Explanation: If aligned just right, even a planet can produce a glint. The above combined pictures of Mars make the red planet appear unusually elongated - Mars is really almost spherical. However, these pictures were taken when the Sun was nearly directly behind the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft. This created a view for MGS where every part of Mars that was visible was also illuminated by the Sun. From this vantage point, though, sunlight reflects off the Martian surface and atmosphere producing a bright spot in the center - a glint. The brightness, color, and extent of the glint carry valuable information about the composition and physical properties of Mars.

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Yanvar' Fevral' Mart Aprel' Mai Iyun' Iyul' Avgust Sentyabr' Oktyabr' Noyabr' Dekabr'

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Publikacii s klyuchevymi slovami: Mars - Mars - Mars Global Serveior - Solnce Publikacii so slovami: Mars - Mars - Mars Global Serveior - Solnce
Sm. takzhe: Dolina Marinera: Bol'shoi kan'on na Marse Mars: sputnik, kratery i vulkany Treugol'nyi protuberanec nad Solncem Eruptivnyi protuberanec na Solnce Gaiya: vot poyavlyaetsya Solnce Dvizhenie Marsa Leopardovye pyatna na marsianskih kamnyah Vse publikacii na tu zhe temu >>