From: Jan Wee <jwee@mail.arc.nasa.gov>
Subject: New Hubble Images Show Dust Storms at Mars North Pole
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 1996 14:38:12 -0600
Dear discuss-lfm members, This press release pertaining to Mars just arrived! Jan Wee, Co-moderator >Don Savage >Headquarters, Washington, DC November 1, 1996 >(Phone: 202/358-1547) > >Tammy Jones >Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD >(Phone: 301/286-5566) > >Ray Villard >Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD >(Phone: 410/338-4514) > >NOTE TO EDITORS: N96-74 > >NEW HUBBLE IMAGES SHOW DUST STORMS AT MARS NORTH POLE > > Two Hubble Space Telescope images of Mars, taken >about a month apart on September 18 and October 15, 1996, >reveal a Texas-sized dust storm churning near the edge of >the Martian north polar cap. The polar storm is probably a >consequence of large temperature differences between the >polar ice and the dark regions to the south, which are >heated by the springtime Sun. > > Mars is famous for large, planet-wide dust storms. >Smaller storms resembling the one seen here were observed in >other regions by Viking orbiters in the late 1970s. >However, this is the first time that such an event has been >caught near the receding north polar cap. This kind of >advanced planetary "weather report" will be invaluable for >aiding preparation for the landing of NASA's Pathfinder >spacecraft in July 1997 and the arrival of Mars Global >Surveyor (MGS) orbiter in September 1997. The MGS mission >is scheduled for launch on November 6, and the Mars >Pathfinder is scheduled for launch December 2. > > Images to accompany this release are available to >news media representatives by calling the Headquarters >Imaging Branch at 202/358-1900. The NASA color photo number >is 96-HC-716. > > The images are also available electronically through >the Internet on the NASA Headquarters World Wide Web home >page "Today@NASA" located at: > >http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/NewsRoom/today.html > > Image files in GIF and JPEG format and captions may >be accessed on the Internet via anonymous ftp from >ftp.stsci.edu in /pubinfo. > > GIF JPEG >PRC96-34 Mars Dust Storms gif/marsds96.gif jpeg/marsds96.jpg > > Higher resolution digital versions (300 dpi JPEG) of >the release photograph are available in /pubinfo/hrtemp: 96- >34.jpg (color) and 96-34bw.jpg (black/white). > > GIF and JPEG images, captions and press release text >are available via World Wide Web at > >http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/96/34.html and via links in: >http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/Latest.html or >http://www.stsci.edu/pubinfo/Pictures.html. > > - end - > >NASA press releases and other information are available >automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail >message to domo@hq.nasa.gov. In the body of the message >(not the subject line) users should type the words >"subscribe press-release" (no quotes). The system will >reply with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. >A second automatic message will include additional >information on the service. NASA releases also >are available via CompuServe using the command GO NASA. >