Hubble Views Collossal Polar Cyclone on Mars
Depicts: Mars
Copyright: Jim Bell (Cornell U.), Steve Lee (U. Colorado), Mike Wolff (SSI), andNASA
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The discovery image of the Martian polar storm as seen in blue
light (410 nm). The storm is located near 65 deg. N latitude and 85 deg.
W longitude, and is more than 1000 miles (1600 km) across. The residual
north polar water ice cap is at top. A belt of clouds like that seen in
previous telescopic observations during this Martian season can also be
seen in the planet's equatorial regions and northern mid-latitudes, as
well as in the southern polar regions. The volcano Ascraeus Mons can be
seen as a dark spot poking above the cloud deck near the western
(morning) limb; this extinct volcano towers nearly 16 miles (25 km)
above the surrounding plains, and is about 250 miles (400 km) across.
Last Update: 1 September 2019