This is a 2.331 micron infrared image of Mars obtained from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea. The image was obtained on February 17, 1997 at 12:27 UT, and is the best frame from a "movie" of 500 30-msec Mars images (MPEG movie - 604k). Observers: Jim Bell, Jeff Moersch (Cornell), Bill Golisch (IRTF).
This may very well be the best groundbased near-IR image of Mars ever obtained! We estimate the resolution to be approximately 40-50 km/pixel. For a few sweet but brief hours that night, it was as if the skies parted and there was no atmosphere above us at all!!! Judging from the excellent image resolution, it would appear that there is very little, if any, dust activity in this region of Mars at this time...