NASA released images of 'fingerprints' on another planet

The aforementioned "fingerprint" with these eerie glowing ledges is a depression dubbed Airy-0, possibly an impact crater, nestled within a much larger crater called Airy, the roadway. up to 43.5km in diameter, reigning on the surface of Mars.

The newly released image was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance orbiter from September 8, 2021, using a camera called "Science Experiment High Resolution Imaging" mounted on the spacecraft.

According to Live Science, Airy-0 has also been selected by NASA as a marker of prime meridian zero on Mars.

Strange "fingerprints" on Mars

Previously, Airy - a larger crater, possibly an ancient crater or impact crater - was chosen as a prime meridian marker, but because it is so large, scientists have always wanted to find something. something smaller, making alignment measurements from it more accurate.

The name "Airy" is taken from the British astronomer Sir George Biddell Airy, who built the telescope at the Royal Observatory Greenwich - also the landmark for the zero prime meridian on Earth.

Planetary scientist Abigail Fraeman, deputy head of the Curiosty project - NASA's long-standing Mars rover - explains that the "fingerprint" structures are horizontal ridges formed by wind deposits. (TAR), roughly a structure created by the Martian wind "sculpted" over the years. Scientists have encountered TAR in other craters on Mars.

This strange structure is formed by dunes covered with a thin layer of dust, most likely hematite, a mineral rich in iron oxides. This dust is highly reflective, so the TAR stands out with its glittery edges.

This is not the first time that monstrous, startling structures have been found on other planets, especially Mars, where spacecraft easily reach the surface.

According to Space, on March 30, the European Space Agency (ESA) also shocked when it published an image of a pair of craters with terrain . just like the human brain.