“White Rock” of Pollack Crater
Caption:
1 January 2004
The famous "White Rock" of Pollack Crater has been known for three decades; it was originally found in images acquired by the Mariner 9 spacecraft in 1972. This Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) close-up view, obtained in October 2003, shows some of the light-toned, wind-eroded sedimentary rock that makes up "White Rock." It is not actually white, except when viewed in a processed, grayscale image (in color, it is more of a light butterscotch to pinkish material). The sediment that comprises "White Rock" was deposited in Pollack Crater a long time ago, perhaps billions of years ago; the material was later eroded by wind. Dark, windblown ripples are present throughout the scene. This picture is located near 8.2°S, 335.1°W, and covers an area about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the lower left.
Cataloging Keywords:
Name |
Value |
Additional Values |
Target |
Mars |
|
System |
|
|
Target Type |
Planet |
|
Mission |
Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) |
Mariner |
Instrument Host |
Mars Global Surveyor |
|
Host Type |
Orbiter |
Flyby Spacecraft |
Instrument |
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) |
|
Detector |
|
|
Extra Keywords |
Crater, Grayscale |
Acquisition Date |
|
Release Date |
2004-01-01 |
Date in Caption |
2004-01-01 |
|
Image Credit |
NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems |
Source |
photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05118 |
Identifier |
PIA05118 |