Sand Dunes on Mars
Explanation:
Sand dunes on Mars can appear exotic. The
dark dunes above might be compared to
shark's teeth or
chocolate confections.
In reality, they arise from the complex relationship
between the
sandy surface and
high winds on Mars.
These particular
dunes are located in
Proctor Crater, a 170 kilometer wide
crater first seen to house sand dunes by
Mariner 9 more than 25 years ago.
The
above picture was taken by
Mars Global Surveyor
(MGS), a
robot spacecraft currently in orbit around
Mars.
MGS has
recently completed a primary goal of taking
and transmitting detailed survey images of the
red planet over an entire
Martian year (669 Earth days).
MGS will
now be deployed to study particularly interesting regions of
Mars in more detail.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
