Monday, March 03, 2008

UA camera captures active landslide - avalanche on Mars


Among the 2359 new images released today from the High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, is one of an landslide or avalanche caught as it was rushing downslope. The landslide/avalanche was discovered by Ingrid Daubar Spitale of the University of Arizona, who targets the camera.

The Orbiter spacecraft took the picture near the Martian north pole of the first-ever active avalanche. Science Daily describes the image as showing "tan clouds billowing away from the foot of a towering slope, where ice and dust have just cascaded down."

This is so amazing. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. And take a look at the other 2,000 plus pictures posted today. The Martian landscape at this resolution is just spectacular.




No comments:

Post a Comment