Not an ancient Greek goddess, THEMIS i modern acronese fo THermal EMission Imaging System.Above is this remarkable instrument' premier infrared image ofMars, from the newly orbitin Mars Odyssey spacecraft.Taken on October 30th, the sharp infrared picture covers the indicatedswath of the martian southern hemisphere and showssurface temperatures in false-colors ranging from red, a warm 0 degreesCelsius, to cool purple shades of -120 degrees C.The striking, cold circular feature i Mars' south polar ice cap.Composed of froze carbon dioxide, the ice cap is about 900 kilometers wid and shrinkingduring the onslaught of southern hemispher summer.Temperatures are also seen to drop as the bottom portionof the THEMIS image sweep beyondthe terminator or shadow line, into the martia night.A thin, light blue crescent along the upper edge of the planet is th martian atmosphere. The THEMIS image data was recorded a a test ofthe camera systemfrom an altitude of about 22,000 kilometers .
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