Space news: Curiosity Rover spots sand dunes on Mars
NASA's Curiosity Rover is the space craft that surveys the geological features of Mars, and recently, it has sent images of what seems like sandstone deposits that turned into petrified sand dunes.
According to a report by Tech Times, the recent photos were snapped using a Mast Camera (MastCam) installed within the rover during its move across the red planet on Aug. 27. Individual images were later combined to create a single panoramic view of the planet, which was released by the Curiosity project team.
NASA researchers said the sandstone formations are a result of Martian soil layers that were first designated to the six-wheeled Stimson unit. In the MastCam image, the formation appears to have a cross-bedding structure on a large scale.
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The magnificently formed sand dunes are very much similar to those commonly found on Earth, particularly in the Southwest region of the United States.
Universe Today says the discoveries will be part of the studies to be further explored in the plans for the next drill campaign that is set to take place later this month. John Bridges, a member of the rover team from the University of Leicester, England, said, "The team is considering where to drill next within the Stimson sandstone and we are looking for the best light tones areas to check for mineralogical signs of water-rock reaction."
Scientists will reportedly use orientation within the cross-bedding and its geometry to come up with information on which directions the winds took, resulting to the creation of the sand dunes.
The dunes were unearthed in an area at the lower slope of Mars' Mount Sharp where dark sandstones were located. Curiosity was commanded by Earth handlers to capture a wide array of high-resolution images that will be part of the detailed investigation of Mars, resulting to the sand dunes discovery.
Exploration of Mount Sharp's sedimentary layers, which is approximately 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) into the Marian sky, is the scientific expedition's primary destination and goal, with the help of the rovers going around the Red Planet.
