Winter View of Dunes
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona
Winter View of Dunes
PSP_001558_1325  Science Theme: Aeolian Processes
Dunes within a crater on Mars are visible in this image. This crater is located in the Southern Hemisphere where it was winter at the time this image was taken.

This observation documents new seasonal processes occurring on dunes at this latitude, as well as other interesting phenomena. The bright tones are interpreted as carbon dioxide or water frost. This is generally concentrated on the east-facing slopes of the dunes, which are in shadow and therefore cooler. Some dark spots on the dunes may be areas that have defrosted more than surrounding terrain.

Landslides and dark-toned streaks are seen on many of the west-facing dune slopes. The general dune morphology indicates formation by westerly winds. However, zooming in on the image shows smaller scale ripples that appear to have been formed by winds blowing from the south and north.

Written by: Nathan Bridges & Kelly Kolb  (6 December 2006)

This is a stereo pair with PSP_002033_1325.
 
Acquisition date
25 November 2006

Local Mars time
15:44

Latitude (centered)
-47.218°

Longitude (East)
33.861°

Spacecraft altitude
249.3 km (154.9 miles)

Original image scale range
49.9 cm/pixel (with 2 x 2 binning) so objects ~150 cm across are resolved

Map projected scale
50 cm/pixel and North is up

Map projection
Equirectangular

Emission angle
0.3°

Phase angle
80.5°

Solar incidence angle
80°, with the Sun about 10° above the horizon

Solar longitude
140.9°, Northern Summer

For non-map projected images
North azimuth:  97°
Sub-solar azimuth:  42.3°
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ANAGLYPHS
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Color label
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EDR products
HiView

NB
IRB: infrared-red-blue
RGB: red-green-blue
About color products (PDF)

Black & white is 5 km across; enhanced color about 1 km
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All of the images produced by HiRISE and accessible on this site are within the public domain: there are no restrictions on their usage by anyone in the public, including news or science organizations. We do ask for a credit line where possible:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

POSTSCRIPT
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington. The HiRISE camera was built by Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation and is operated by the University of Arizona.