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Mars Global Surveyor Sends New Year's Postcard
posted: 07:32 am ET
04 January 2000
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The Mars Global Surveyor celebrated Earth's New Year's Day at work some 250 miles above the martian surface, sending back several high-resolution images of the surfaceThe Mars Global Surveyor celebrated Earth's New Year's Day while working some 250 miles above the Red Planet, sending back several high-resolution pictures of the martian surface. One of its first images of the new year shows the sandy bluffs, dunes and buttes of a region some 2,200 miles (3,600 kilometers) north of the equator. The region, located at 33 degrees north latitude and 63 degrees east longitude, is called Nilosyrtis Mensae. 
The picture above shows an area about 2 miles (3 kilometers) across. Scientists are not sure what geologic processes have shaped the landscape. Click here to view the full, high-resolution version of the area, Mars Global Surveyor's New Year's postcard (61 Kb). The image in the right margin shows an overview of the hilly region where this image lies. It represents an area 71 miles (115 kilometers) across. The Mars Global Surveyor began taking pictures from Mars orbit in September 1997. Its primary mission will last through January 2001. After that, NASA might approve an extended mission, which would allow the camera to continue its activities into 2002 or beyond.
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