Planum Australe

Planum Australe
Planum Australe, taken by Mars Global Surveyor.
Feature typePartially glaciated plains
Coordinates83°54′S 160°00′E / 83.9°S 160.0°E / -83.9; 160.0

Planum Australe (Latin: "the southern plain") is the southern polar plain on Mars. It extends southward of roughly 75°S and is centered at 83°54′S 160°00′E / 83.9°S 160.0°E / -83.9; 160.0. The geology of this region was to be explored by the failed NASA mission Mars Polar Lander, which lost contact on entry into the Martian atmosphere.

In July 2018, scientists reported the discovery, based on MARSIS radar studies, of a subglacial lake on Mars, 1.5 km (0.93 mi) below the southern polar ice cap, and extending sideways about 20 km (12 mi), the first known stable body of water on the planet.[1][2][3][4]

  1. ^ Orosei, R.; et al. (25 July 2018). "Radar evidence of subglacial liquid water on Mars". Science. 361 (6401): 490–493. arXiv:2004.04587. Bibcode:2018Sci...361..490O. doi:10.1126/science.aar7268. hdl:11573/1148029. PMID 30045881.
  2. ^ Chang, Kenneth; Overbye, Dennis (25 July 2018). "A Watery Lake Is Detected on Mars, Raising the Potential for Alien Life – The discovery suggests that watery conditions beneath the icy southern polar cap may have provided one of the critical building blocks for life on the red planet". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Huge reservoir of liquid water detected under the surface of Mars". EurekAlert. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Liquid water 'lake' revealed on Mars". BBC News. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.