HiRISE has been observing widespread small bright patches on the plains around the Martian North Pole. These patches appear to be persistent water frost or ice, lasting well into the summer and in some cases all the way through it.

This demonstrates that the ice is perennial or nearly so, meaning that the environment is close to conditions where surface ice can accumulate and survive. This image was acquired to monitor some larger perennial deposits near the center as well as widespread, small bright spots throughout most of the observation. The image is after Martian northern summer solstice, the equivalent of early July for Earth.

ID: ESP_088767_2550
date: 4 July 2025
altitude: 314 km

https://uahirise.org/hipod/ESP_088767_2550
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
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