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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
NASA ^ | 29 Jun, 2025 | Image Credit: NASA, HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona),

Posted on 06/29/2025 5:09:38 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: Are these trees growing on Mars? No. Groups of dark brown streaks have been photographed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on melting pinkish sand dunes covered with light frost. The featured image was taken in 2008 April near the North Pole of Mars. At that time, dark sand on the interior of Martian sand dunes became more and more visible as the spring Sun melted the lighter carbon dioxide ice. When occurring near the top of a dune, dark sand may cascade down the dune leaving dark surface streaks -- streaks that might appear at first to be trees standing in front of the lighter regions but cast no shadows. Objects about 25 centimeters across are resolved on this image spanning about one kilometer. Close ups of some parts of this image show billowing plumes indicating that the sand slides were occurring even while the image was being taken.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
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To: MtnClimber

Definitely not trees. They’re big patches of asparagus.


21 posted on 06/29/2025 6:45:03 PM PDT by TigersEye (The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
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To: MtnClimber

Interesting.


22 posted on 06/29/2025 6:45:53 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: MtnClimber

One of the strangest areas of Mars I’ve ever been. It would make a possible landing site. If Ray Bradbury had seen this photo, he might’ve been inspired to write a sci-fi story around it.


23 posted on 06/29/2025 7:22:14 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: telescope115

24 posted on 06/29/2025 7:57:18 PM PDT by BipolarBob (If people make you sick, maybe you should try cooking them longer.)
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To: GaltAdonis

“Anybody ever watch the movie ‘Robinson Crusoe on Mars’?”

Yes!!!


25 posted on 06/30/2025 7:11:50 AM PDT by dljordan (The Rewards of Tolerance are Treachery and Betrayal)
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To: MtnClimber

NASA says ‘don’t believe your lying eyes, those aren’t trees’. :)


26 posted on 06/30/2025 7:13:47 AM PDT by dljordan (The Rewards of Tolerance are Treachery and Betrayal)
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