- New images from the European Space Agency show how Mars' Korolev crater looks like it's full of snow.
- The crater, which stretches about 51 miles wide, is actually brimming with ice that's about 1.1 miles thick around the center.
- A layer of cold air floats right above the crater, which is what keeps the ice from heating up and fading away.
Pack your ski boots. Grab a warm jacket. Don't forget the hot cocoa. The European Space Agency released a set of images on Thursday of a very interesting Mars crater, and the views are perfect for the holiday season.
The views of Korolev crater come from images and data collected by Mars Express, an ESA orbiter that's studying the planet's atmosphere and geology while looking for traces of water.
"This image shows what appears to be a large patch of fresh, untrodden snow -- a dream for any lover of the holiday season," ESA says.
Read more: NASA's InSight lander just took its first selfie on Mars — take a look
But that's not snow. The crater is located near the northern polar cap and it's filled with ice that's about 1.1 miles (1.8 kilometers) thick near the center.
Korolev gets its icy appearance from acting as a cold trap.
"The air moving over the deposit of ice cools down and sinks, creating a layer of cold air that sits directly above the ice itself," ESA explains. This layer of cold stabilizes the ice and prevents it from warming up and fading away.
The crater stretches almost 51 miles (82 kilometers) across, which is like putting two marathons back to back. While it looks inviting, don't expect to go cross-country skiing there anytime soon. We're far away from even setting a human foot on Mars, but we can still dream.
- Read more on Mars:
- NASA can hear the 'haunting' sound of dust devils tearing across Mars with its new $830 million lander
- Elon Musk says there's a '70 percent chance' he'll personally travel to Mars
- NASA will dig for signs of alien life on Mars in Jezero Crater — the landing site for its 2020 rover
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