Surface of Mars. Mars Pathfinder mosaic image of the dusty surface of the planet Mars. The area around Pathfinder features rocks such as the ones named Flat Top" (at upper right) and "Wedge" (at upper left). Dust has accumulated on the top of the rectangular "Flat Top" rock, but not on its steep sides. This dust may have been placed on the rock by dust storms sweeping across the surface of Mars. Image taken by the probe's Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on the third Martian day (Sol 3) it had spent on the "red planet" since landing on 4 July 1997."