Incredibly rare ‘snowy’ snaps of Mars show ‘winter wonderland’ blanketed with unique ‘cube-shaped snowflakes’
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SNAPS of Mars in snow are quite rare, given how hard they are to capture. But they give us a glimpse of what a future Mars colony might enjoy - or endure - during the winter holidays. The average temperature on the Red Planet is roughly -65°C (-85°F), and plunges as low as -123°C (-190°F) at the poles in wintertime.
![[Cube-shaped snow, icy landscapes, and frost are all part of the Red Planets coldest season.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/msemail_MARSjpg-JS956545549-1.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Fortunately, winter only comes around once every Martian year - which is two years on Earth. While Martian frost is much more common, the planet does see snow. Snow falls and settles at Mars' north and south poles, usually at night under extremely frigid conditions and under thick cloud cover.
![[While Martian frost is much more common, the planet does see snow]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/msemail_MARS_3jpg-JS956545560.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Although you wouldn't want to venture too close to the planet's poles, otherwise you'll be battling against wildly cold temperatures and katabatic winds. While no region will see more than a few feet of snow, "enough falls that you could snowshoe across it,” according Sylvain Piqueux, a Mars scientist at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
![[There are two types of snow on Mars]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/msemail_MARSjpg-JS956545549.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
He added: “If you were looking for skiing, though, you’d have to go into a crater or cliffside, where snow could build up on a sloped surface.”. Mars is home to some mind-blowing landscapes. Not least the Korolev crater, which has a 50-mile-wide and one-mile-thick sheet of ice at the bottom.
![[Mars snow is unique in that it is cube-shaped]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/msemail_MARS_1jpg-JS956545553.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
The thick wedge of ice cover lasts all year - meaning Korolev could become a go-to destination for future astro ice skaters. There are two types of snow on Mars. The first is Earth-like snow made of water ice. The second consists of carbon dioxide, or dry ice.
![[The Korolev crater has a 50-mile-wide, one-mile-thick sheet of ice at the bottom]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/104904937_3d5fd956-54d2-4488-86e6-18f86c95e288jpg-JS457643793.jpg?strip=all&w=800)
