NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter offers beautiful views of the Martian landscape.
You might think Mars is a pretty static place, as it has no oceans or atmosphere. But the dry Red Planet is surprisingly dynamic, as the GIF of the crater at Mars' north pole shows.
Animated by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRise (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) at the University of Arizona.
NASA's MRO is this crater that underwent some changes between 2008 and 2019.
“These ice deposits are shrinking, expanding, or changing the shape or texture of the surface every year,” wrote University of Arizona geologist Alfred McEwen, chief researcher at HiRise.
The GIF is compiled from MRO images taken over a period of about twelve years.
MRO entered Martian orbit in 2006. Its durability gives scientists the ability to track changes in the landscape over time. Like on Earth, Mars experiences the seasons. These seasons just last longer.
Sources: NASA / JPL / University of Arizona
