NASA's HiRISE camera sees active dunes in Wirtz crater of Mars

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), a powerful camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), captured these gorgeous dunes in the Wirtz Crater of Mars.

According to the University of Arizona, which operates the HiRISE camera, these dunes are likely active, with ripples on their upwind slopes and dark streaks on their downwind slopes forming and changing due to wind-driven sand motion.

"This motion will also keep the dune brink (the edge between the two slopes) and bottom edges sharply defined. The dark lines and squiggles on the dune slope are formed by passing dust devils," the HiRISE team wrote in a post.

These Martian features was captured when the spacecraft was flying at an altitude of about 255 km.

HiPOD: Active Dunes in Wirtz CraterThese gorgeous dunes are likely active, with ripples on their upwind slopes and dark streaks on their downwind slopes forming and changing due to wind-driven sand motion.https://t.co/acoB8QO6E3NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona#Mars #science #NASA pic.twitter.com/TOkyAawgFu

— HiRISE: Beautiful Mars (NASA) (@HiRISE) November 18, 2023

HiRISE is one of six instruments onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It has been imaging the Martian terrain since its arrival in 2006, with the main goal being to study active surface processes and landscape evolution.

With its high resolution capability (imaging up to 30 centimeters per pixel), HiRISE is an indispensable instrument to capture Martian features as small as a kitchen table in unprecedented detail. It also plays a key role in helping to select landing sites for robotic and future human exploration.