A field of sand dunes in Martian spring.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Good morning. It’s May 29, and today’s image is from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is, you guessed it, in orbit around Mars.
The image shows an area of sand dunes on Mars in the spring, when frosty carbon dioxide rises into the air. According to NASAThe dark spot pattern is due to the fact that the sublimation process is not uniform.
This image was taken by the HiRISE camera on board the spacecraft, and its colors have been enhanced to extract some of these features. The image scale is 50 cm per pixel.
This orbiter is an absolutely amazing little spacecraft, having been flying around Mars since March 2006 and operating for nearly two decades. NASA is looking for commercial options to replace the spacecraft, with the spacecraft performing basic monitoring functions and serving as a communications relay.
source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Want to send a photo to the Daily Telescope? Contact us and say hello.
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”