South Polar Polygons
Jet Propulsion Laboratory https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ Sept. 5, 2003
MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-473, 4 September 2003
Looking somewhat like the roadmap of a city on Earth, this August 2003 Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows patterned ground--a mosaic of polygonal forms--highlighted by seasonal frost in the south polar region near 86.3°S, 310.2°W. Dark surfaces in this springtime view are areas from which cold, carbon dioxide frost has been subliming away. The picture covers an area 3 km (1.9 mi) across and is illuminated by sunlight from the upper left.