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Astronomy Image of the Day

Polar Polygons on Mars

14 July 2004

Malin Space Science Systems, MOC, MGS, JPL, NASA

NASA Astronomy Image of the Day for 14 July 2004

What's the best way to the city center? What looks like a street map of some city on Earth is actually a series of naturally-formed fragmented polar polygons on Mars. The existence of polar polygons on Mars is particularly interesting as they may indicate regions where water ice lies within a few meters of the surface. Similar looking polygons are commonly found in the arctic and Antarctic of Earth, where they typically form from a repetitive cycle of freezing and thawing. The above image spans a distance of about 3 kilometers and was taken recently by the orbiting Mars Global Surveyor.

Image and explanation courtesy of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day