On Mars there are lots of dunes – some big, some small, and some in funny shapes. This particular dune is really round which is strange because normally they aren’t so even. We can tell it usually moves southward because there’s a steep slope on its south side. But the winds must be unpredictable because it isn’t exactly perfectly circular.
We observe how the frost melts away in late winter using the image (shown above). We can see that there is no frost anymore. Before, when we looked at another image (see below), the whole surface was covered by frost.
The map shows us that each small pixel represents 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) of space and it gets even smaller; every pixel has a size of 30.3 cm (11.9 inches). North is up in this map. Objects around 91 cm (35.8 inches) long is what can be observed on this map with perfect clarity..
HiRISE is an acronym for High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. It is a really powerful camera that was sent to Mars onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is just a way of saying it’s a specialized satellite orbiting around that planet. HiRISE has the most amazing resolution ever seen on another planet and it has been specially designed to take super detailed snaps of the surface of Mars. These photos help scientists learn more about what’s going on there in terms of geology, mineralogy, and terrain than ever before!
NASA launched the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) in 2005 to explore Mars. The main purpose of this mission is to learn more about the planet’s geology, climate, and if it has any signs of water and other livable environments. The spacecraft has lots of scientific gadgets like a camera, radar, and spectrometers to help its mission. It circles Mars in a very low orbit which lets it take good pictures and study what’s on the surface below. Since its launch, MRO has done many studies which have taught us much more about our neighboring red planet!
The University of Arizona, in Tucson, runs a really advanced camera called HiRISE. This was actually made by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., located in Colorado’s Boulder. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project is handled by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California and is also guided by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate based in Washington.
