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The images of active avalanches at the Martian north pole are the first ever taken by scientists. Released on March 3, 2008, they were taken by the camera High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE), which is orbiting Mars onboard the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

An image of the avalanche is found on the NASA website “Avalanches on Mars.”

Please take a look at the “full-sized version” of the image in order to see the active avalanche under much more details.

Actually, in the photograph, the HiRISE image shows four avalanches across the length of the image that are falling down a slope at a northern Martian latitude of about 84 degrees.

These landsides are composed of reddish layers that are primarily water ice on a steep slope of over 2,300 feet (700 meters) in height. Some of them are 590 feet (180 meters) across.

It is now early spring on Mars. HiRISE researchers are going to investigate further on what caused the avalanches and whether such events happen all year long or only in the spring season. Information gained from such research will help scientists learn more about the water cycle on Mars.

The HiRISE camera is onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). HiRISE was built by Ball Aerospace and Technologies under the guidance of the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. It holds a 0.5 meter reflecting telescope, the largest telescope ever used for a deep space mission.

The MRO spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin under the supervision of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Launched in August 12, 2005 MRO began orbiting Mars on March 10, 2006 with an array of scientific instruments such as cameras, radar devices, and spectrometers in order to study minerals, landforms, weather conditions, and ice on the Martian surface. It is also taking pictures of possible landing sites for future missions.

Currently, besides MRO, Mars has visitors of five other craft orbiting above and roving on the surface of Mars: Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Express, Mars Odyssey, and the two Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.

Future missions are also planned for Mars. Please read on.