A Martian "winter fairy tale" captured in a photo: something you won't see on Earth.

In Ukraine, much like in many other parts of the world, the weather during Christmas and New Year has long ceased to be snowy and frosty. However, for those who miss this little detail for their festive spirit, NASA and ESA have shared images of a place where snow can still be observed.

This refers to Mars, specifically its Australe Scopuli region near the southern pole. The images were captured by the Mars Express mission of the European Space Agency and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter of the United States space agency during the summer and autumn of 2022. They were published by the publication Space.

Although the local landscapes may seem quite familiar, the "snow" in the photos is actually very different from what we know on Earth. Essentially, it is carbon dioxide that, due to cold conditions, has transformed into something resembling snowflakes.

You wouldn't want to make snowmen out of it either, as the air temperature in this region hovers around -125 degrees Celsius, which would be excessive even for the most "frosty" winter enthusiasts.

Moreover, viewers might be deceived by the illusion that the snow in the pictures has merely dusted the surface, but in reality, its depth reaches up to 8 meters. The dark streaks are merely dust that is usually hidden beneath the surface but has risen to the top due to seasonal processes.

In the summer, sunlight warms the ice, returning carbon dioxide to its normal gaseous form. This creates "bubbles" beneath the surface that, when rising, expel dust into the atmosphere. As it settles, it is carried by the wind, forming patterns like those seen in the photos.

At the North Pole of Mars, a different picture can be observed. There, the dunes typically move with the wind, just like on Earth; however, in winter, the frost keeps the sand grains in place, preventing them from scattering. Thus, the dunes seem to "fall into a winter slumber" during the Martian winter and begin to move again after warming occurs.

As previously reported, on the other side of the Solar System, the Parker probe has made a record close approach to the Sun. Although it accomplished this on December 24, scientists will not receive any messages from it until the 27th.