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The bright streaks in this image indicate the direction of the prevailing winds (from east to west). These streaks are formed by the collection of windblown material in the lee of a crater. Most bright streaks maintain relatively constant direction and albedo over periods of many years, although subtle changes were noticed in some streak orientations in the five to seven years between the Mariner 9 and Viking encounters. The crater near the top of the image displays a prominent central pit that may be an indicator of subsurface volatiles. Large crater with lobate ejecta blanket is 26 km in diameter and is located at 8.17° N, 297.39° W; Viking Orbiter frame 375S11 Right
click here to download a high-resolution version of the image (2.42 MB)
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