A recently released NASA image depicts a sea of blue dunes on Mars – known as the red planet.
The image shows dunes in blue and gold hues surrounding Mars’ northern polar cap, NASA said. The sand, covering an area the size of Texas, is sculpted by wind into long, wavy lines.
But the dunes aren’t actually blue, NASA said. They are made to appear blue in the false-color thermal image that records cooler temperatures in blue tints and warmer temperatures in yellows and oranges. The sun-warmed sides of the dunes glow golden while the dark sides appear blue.
The image covers a 19-mile wide area and combines images taken from December 2002 to November 2004 by the Thermal Emission Imaging System instrument on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, NASA said.
NASA released the image on Friday, April 8, as part of the 20th anniversary of the Odyssey, the longest-working Mars spacecraft in history, NASA said. The Odyssey launched on April 7, 2001, to map Mars’ surface with the intent that this could help scientists decipher how the planet evolved. The spacecraft has uncovered troves of water ice, served as a communications link for other spacecraft and helped pave the way for safer landings on the planet - including for future manned missions.
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https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/04/nasa-image-shows-blue-dunes-on-mars-the-red-planet.html
2021-04-12 18:23:37Z
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