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Mars Express Images Metallic Waves, Water Clues in Kaiser Crater

7/17/2026

27 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter captured images of metallic-looking waves inside Kaiser Crater on Mars.
Kaiser Crater spans about 207 kilometers, and its southeast barchan dunes rise up to 100 meters high.
Frost on south-facing slopes gives the dunes a dark, slightly metallic sheen.
Orbiters found light-toned clay patches indicating ancient water and narrow gullies likely formed by dry landslides or melting ice.

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Story summary

The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter captured images of metallic-looking waves inside Kaiser Crater on Mars.
Kaiser Crater spans about 207 kilometers, and its southeast barchan dunes rise up to 100 meters high.
Frost on south-facing slopes gives the dunes a dark, slightly metallic sheen.
Orbiters found light-toned clay patches indicating ancient water and narrow gullies likely formed by dry landslides or melting ice.