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High Latitude Polygons
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Caption:
26 September 2005
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows polygonal patterned ground on a south high-latitude plain. The outlines of the polygons, like the craters and hills in this region, are somewhat enhanced by the presence of bright frost left over from the previous winter. On Earth, polygons at high latitudes would usually be attributed to the seasonal freezing and thawing cycles of ground ice. The origin of similar polygons on Mars is less certain, but might also be an indicator of ground ice.
Location near
: 75.3°S, 113.2°W
Image width
: width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from
: upper left
Season
: Southern Spring
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 | |
| Acquisition Date | ||
| Release Date | 2005-09-26 | |
| Date in Caption | 2005-09-26 | |
| Image Credit | NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems | |
| Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06376 | |
| Identifier | PIA06376 | |
