SPACE
BIZARRE ‘POLYGONS’ ON MARS’ SURFACE
WORDS BRANDON SPECKTOR
Polygons crack across the Martian surface as hidden ice expands and contracts with the seasons
Recorded on 20 March 2022, a High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) image reveals a patchwork of white zig-zags cracking across the Martian soil at high latitudes, with occasional sprays of black and blue mist fanning out between them.
The zig-zags and colourful sprays are signature features of Martian spring, when hidden reservoirs of subterranean ice butt up against the dry Martian surface.