The end of winter in Australe Scopuli
The end of winter in Australe Scopuli
The polar night near Mars's South Pole has ended, and sunlight is once again illuminating the slopes of the high-latitude southern landscapes – the region known as Australe Scopuli. Situated between 83 and 86 degrees south, this area presents a typical late-winter scene, captured by the DLR High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) from an altitude of approximately 350 kilometres, with a resolution of 15 metres per pixel. The polar landscape reveals alternating layers of light-coloured carbon dioxide and water ice interspersed with dark sands. At the end of winter, gas fountains pierce the CO₂ ice in many places, carrying dust to the surface, where it is deposited on the ice. The perspective view image is approximately 20 kilometres wide at its centre.