Mars Heading Towards Autumn as Mars Global Surveyor Begins Aerobraking

An image of this region of Mars, taken in June 1997, is shown for comparison. The Hellas basin is filled with bright clouds and/or surface frost. More water ice clouds are visible across the planet than in the September image, reflecting the effects of the changing season. Mars appears larger because it was 44 million miles (77 million kilometers) closer to Earth than in the September image.