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Discoveries > Mars VI

MARS

Credit : NASA

The polar cap of Mars was observed from Earth and confirmed by space probes. Size variations of this cap showed the existence of seasons on Mars.

Credit : NASA/Mars Global Surveyor

Left, the image shows a reconstruction of the relief of the polar cap of Mars from laser measurements of Mars Global Surveyor. The cap is 1200 km wide and 3 km thick. It is made of water ice. Its volume represents only 4% of the Earth Antarctica.