Mariner 6 View of the Martian W-Cloud Region

Author

Preview

Title - Alternative

W-Cloud Region and South Polar Limb of Mars

Keywords

Aeronautics, John F. Kennedy Space Center, Mariner 6, Mare Cimmerium, Mars, NASA, South Polar Limb, W-Cloud Region

Photo Description

This picture shows bright detail in the region identified as the "W-cloud" region in ground-based pictures and in the earlier far-encounter pictures. Most prominent of these is a roughly circular region, foreshortened in this view, roughly 500 kilometers (360 statute miles) in diameter near the afternoon limb. Its characteristic brightening in the afternoon suggests convective clouds, but it does not exhibit any cloud-like structure. Some remarkable bright linear structure can be seen to the northeast of this feature. Like the elements of W-cloud and the Nix Olympica crater, these features appear identical on the two successive Mars afternoons of the Mariner 6 far encounter. The darkening around the south polar limb, which resembles atmospheric haze, is also clearly shown. The Mariner 6 track passed across the light region near the center of the disc, and across the dark Mare Cimmerium to the south. The picture contains electronic noise and a grid of tiny dark reference points which will be removed by further computer processing.

Publication Date

9-4-1969

Format

image/jpeg

Number of Images

2

Side of Image

Front of Image

Publisher

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Original Size

8" x 10"

Identifier

DP0057521-008a

NASA Photo Number

111-KSC-69P-734

Photo Credit

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Location

John C. Hitt Library

Department

Special Collections & University Archives

Collection

Official NASA Photographs, Vol.2, September 4, 1969 - October 2, 1973

Call Number

SC 010

Digital Production Specifications

Digitized by the University of Central Florida Libraries, Digital Initiatives Unit. Jpeg images were derived from no less than 600 dpi tiffs scanned on a Copibook scanner.

Use and Reproduction

This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce images and/or for copyright information, contact Special Collections & University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, FL 32816, (407) 823-2576.

Additional Rights Statement

This photograph is a government publication – not subject to copyright.

Recommended Citation

"Mariner 6 View of the Martian W-Cloud Region" (1969). Official NASA Photographs, Vol. 2, September 4, 1969 - October 2, 1973. 8.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/nasa-photographs-volume-2/8