channels that are evidence of polar spider networks.

Written by: Ross Beyer (narration: Tre Gibbs)  (5 October 2016)
 
Acquisition date
12 August 2016

Local Mars time
16:02

Latitude (centered)
-73.172°

Longitude (East)
133.994°

Spacecraft altitude
247.8 km (154.0 miles)

Original image scale range
24.8 cm/pixel (with 1 x 1 binning) so objects ~74 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
25 cm/pixel

Map projection
Polarstereographic

Emission angle
1.3°

Phase angle
71.8°

Solar incidence angle
73°, with the Sun about 17° above the horizon

Solar longitude
202.6°, Northern Autumn

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  101°
Sub-solar azimuth:  35.5°
JPEG
Black and white
map projected  non-map

IRB color
map projected  non-map

Merged IRB
map projected

Merged RGB
map projected

RGB color
non-map projected

JP2
Black and white
map-projected   (530MB)

IRB color
map-projected   (310MB)

JP2 EXTRAS
Black and white
map-projected  (314MB)
non-map           (334MB)

IRB color
map projected  (130MB)
non-map           (280MB)

Merged IRB
map projected  (128MB)

Merged RGB
map-projected  (118MB)

RGB color
non map           (263MB)
BONUS
4K (TIFF)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
B&W label
Color label
Merged IRB label
Merged RGB label
EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
For scale, use JPEG/JP2 black & white map-projected images

USAGE POLICY
All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.