Boulder
Tumbles Downhill on Mars Leaving Behind a Line
Trail Visible From Space
A
boulder tumbling down a hill on Mars
left behind a 500-meter jagged line (about a third of a mile)
and is visible from space as shown in the
photo above.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter currently orbiting the Red Planet
spotted the boulder and took some photos using
the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE)
camera. This High res camera is onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Scientists at NASA have calculated the
boulder is 6 meters (20 feet) tall and 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) wide.
The trail it left on the slope has a pattern that suggests the boulder couldn't roll smoothly or straight due to its shape.
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) launched in 2005 on a search for evidence of water on Mars.
Next up, MRO will have a chance to monitor Mars' close encounter with Comet Siding Spring, which is expected to fly by the Red Planet in October.
