31 July 2006
This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) image shows a
"pancake" or "pedestal" crater on the martian northern plains. The rocky
ejecta from the crater protected the underlying material from being
stripped away by wind, leaving the ejecta standing higher than the
surrounding terrain. The rocks in the ejecta are not too clearly seen
today, especially at the 6 meters (~20 feet) per pixel scale of this
image, in part because they have been covered up by later, mantling
material.
Location near: 60.0°N, 265.6°W
Image width: ~3 km (~1.9 mi)
Illumination from: lower left
Season: Northern Spring