Image: Tattooed Mars

November 11, 2010

Image: Tattooed Mars

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Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Originally released Aug. 1, 2007, this image is of Mars' Russell Crater dune field, which is covered seasonally by carbon dioxide frost.

This image shows the dune field after the frost has evaporated from solid to gas, with just a few patches remaining of the bright seasonal frost.

Numerous dark dust devil tracks can be seen meandering across the dunes.

Provided by JPL/NASA search and more info website

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deatopmg
Nov 11, 2010

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CO2 frost?
Based on the vapor pressure/temperature diagram, that means that the temperature in the Russell crater must be less than -120 deg C (ca. -180 F). Has that low a temperature been measured there? Or is this just speculation.
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