Mars

A NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars has taken the first photographs ever of a Martian avalanche.

The photos show tan-colored clouds billowing away from a tall, steep cliff, with the avalanche of ice and dust settling on a slope.

The avalanche took place near the north pole of Mars and broke part off a 700 meter cliff.  Scientists at the U.S. space agency examining the photos do not know what set off the avalanche.

The camera was tracking seasonal changes on the planet when it inadvertently caught the avalanche on film.

Some information for this report was provided by AP .