What may seem like a scene from a science fiction movie is actually a real image of dunes covering the surface of March.
The beautiful photo of NASA’s Odyssey orbit released on April 8 reveals extreme and fluctuating temperatures in a sea of dunes at the northern polar cap of Mars, which over time is formed by long winds by long winds. The Red Planet does not actually have blue spots; the blue regions in this false-colored image represent colder areas, and warmer properties are considered a yellow-orange color, NASA officials said.
The image depicts an area about 30 miles[30 km]wide, but the total dunes at Mars’ north pole cap extend much further and cover an area the size of Texas.
In photos: Mars caves and lava tubes
Sand dunes can be found in various places in the Red Planet. From the polar region depicted in this image to the floors of craters and more, Mars’ dunes are fascinating features on the planet’s surface. Some dunes on the planet have even been spotted covered with frost, what comes and goes with the seasons.
While NASA released the new image on April 8, it was composed of images taken from NASA’s THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System) instrument on board from December 2002 to November 2004. Mars Odyssey orbit. The image is part of a set of recently released photos celebrates the 20th anniversary of Odyssey, which was launched on April 7, 2001 and began observing Mars in October of that year.
Odyssey quietly studies the Red Planet; it holds the record for the longest active spacecraft constantly orbiting another planet. The spacecraft’s primary mission was to study the vicinity of Mars and gather data to inform and protect future Mars missions. Apart from THEMIS, the rig also contains instruments called GRS (Gamma Ray Spectrometer) and MARIE (Mars Radiation Environment Experiment).
Email Chelsea Gohd at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.