/taxonomy/term/407/0 en /content/2014/02/20/star-treks-starfleet-insignia-mars <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/0214-general/MarsSTbadge.jpg" style="width: 618px; height: 397px;" /></p> <p>NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took some very cool pictures recently. Specifically of a dune field on the Martian surface in a large crater. There, the dunes in question have formed into shapes reminiscent of the Starfleet insignia. Well, we know this isn't product placement...but if it were, that's one gigantic billboard.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/0214-general/MarsSTbadge2.jpg" style="width: 618px; height: 386px;" /></p> <p>NASA says, "In this image of a dune field on Mars in a large crater near <span data-scayt_word="Mawrth" data-scaytid="1">Mawrth</span> <span data-scayt_word="Vallis" data-scaytid="2">Vallis</span>, some of the dunes appear to be in a V-shaped formation. For dune fields, the spacing of individual dunes is a function of sand supply, wind speed, and topography." See their write-up <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/content/martian-dunes-flying-in-formation/#.UwZ_qIWQPbN" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/0214-general/MarsSTbadge3.jpg" style="width: 618px; height: 1108px;" /></p> <p>(Source: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/content/martian-dunes-flying-in-formation/#.UwZ_qIWQPbN" target="_blank">NASA</a>, <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA17981" target="_blank"><span data-scayt_word="JPL" data-scaytid="3">JPL</span></a>)</p> Mars NASA Star Trek Starfleet Starfleet Insignia Thu, 20 Feb 2014 22:58:57 +0000 Crewman Becky 1548 at http://subspacecommunique.com