Monday, December 13, 2010

Dunes Engulf a Crater in Vastitas Borealis


A vast dune field lies near the northern polar cap of Mars. Seen here in summer, the dunes have partially buried an impact crater about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) wide.

This image was taken in August 2010 by the Thermal Emission Imaging System instrument on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and posted in a special December 2010 set marking the occasion of Odyssey becoming the longest-working Mars spacecraft in history. The pictured location on Mars is 79.1 degrees North latitude, 245.5 degrees East longitude.

Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

Note: This crater lies in Vastitas Borealis, just east of Olympia Undae's eastern border. The closest named feature to this site is Rupes Tenuis.

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