By: Neal-Spence
Image: NASA JPL-Caltech UArizona ⧉
License: Copyright, All Rights Reserved

Uploaded: 3 Apr 2026
Last Updated: 3 Apr 2026

40 megapixels
20,000 x 2,024 pixels
66.7 in X 6.7 in at 300dpi

'Dune Monitoring in Crater' A boring title for a dramatic and stunning infrared-color composite (IRB) processed today reveals a high-contrast terrain where fire-orange dust meets cool, blue-toned shadows. We are observing the distal edge of an impact ejecta blanket, where the debris has settled into a complex, "cellular" texture. The central strip of the frame is dominated by a field of dark sand dunes and ripples, their deep blue hues indicating a different mineral composition—likely basaltic—compared to the iron-rich red dust of the surrounding plains. These dunes are nestled within depressions, suggesting the wind has funneled sediment into the low points of the ejecta flow. To the left, the terrain transitions into a more uniform, cratered surface, while the right side shows "scouring" patterns where the force of an impact once surged across the bedrock. NASA JPL-Caltech UArizona Source data : https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_075244_2230