Mars - Polygonal Patterned Ground

The Mars - Polygonal Patterned Ground print from the Radiance Series captures the geometric terrain sculpted by freezing and thawing cycles in the Martian soil.

Photographed by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on 13 February 2010, the image reveals a network of interlocking polygons formed as ice-rich ground expanded and contracted through seasonal temperature changes. This patterned ground is a hallmark of Mars’s high northern latitudes, offering striking evidence of the planet’s frozen subsurface.

Polygonal terrain develops as thermal stresses cause the surface and near-surface layers to crack, widen, and refreeze. Water ice locked within the regolith drives this process, gradually shaping the regular, cell-like patterns visible here. Studying these formations helps scientists reconstruct Mars’s climate history, understand permafrost dynamics, and map the distribution of subsurface ice. Their strong resemblance to polygonal landscapes in Earth’s Arctic creates a tangible link between the two worlds and their shared cryogenic processes.

This print was created from raw HiRISE sensor data at full resolution and processed with care to preserve fine detail, tonal depth, and the granular texture of this unique terrain.

HiRISE - operating aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter since 2006 - provides imagery of Mars at sub-metre resolution, revolutionising the study of its surface, climate, and water history while revealing the planet’s dynamic present and frozen past.

The Radiance series presents planetary science as fine art - orbital imagery from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter processed from raw mission archive data into large-format prints.

Every image is captured by HiRISE, the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment - the most powerful camera ever sent to another planet. Operating since 2006 at an altitude of roughly 300 kilometres, HiRISE captures Mars at near-metre resolution, revealing surface processes, geological structures, and landforms at a scale and clarity previously impossible.

Each Radiance print is made from raw JP2 sensor data sourced directly from the HiRISE mission archive, processed to preserve authentic surface structure and tone while balancing scientific accuracy with visual clarity.

Image credits: NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Arizona.

All prints are produced to order on 250gsm archival matte paper using pigment-based inks, chosen for colour accuracy and long-term stability.

Each print is rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in a rigid cardboard tube, sealed for moisture protection, ready for framing on arrival.

Large · 70 × 50 cm · 28 × 20 in

XLarge · 100 × 70 cm · 40 × 28 in

UK: Free · 3-5 working days

Europe: €8.50 · 3-7 working days · No customs charges

USA & Canada: $8.95 / $12.00 CAD · 5-10 working days

Australia: $14.00 AUD · 5-10 working days

Rest of World: £14.95 · 7-14 working days

All prints are produced to order and dispatched within 1-3 working days. Orders placed before 5pm GMT ship the same day. You'll receive tracking information by email once dispatched.

Orders outside Europe may be subject to local customs charges on delivery - these are the responsibility of the recipient.

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Returns accepted within 30 days. Email returns@axisophy.com with your order number and we'll provide return instructions.

Return postage is the customer's responsibility except where the print arrives damaged or there's been an error - in which case we'll arrange a replacement or refund immediately, no return needed.

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