NASA's NISAR spacecraft captured a detailed radar image of East Antarctica showing a landform about the width of a major highway cut in the form of a hummingbird in flight. The unusual outline stretches across a broad region, and the radar scan revealed fine details hidden beneath the snow cover. Scientists say the arrangement comes from distant era glacial erosion combined with the land underneath the ice. Researchers describe the result as a quiet reminder of how frozen layers can carve rock into distinct shapes over long spans of time. The view was released in mid July as part of NASA's active program to map Antarctic ice with radar based tools. The agency highlights the mission as a useful advance in polar science. Researchers also note that the work refines studies of climate shifts and coastal risk. Officials add similar passes will run in the coming months. Photo set like this are expected to draw interest from both experts and the general public. The mission is being run jointly across two major space programs. Officials say the satellite was designed to measure subtle shifts in the Earth's surface. The hummingbird image has already captured wide web based attention. A number of readers said the form looked eerily lifelike.
Sources & References
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NASA's NISAR Captures "Hummingbird"-Like Pattern Beneath Antarctica's Ice - NDTV
NASA's NISAR Captures "Hummingbird"-Like Pattern Beneath Antarctica's Ice NDTV
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Satellite Image of Antarctic Mountain Resembles Hummingbird - SSBCrack
Satellite Image of Antarctic Mountain Resembles Hummingbird SSBCrack