Sentence Correction

In July 1965 Mariner IV passed by Mars and took the first-ever close-up photographs of another planet, which showed that the Martian surface was like that of the Moon's in that it was pockmarked by moonlike craters and was dry and apparently dead.

a. which showed that the Martian surface was like that of the Moon's in that it was pockmarked by moonlike craters and was dry and apparently dead.

b. which showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface, and it was pockmarked by craters like the Moon has

c. which showed the Martian surface as a dry, apparently dead one, which was pockmarked with craters such as the Moon's

d. photos showing the Martian surface to be like that of the Moon's, dry and apparently dead, and it was pockmarked by moonlike craters

e. photos that showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface pockmarked with craters like those on the Moon

abhasjha wrote:In July 1965 Mariner IV passed by Mars and took the first-ever close-up photographs of another planet, which showed that the Martian surface was like that of the Moon's in that it was pockmarked by moonlike craters and was dry and apparently dead.

a. which showed that the Martian surface was like that of the Moon's in that it was pockmarked by moonlike craters and was dry and apparently dead.

b. which showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface, and it was pockmarked by craters like the Moon has

c. which showed the Martian surface as a dry, apparently dead one, which was pockmarked with craters such as the Moon's

d. photos showing the Martian surface to be like that of the Moon's, dry and apparently dead, and it was pockmarked by moonlike craters

e. photos that showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface pockmarked with craters like those on the Moon

A, B and C: another planet, which showed
Here, which seems to refer to another planet, implying that ANOTHER PLANET showed information about the Martian surface.
The intended meaning is that PHOTOGRAPHS showed information about the Martian surface.
Eliminate A, B and C.

In D, that of the Moon's is redundant, since both that of and the Moon's are possessive constructions.
Eliminate D.

The correct answer is E.

OA: In July 1965 Mariner IV passed by Mars and took the first-ever close-up photographs of another planet, photos that showed a dry, apparently dead Martian surface pockmarked with craters like those on the Moon.
The phrase in red is functioning as a RESUMPTIVE MODIFIER.
A resumptive modifier:

-- repeats a key word in the sentence
-- is composed of COMMA + REPEATED WORD + MODIFIER
-- serves to provide additional information about the repeated word
-- usually appears at the END of a sentence

Two other official SCs with resumptive modifiers:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/teratomas-ca ... 74656.html
https://www.beatthegmat.com/teratomas-ca ... 74656.html