Star Dunes

Star dunes, the Saharan giants, rise like majestic pyramids sculpted from sand and can reach impressive heights of up to 300m! Unlike their linear cousins, these dunes boast multiple, radiating arms – three or more – that gracefully sweep down from a central peak, giving them their star like appearance when viewed from above. This unique structure is a testament to the ever-shifting winds that sculpt them. Star dunes grow towards the sky rather than horizontally but still can have diameters of several kilometers.

This RGB image shows the thriving star dunes in the Grand Erg Oriental, a vast sea of sand in the Algerian Sahara, where a complex dance of multidirectional winds reigns supreme. Recent research suggests star dunes can form much faster than previously thought. Studies show some can grow significantly in just a thousand years, despite their massive size.

Star dunes are not exclusive to our planet! They have been spotted on Mars, shaped by the Red Planet's thin atmosphere, and even on Saturn's moon Titan, sculpted by winds of methane.