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IPFS News Link • Space Travel and Exploration

Curiosity Pays A Visit To The Intriguing Dunes Of Mars

• popsci.com

The dark line near the bottom of the image shows the informally named Bagnold dune field. The image is composed of multiple pictures taken in September 2015. The Curiosity rover has now arrived at the dune field.

As the Curiosity rover slowly ascends Mount Sharp, it's getting its first up-close look at Mars's sand dunes -- the first time we've investigated active dunes on another planet.

The "Bagnold Dunes" surround the mountain's northwestern edge. Some are as tall as a two-story house, and they're very active. Satellite imagery shows the Martian winds shift the dunes by as much as 3 feet per year.

Curiosity's arrival at the dunes is not only a first for a Martian spacecraft, but for all of space exploration. "No active dunes have been visited anywhere in the solar system besides Earth," says a NASA press release.


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