NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has photographed the strange circular sand dunes forming on the Martian surface.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), the Mars exploration satellite of the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), continues to image the surface of the red planet.
This time, MRO was able to image the strange circular sand dunes forming on the Martian surface.
Images Taken a Few Months Ago
Recent images, taken just a few months ago, show the unusual sand dunes that are almost completely circular.
Sand dunes of many shapes and sizes are common on Mars. In this example the dunes are almost completely circular.
This indicates that the sand is generally moving southwards, but the winds can be variable.
The HiRISE camera on the satellite had previously detected trains of moving sand as well as complex sandy structures.
The instrument, whose camera has a resolution of 30 centimeters per pixel, can clearly photograph Martian features below one meter.
