NASA Mars HiRise Image:

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft shows a sand dune field in a Southern highlands crater on the red planet. 

The sun lay only 5 degrees above the horizon when the spacecraft captured this image, producing deep shadows, with dune crests sticking up sharply into the sunlight. 

The bright patches which appear bluish in enhanced color arise from seasonal frost accumulating as this hemisphere approaches winter. 

Credit: NASA HiRISE

ESA MARS Express: Sirenum Fossae region in the Southern Highlands

Part of the Sirenum Fossae region in the Southern Highlands of Mars.

The image shows the region centred at about 28°S / 185°E. It extends some 230 km by 127 km and covers 29 450 sq km, roughly the size of Belgium.

The image was taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft during orbit 6547. The image resolution is about 29 metres per pixel.

Credits: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)

More Multimedia files here at the ESA MARS Express website...