Mysterious ‘almost perfectly circular’ sand dunes on Mars stun scientists. Take a look

Photos of strange “almost perfectly circular” sand dunes on Mars captured by a high-resolution camera on an orbital probe are mystifying scientists.

The camera, built by the University of Arizona, Tucson, for NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, captured photos of the dunes in the planet’s northern hemisphere in November, Live Science reported.

“They are still slightly asymmetrical, with steep slip faces on the south ends,” the University of Arizona said in a statement. “This indicates that sand generally moves to the south, but the winds may be variable.”

While sand dunes are commonplace on Mars, researchers aren’t sure why these appear almost perfectly round, Live Science said.

The images were taken as part of a series to “monitor how frost disappears in the late winter,” the university said.

The orbiter, launched in 2005, reached Mars in 2006 with a primary mission of examining potential landing sites for future missions, according to NASA.

The hi-res camera was planned for a two-year mission analyzing the surface of Mars, but continues to operate, NASA said.

The university monitors the camera, while NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages the orbiter, NASA said.

This story was originally published March 15, 2023 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Mysterious ‘almost perfectly circular’ sand dunes on Mars stun scientists. Take a look."