By NASA
April 16, 2022
This image of a crater near 37 degrees south latitude on Mars was recorded in the middle of winter in Mars Southern Hemisphere. Irregular shimmering frost blankets the south-facing slope, which has actually handled a blue hue in this enhanced color picture. This frost occurs in and around the slopes numerous gullies. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Every winter season, a layer of co2 frost (dry ice) forms on the surface of Mars. At its greatest degree in mid-winter, this frost reaches from the poles down to the middle latitudes, till it is warm and too warm to continue. In most places, this is around 50 degrees latitude, comparable to the latitude of southern Canada on Earth.
Little spots of dry ice are found closer to the equator on pole-facing slopes, which are chillier since they get less sunshine. This image was taken in the middle of winter in Mars Southern Hemisphere, and reveals a crater near 37 degrees south latitude. The south-facing slope has patchy intense frost, blue in improved color. This frost occurs around the many gullies on the slope, and in other images, has actually triggered flows in the gullies.
