PIA04882: Cracked South Polar Plain
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a complexly-cracked and eroded plain in the south polar region of Mars.
 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 1536 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  Malin Space Science Systems 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA04882.tif (1.575 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA04882.jpg (405.2 kB)  

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Original Caption Released with Image:

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-551, 21 November 2003

This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows a complexly-cracked and eroded plain in the south polar region of Mars. This image was acquired just a few weeks ago, in late October 2003; as such, the processes that formed the nearly regular pattern of squiggly troughs and cracks are presently unknown. The image is located near 85.0°S, 100.8°W, and covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. The picture is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Addition Date:
2003-11-21