Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2026 March 3 Your browser does not support the video tag. Flying over the North Pole of Mars Video Credit: [2]ESA, [3]Mars Express, [4]VMC; Processing & [5]License: [6]Simeon Schmauß Explanation: If you could fly over the North Pole of [7]Mars, what would you see? Images from ESA’s Mars Express mission in 2019 were compiled into the [8]featured video which shows just such a trip. First you see below you a landscape [9]tinted orange by rusted iron in the fine soil, with some land appearing darker due to exposed rock. Soon the [10]northern polar cap comes into view, mostly white because of its reflective frozen water. Surrounding the [11]polar cap is the [12]North Polar Basin, a layered depression covered with [13]dust and [14]sand. The frames in the [15]featured video were captured during northern Martian Spring when the [16]carbon-dioxide ice is evaporating, leaving the underlying [17]water-ice in the cap. [18]Mars Express continues to study the Martian surface and [19]look for clues about the Red Planet's [20]ancient climate and [21]potential for life. Tomorrow's picture: Space Eye __________________________________________________________________ [22]< | [23]Archive | [24]Submissions | [25]Index | [26]Search | [27]Calendar | [28]RSS | [29]Education | [30]About APOD | [31]Discuss | [32]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell ([36]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply. [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices; A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC, [44]NASA Science Activation & [45]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://www.esa.int/ 3. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express 4. https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/About_the_Visual_Monitoring_Camera_VMC 5. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en 6. https://www.flickr.com/photos/semeion/ 7. https://science.nasa.gov/mars/ 8. https://www.flickr.com/photos/semeion/55027596194/ 9. https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-why-is-mars-red 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250706.html 11. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/northern-ice-cap-of-mars/ 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Polar_Basin_(Mars) 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martian_regolith 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160720.html 15. https://www.flickr.com/photos/semeion/55027596194/ 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_ice 17. https://marsed.asu.edu/mep/ice 18. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express_overview 19. https://www.reddit.com/r/dogswithjobs/comments/pxicvq/hunter_the_search_dog_cant_stop_himself_from/#lightbox 20. https://www.colorado.edu/today/2025/04/21/did-it-rain-or-snow-ancient-mars-new-study-suggests-it-did 21. https://science.nasa.gov/universe/search-for-life/the-hunt-for-life-on-mars-and-elsewhere-in-the-solar-system/ 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260302.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 28. https://apod.com/feed.rss 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260303 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260304.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/ 43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 45. http://www.mtu.edu/