Sunrays on Mars
NASA released the photographs above and under on March 6, 2023, saying its veteran Curiosity rover has captured our first-ever clear have a look at sunrays on Mars. It caught the photographs throughout a stunning sundown, and through a brand new cloud-imaging marketing campaign. NASA stated:
Martian sunsets are uniquely moody. However NASA’s Curiosity rover captured one final month that stands out. Because the sun descended over the horizon on February 2, rays of sunshine illuminated a financial institution of clouds. These sunrays are also referred to as crepuscular rays, from the Latin phrase for ‘twilight.’
It was the primary time sunrays have been so clearly seen on Mars.
Feather-shaped iridescent clouds on Mars
Now take a look at the picture above. Discover the refined colours. This feather-shaped cloud is an iridescent cloud on Mars: a cloud that shows rainbow colours. Curiosity captured this picture just lately, too, on January 27, 2023.
There are numerous forms of rainbow-like clouds on Earth – and possibly on Mars, too – together with halos and coloured arcs. However randomly distributed rainbow colours in a cloud point out cloud iridescence. Atmospheric scientist Mark Lemmon of the Area Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado explained:
The place we see iridescence, it means a cloud’s particle sizes are equivalent to their neighbors in every a part of the cloud.
By taking a look at coloration transitions, we’re seeing particle dimension altering throughout the cloud. That tells us about the way in which the cloud is evolving and the way its particles are altering dimension over time.
NASA stated that Curiosity captured each the sun rays and iridescent clouds as panoramas, every of which was stitched collectively from 28 photographs despatched to Earth.
The photographs have been processed to emphasise the highlights.
New twilight cloud survey on Mars
In 2021, Curiosity performed a marketing campaign to look at noctilucent, or night-shining, clouds on Mars. However, since January 2023, the rover has been turning its imaging energy to a brand new twilight cloud survey. NASA explained:
Whereas most Martian clouds hover not more than 37 miles (60 km) above the bottom and are composed of water ice, the clouds within the newest photographs seem like at a better altitude, the place it’s particularly chilly. That means these clouds are fabricated from carbon dioxide ice, or dry ice.
As on Earth, clouds present scientists with advanced however essential data for understanding the climate. By taking a look at when and the place clouds kind, scientists can study extra concerning the Martian ambiance’s composition and temperatures, and the winds inside it.
The 2021 cloud survey included extra imaging by Curiosity’s black-and-white navigation cameras, offering an in depth have a look at a cloud’s construction because it strikes.
However the latest survey, which started in January and can wrap up in mid-March, depends extra typically on the rover’s coloration Mast Digital camera, or Mastcam, which helps scientists see how cloud particles develop over time.
Meet the robotic photographer
Backside line: NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured our first clear picture of crepuscular rays or sunrays on Mars. The rover additionally caught cloud iridescence on Mars. The photographs are a part of a brand new twilight cloud survey, being performed now by Curiosity.
