NASA’s Mars Orbiter takes a stunning photo of icy sand dunes in the northern planes of the red planet
- The photo was taken from 196 miles above the Martian surface by the Orbiter
- It was done with the HiRISE camera which also captured images of Perseverance
- The images appear to show an icy series of sand dunes inside a 3-mile crater
- NASA says this could point to evidence of ravine formation from ice melting
NASA has released a new image made by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter showing stunning icy sand dunes inside a 3-mile crater on the planet’s northern planes.
Taken in February, the image reveals some details about the formation of ravines on the red planet, made as the ice melts with the changing seasons.
Some of the dunes in the field appear to have separated from the main group, NASA said, and appear to rise up the crater slope along a ravine-like shape.
NASA’s Mars Orbiter has been capturing images of Mars since 2006, uploading gigabytes of photographs and revealing new details about the ancient world.
NASA has released a new image made by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter showing stunning icy sand dunes inside a 3-mile crater on planes north of the planet
The latter image was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Experiment Imaging High Resolution (HiRISE) camera, 196 miles from the Martian surface.
It shows a “field of sand dunes” inside a crater covered with frost in the high latitudes of the northern planes of the red planet, revealing ravines probably formed by melting ice.
The surface of the main dune field is covered by a series of dark-toned polygonal patterns. These may be the result of a seasonal frost process, NASA said.
Several slopes of the strongest dunes, which point in the direction of the wind, are home to narrow furrows that suggest the beginning of the formation of ravines. Possibly from the melting ice.
One of the main goals of the spacecraft in orbit is to find evidence that water once flowed over the surface of the red planet, how long and if it did so in sufficient quantity and for long enough for life to evolve.
Discovering evidence of ice melting and ravine formation adds to the scientific understanding of the planet.
The crater floor contains a wide variety of textures, including lobe coverings, along with striped patterns that indicate seasonal thawing caused by ice sublimation.
This is a map projection made by Orbiter that shows the location of the sand dune field inside the 3 mile wide crater on Mars.
A broad downward movement of materials on the crater slopes opposite the dune field superficially resembles ravines, NASA said.
Except that they are generally not defined by distinctive alcoves, incised channels, or sediment aprons, which are seen in ravines elsewhere on the planet.
This has left open questions about how exactly they formed, what they are and why they look different from the ravines of other places on Mars.
Future orbiters, in addition to work the size of Curiosity and Perseverance, will help answer some of these questions.
NASA’s Mars Orbiter has been capturing images of Mars since 2006, uploading gigabytes of photographs and revealing new details about the ancient world.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has six different instruments on board, capable of studying the level of the red planet, including the subterranean layers.
NASA expects to keep it operational until at least 2030, as it has been used to send data back from both vehicles, adding that it could even run longer.
It was used to capture the Perseverance landing phase as it headed toward the surface, in addition to revealing the rover as a “small dot” on the large orange surface.
WHAT IS THE MARB RECOGNITION BRBITER?
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is looking for evidence that water persisted on the surface of Mars for a long period of time.
It was launched on August 12, 2005 and reached an initial orbit around the red planet on March 10, 2006.
In November 2006, after five months, it entered its final scientific orbit and began its main scientific phase.
Since its arrival, MRO and its High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) telescope have been mapping the Martian surface, which has been taking shape for more than three billion years.
MRO instruments analyze minerals, search for groundwater, track how dust and water are distributed in the atmosphere, and monitor daily climate in support of their scientific goals.
MRO missions have shown that water flowed across the Martian surface, but it is still unknown whether the water persisted long enough to provide a habitat for life.