Picture of the day - October 7, 2008

Red cliffs on Mars' northern polar ice cap

Photo courtesy of NASA. Now that it has been confirmed that there is indeed water ice on the planet Mars, the red planet's north and south poles have become even more interesting for scientists. Could all that "white stuff" found at the Martian North Pole be a water ice cap similar to the ones we have here on earth? The most probable answer is yes. Even more intriguing for me are the origins of the red cliffs which run roughly north-south in the vicinity of the pole. What exactly caused them, and what is that black sooty-looking material found on the eastern side of some of them? I'm sure we'll find out soon enough, so stay tuned...   Click here to comment on this picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!                                 Place the "Picture of the Day" on your website, for free! Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"