Icy cliff

A jagged slice in a crater wall on Mars stands out brightly against the darker terrain in this image taken by the CaSSIS camera on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter on 1 May 2021.

Despite the low light in this 'late evening' image, several north-facing icy scarps are distinctly visible because of their covering of bright white carbon dioxide frost. The frost disappears in spring, but remains late on these scarps because of their pole-facing orientation.

This 11 km diameter crater is located in the northern plains of Mars at 55°16'51.6"N/106°25'3.4"W, north of Alba Mons.

TGO arrived at Mars in 2016 and began its full science mission in 2018. The spacecraft is not only returning spectacular images, but also providing the best ever inventory of the planet’s atmospheric gases, and mapping the planet’s surface for water-rich locations. It will also provide data relay services for the future Mars missions.