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Promethei Pedestal

April 2, 2006
This image from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor shows a pedestal crater in the Promethei Terra region. The ejecta from an impact crater is usually rocky.

2 April 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a pedestal crater in the Promethei Terra region. The ejecta from an impact crater is usually rocky. The rocks in the ejecta help shield the terrain beneath the ejecta from being eroded away by wind. Thus, over time, some craters appear to be raised on pedestals defined by their ejecta blankets, because wind has stripped away tons and tons of surrounding material.

Location near: 65.4°S, 264.7°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: upper left
Season: Southern Autumn

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