New NASA Images Show Towering Dune On Mars
- 8 years ago
NASA's Martian exploration vessel Curiosity recently returned stunning panoramic views of the Namib Dune.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover continues its journey across the Red Planet.
The intrepid explorer recently sent back detailed images of the Namib Dune's steep face, offering unprecedented views of the Martian terrain, quite different from the typical sand-strewn fare Earthlings are used to seeing.
The space agency notes, "Researchers are using Curiosity to examine examples of the Bagnold Dunes, a band of dark sand dunes lining the northwestern flank of Mt. Sharp, the layered mountain the rover is climbing. A characteristic that sets true dunes apart from other wind-shaped bodies of sand, such as drifts and ripples previously visited by Mars rovers, is a steep, downwind slope known as the slip face."
On the slip face, sand becomes sheltered from the wind by the dune before piling up and tum
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover continues its journey across the Red Planet.
The intrepid explorer recently sent back detailed images of the Namib Dune's steep face, offering unprecedented views of the Martian terrain, quite different from the typical sand-strewn fare Earthlings are used to seeing.
The space agency notes, "Researchers are using Curiosity to examine examples of the Bagnold Dunes, a band of dark sand dunes lining the northwestern flank of Mt. Sharp, the layered mountain the rover is climbing. A characteristic that sets true dunes apart from other wind-shaped bodies of sand, such as drifts and ripples previously visited by Mars rovers, is a steep, downwind slope known as the slip face."
On the slip face, sand becomes sheltered from the wind by the dune before piling up and tum