PIA04112: Polygon-Cracked Plain
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a polygon-cracked plain in the south polar region of Mars. Dark spots and streaks indicate areas where the frost had begun to change and sublime away.
 Target Name:  Mars
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) 
 Spacecraft:  Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter
 Instrument:  Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) 
 Product Size:  1024 x 2514 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Producer ID:  MOC2-1159  
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA04112.tif (2.577 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA04112.jpg (538.9 kB)  

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

21 July 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a polygon-cracked plain in the south polar region of Mars. When this picture was acquired in April 2005, the surface was covered with seasonal carbon dioxide frost. Dark spots and streaks indicate areas where the frost had begun to change and sublime away.

Location near: 86.8°S, 300.5°W
Image width: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Spring

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2005-07-21