Mars

On the picture you even see a duststorm on the Northpole !
Explanation: It's spring for the northern hemisphere of Mars and spring on Mars usually means dust storms. So the dramatic brown swath of dust marking the otherwise white north polar cap in this picture of the Red Planet is not really surprising.
BELOW LEFT PICTURE: Taking advantage of the good views of Mars currently possible near opposition and its closest approach to planet Earth in 2010, this sharp image shows the evolving dust storm extending from the large dark region known as Mare Acidalium below the polar cap. It was recorded on February 2nd with the 1 meter telescope at Pic Du Midi, a mountain top observatory in the French Pyrenees.
BELOW RIGHT PICTURE: My picture, 2 hours before the picture of Pic Du Midi was made, 14" Meade, you can see the storm is already forming

MARS
	Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after Mars, the Roman god of war. It is also referred to as the "Red Planet" because of its reddish appearance, due to iron oxide prevalent on its surface. Mars is aterrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the volcanoes, valleys, deserts and polar ice caps of Earth. Unlike the Earth, Mars is now a geologically inactive planet with no known tectonic activity. It is the site of Olympus Mons, the highest known mountain in the Solar System, and of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon. The smooth Borealis basin in the northern hemisphere may be a giant impact feature covering 40% of the planet. Mars’ rotational period and seasonal cycles are likewise similar to those of Earth.
	My first Mars pictures.
	On the picture you even see a duststorm on the Northpole ! Explanation: It's spring for the northern hemisphere of Mars and spring on Mars usually means dust storms. So the dramatic brown swath of dust marking the otherwise white north polar cap in this picture of the Red Planet is not really surprising. BELOW LEFT PICTURE: Taking advantage of the good views of Mars currently possible near opposition and its closest approach to planet Earth in 2010, this sharp image shows the evolving dust storm extending from the large dark region known as Mare Acidalium below the polar cap. It was recorded on February 2nd with the 1 meter telescope at Pic Du Midi, a mountain top observatory in the French Pyrenees. BELOW RIGHT PICTURE: My picture, 2 hours before the picture of Pic Du Midi was made, 14" Meade, you can see the storm is already forming
	March 1, 2010
	Mars, Monochrome with red-filter. March 1, 2010, 23:08 UTC