You’ve probably heard of blue moons, but you’ve heard of blue duine? Specifically blues dunes on Mars.
If not, do not be afraid. NASA has you covered.
The US space agency on Thursday released a breathtakingly beautiful photo along with a post titled “Blue Dunes on the Red Planet”.
As noted in the report, the dunes surround Mars’ northern polar cap and were created by gusts of wind. The image below shows an area (80.3 degrees north latitude, 172.1 degrees east longitude) that is 19 miles wide – although the dunes are believed to cover an area as large as the state of Texas.
This particular scene was taken with the infrared camera of the, called the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS).
One of the most striking aspects of the photo is the vivid color seen through the dunes. As NASA described, the different colors in this false color image correspond to different dune temperatures.
The orange, yellow-like dunes with massive coral reef energy indicate warmer temperatures. And the blue areas seen in the upper left corner of the statue, which look like dreamy lagoons or snow blankets, have cooler temperatures.
Dunes captured by the infrared camera of the Mars Odyssey orbit.
Image: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU
As NASA explained in another report, the THEMIS ‘measures the surface temperature day and night, allowing scientists to determine what physical materials, such as rock, sand or dust, exist. The data show the presence of these materials based on how they heat up or cool down during a Mars day. ‘
The report further states that the THEMIS not only helps scientists create maps of Mars, but that they can also identify the presence of everything from sandstone to salts. Laura Kerber of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who works as Odyssey’s deputy project scientist, said: “It’s hard to judge how the THEMIS world map has filled gaps in our knowledge.”
The photo of the blue dunes above combines images taken from orbit during December 2002 and November 2004. This is just one of a historical collection of images compiled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Odyssey.
The Odyssey was launched on 7 April 2001 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and entered Mars’ orbit in October. It remains in orbit 19 years later, making it the longest-running Mars spacecraft in history.