Laser Provides First 3-D View of Mars' North Pole

Laser Provides First 3-D View of Mars' North Pole
From NASA's Planetary Photojournal
This first three-dimensional picture of Mars' north pole enables scientists to estimate the volume of its water ice cap with unprecedented precision, and to study its surface variations and the heights of clouds in the region for the first time. Approximately 2.6 million laser pulse measurements were assembled into a topographic grid of the north pole with a spatial resolution of 0.6 miles (one kilometer) and a vertical accuracy of 15-90 feet (5-30 meters).
Image Title: Laser Provides First 3-D View of Mars' North Pole
Catalog #: PIA01337
Target Name: Mars
Spacecraft: Mars Global Surveyor/Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter

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 Last Modified On: Monday, December 18, 2000