Observations of Mars, 1903

Workshop on Mars Telescopic Observations

Observations of the nightside ionosphere of Mars by the Mars Express Radio Science Experiment (MaRS)

[1] The vertical structure of the nightside ionosphere of Mars and its dependence on solar zenith angle are currently poorly determined, as is the importance of two key sources of nightside plasma, electron precipitation and transport of dayside plasma. We examined 37 electron density profiles of the ionosphere of Mars at solar zenith angles of 101 –123 obtained by the Mars Express Radio Scienc...

Modeling Mars’ ionosphere with constraints from same‐day observations by Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Express

[1] We have analyzed a brief period of same‐day observations of the Martian ionosphere using data obtained in December 2004 from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Express (MEX) radio occultation experiments. These data were taken shortly after sunrise under solstice conditions in both hemispheres, with MGS in the summer (northern) hemisphere at high latitudes while MEX was in the winter (...

Observations of the north polar region of Mars from the Mars orbiter laser altimeter.

Elevations from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) have been used to construct a precise topographic map of the martian north polar region. The northern ice cap has a maximum elevation of 3 kilometers above its surroundings but lies within a 5-kilometer-deep hemispheric depression that is contiguous with the area into which most outflow channels emptied. Polar cap topography displays evide...

Magnetic Field and Plasma Observations at Mars: Initial Results of the Mars Global Surveyor Mission

The magnetometer and electron reflectometer investigation (MAG/ER) on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has obtained magnetic field and plasma observations throughout the near-Mars environment, from beyond the influence of Mars to just above the surface (at an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers). The solar wind interaction with Mars is in many ways similar to that at Venus and at an act...