From the polar region depicted in this image to the floors of craters and more, Mars' dunes are fascinating features on the planet's surface!
While NASA released the new image April 8, it is composed of images captured from December 2002 to November 2004 by the THEMIS (Thermal Emission Imaging System) instrument on board NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter!The image is part of a set of photos released recently to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Odyssey, which launched on April 7, 2001 and began observing Mars in October of that year. .
The craft's primary mission has been to study Mars' environment and collect data to inform and protect future Mars missions.