NASA scientists baffled as 'unusual' red circles appear on the surface of Mars

NASA scientists baffled as 'unusual' red circles appear on the surface of Mars

DAILY STAR

NASA’s top boffins are confused by a series of circles spotted in new imagery of Mars.

The latest pictures of the Red Planet show sand dunes, which are not unusual to see up there, but there are in the shape of perfect circles.

And this is what has left NASA baffled.

The space agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spotted the shapes as it studied how frost thaws at the end of Martian winter.

NASA explains: “Sand dunes of many shapes and sizes are common on Mars. In this example, the dunes are almost perfectly circular, which is unusual.

“They are still slightly asymmetrical, with steep slip faces on the south ends. This indicates that sand generally moves to the south, but the winds may be variable.

“This is part of a series of images to monitor how frost disappears in the late winter; this observation appears to be free of frost.”

A previous image shows when the surface was covered by frost.

Earlier this year, the orbiter reported what looked like the face of a bear on the barren surface.

That quirky image was taken in December from a height of 251 km, with NASA saying: “A Bear on Mars? This feature looks a bit like a bear’s face. What is it really?”

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NASA scientists baffled as 'unusual' red circles appear on the surface of Mars

 

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