This is an odd-looking image. It shows gullies during the winter while entirely in the shadow of the crater wall. Illumination comes only from the winter skylight.

We acquire such images because gullies on Mars actively form in the winter when there is carbon dioxide frost on the ground, so we image them in the winter, even though not well illuminated, to look for signs of activity. The dark streaks might be signs of current activity, removing the frost, but further analysis is needed.

NB: North is down in the cutout, and the terrain slopes towards the bottom of the image.

ID: ESP_049058_2360
date: 13 January 2017
altitude: 308 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_049058_2360
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
#Mars #science #NASA