NASA drew a lot of attention when it released an image of a blue sand dune on Mars. But is it really blue?
In fact, the published image, which was taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on January 24, 2018, is an improved image, so no, it is not really blue.
But, the image, which appears turquoise in both an infrared-red-blue image, as well as an RGB color image, can be seen on the University's Web site. Arizona Tuscon. The school works in partnership with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that manages the HiRISE camera of the orbiter, from which images are taken.
In reality, the dune is gray, but compared to the mostly red dunes that surround it, it remains remarkable.
NASA has stated that this particular dune, in the crater of Lyot, is surrounded by traditional barchan dunes, or wave-shaped dunes on an ocean. This "blue" is larger and is made of a thinner material or a different composition than the one that surrounds it, according to the NASA press release.
Meanwhile, the massive sandstorm that has caused the shutdown of one of NASA's rovers Opportunity, is still raging. The dust storm covered a quarter of the planet, and communication between the Earth and the orbiter was cut off more than a week ago. The rover is powered by solar energy and the dust storm has cut off its access to the sun.
