NASA captured images of this sand dune on Mars that appears blue in an enhanced-color photo.

The photo was taken in the planet's Lyot Crater.

The dune has a different composition to dunes nearby, though it's not actually blue.

NASA photographed an exquisite sand dune on Mars over the summer that's out of this world.

The dune appears blue in an enhanced-color image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), though it's actually a grayish hue. The visual effect comes from upping the contrast, a trick that allows researchers to see more detail in images of Mars.

The dune is located in the red planet's Lyot Crater, a large crater on Mars that is known for its patterned ground.

"It is made of finer material and/or has a different composition than the surrounding [dunes]," NASA said.

The MRO originally captured the image in January 2018.

Another look at the sand dune found on Mars, without the colors enhanced. NASA

Correction: This post has been updated to explain the origin of the image's blue hue.