'Unusual' circles of sand spotted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
-
Loading... - martha luna
- 08 Mar 2023
- 71 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
The truth is, these photos show a connection between Mars and our planet.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft, a long-term satellite orbiting the red planet, has captured an "unusual" image of sand dunes with notably circular shapes, according to a recent release by NASA.
The MRO spacecraft's High-Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRise) color camera has already captured numerous stunning dunes, including some more common crescent-shaped ones. But this one was somewhat distinctive.
"Sand dunes of many shapes and sizes are common on Mars. In this example, the dunes are almost perfectly circular, which is unusual," remarked planetary geologist Alfred McEwen.
Mars is ideal for developing sand dunes due to its windy and dusty environment. These dunes, however, are not exactly circular, as was discovered upon further study.
"They are still slightly asymmetrical, with steep slip faces on the south ends. This indicates that sand generally moves to the south, but the winds may be variable," he added.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) took pictures of the dunes in late November of the previous year using the HiRise camera, which is operated by the University of Arizona. Read More…
