Dunes on Mars

This image of a crater of diameter about a half mile was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's camera. The image is almost an optical illusion - you may have to look at it carefully to see that it is a crater and not a mound. The pattern in the center is a collection of dunes, showing that the wind in the thin atmosphere is capable of shaping things. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was designed to operate through 2010 but has enough fuel to operate to 2030.

This major collection of dunes is near the north pole of Mars.