The THEMIS infrared camera imaged the same impact craters in both daytime and nighttime. Infrared images depict the heat materials emit. Warmer areas appear brighter and cooler areas darker. Fine-grained materials like dust cool quickly after sundown, so they appear dark in the nighttime image, while rocky areas cool slowly and appear lighter. The extent of rocky material ejected from the craters can be clearly mapped. The daytime image resembles one taken in visible light, because Sun-facing slopes are warmer and shaded areas cooler.
ID#:
WEB13661-2014
Source:
Mars Odyssey, THEMIS NASA/JPL/Arizona State University image