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> Mars -Cerberus

Mars -Cerberus

author: Nasa/USGS/Novapix

reference: a-mar04-00040

Image Size 300 DPI: 52 * 56 cm

This mosaic is composed of 104 Viking Orbiter images acquired on February 11, 1980. At that time, it was early northern summer on Mars. The center of the image is at latitude 3 degrees, longitude 185 degrees, and the latitude limits are approximately 60 degrees N. and S.  The color variations have been enhanced by a factor of 2, and the large-scale brightness variations (mostly due to sun-angle variations) have been normalized by large-scale filtering. Prominent features in this image are the large dark area left of the image center (named Cerberus), and the Elysium volcanic region (bright yellowish area north of Cerberus). The crater 'Mie' is located near the top left, and has a dark spot near its center. The Viking 2 Lander is located about 400 km west of the center of this crater, or about 1 1/2 crater diameter left of the left edge of the crater. Thin white clouds are dispersed over the northern hemisphere, and the opaque cloud in the upper right overlies the Olympus Mons Aureole. The arcuate markings west of the Aureole are thought to be extended drifts of windblown material. The bright blue area at the bottom of the picture shows the extent of the seasonal carbon dioxide polar cap (these frosts are actually white).

 

Keywords for this photo:

ASTRONOMY - CERBERUS - ELYSIUM - LANDING SITE - MARS - PLANET - POSTER - VIKING - VIKING 1 - VIKING 2 -