Kaiser Dunes

After the Odyssey spacecraft had completed a full Mars year of observations of the red planet Image of the Day looked back over this first mars year. Focus wason five themes: 1) the poles - with the seasonal changes seen in the retreat and expansion of the caps; 2) craters - with a variety of morphologies relating to impact materials and later alteration, both infilling and exhumation; 3) channels - the clues to liquid surface flow; 4) volcanic flow features; and 5) dunes. While some images have helped answer questions about the history of Mars, many have raised new questions that are still being investigated as Odyssey continues collecting data as it orbits Mars. This daytime VIS image was collected on May 7, 2002 during the southern fall season and shows the dunes in Kaiser Crater. The crater floor material is readily visible between the dunes, indicating that the sand is being moved across a hard surface.