Mars Express Captures 'Metallic' Waves Rolling Across an Ancient Martian Crater

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When we think of Mars as the “Red Planet”, the image that comes to mind is just that - a lot of red.

That comes from the oxidization of the dust and rocks that cover the planet's surface, but there are some instances where the Red Planet still has a few visual tricks up its sleeve.

One such trick was recently captured by the European Space Agency’s venerable Mars Express orbiter, which captured what seems to be a set of metallic waves inside a giant impact basin.

But on closer inspection, it becomes clear they aren’t liquid metal or some sort of alien architecture, but a manifestation of Mars’ complex environment.