PIA06806: South Polar Crater


South Polar Crater

Caption:

14 August 2004
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) picture shows a small, 280-meter (~919 feet)-diameter meteor impact crater in south polar layered terrain. The ejecta from the crater today stands somewhat higher than the surrounding terrain, suggesting that, at the time the impact occurred, the surface was several meters higher than it is today. A layer of material, several meters thick, has been stripped away since the time the crater formed. The image is located near 86.3°S, 113.0°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) across. The scene is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target Mars
System
Target Type Planet
Mission Mars Global Surveyor (MGS)
Instrument Host Mars Global Surveyor
Host Type Orbiter
Instrument Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)
Detector
Extra Keywords Crater, Grayscale, Impact
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2004-08-14
Date in Caption 2004-08-14
Image Credit NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06806
Identifier PIA06806