Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Europe's Mars Express spacecraft recently revealed a captivating sight on Mars, capturing the collision of massive sand dunes with layers of dusty ice at the planet's north pole—a phenomenon unseen before.
Utilizing the Mars Express High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), astronomers directed the spacecraft to capture the intriguing scene as it orbited Mars, providing a detailed glimpse of the polar landscape.
The terrain surrounding Mars' north pole has long intrigued astronomers, characterized by thick layers of fine dust and water ice spanning several kilometres and extending over 1000 kilometres.
Known as Planum Boreum, the layers on the north pole formed from the gradual deposition of dust, water ice, and frost over millions of years, offering valuable insights into Mars' climatic evolution.
Each layer within Planum Boreum contains crucial information about Mars' history, reflecting the planet's climatic fluctuations over time, with a seasonal cycle involving the sublimation of a thin dry ice cap during Martian summers.
The imagery captured by Mars Express reveals the initial stages of Planum Boreum, showcasing subtle wrinkles indicating the accumulation of material layers, alongside distinct steps formed on the ground.
A topographic view accompanying the imagery highlights the diverse elevations within the landscape, with lower altitudes depicted in blue/green hues and higher elevations represented by shades of red/white/brown.
Mars Express has been diligently exploring the Red Planet since 2003, conducting a range of scientific investigations including surface imaging, mineral mapping, atmospheric analysis, subsurface probing, and environmental studies to deepen our understanding of Mars' dynamic environment.