NASA’s Curiosity rover captures unusual clouds on Mars ‘glow at night’

Published:

May 29, 2021 21:15 GMT

Two years ago on Earth, scientists realized that these clouds are rare in the dry Martian sky, forming above the device earlier than expected and at an altitude higher than typical clouds.

NASA Year This Saturday’s photos of unusual “glow in the night” clouds in the crater of Gale Mars volcano, captured by the Curiosity spacecraft. It is a compilation of a total of 21 images adapted to the human eye and taken by the device last March to study these types of formations in the atmosphere of the red planet.

Two years ago on Earth (a Martian year), scientists realized that these clouds, which are rare in the dry Martian sky, were forming above the device before the expected time. This year, experts were able to documentIce-crystals-filled storms That scattered the sunsets, some of them shining in color, “since the end of January.

Unlike typical clouds that form 60 kilometers above the surface of Mars, this is true the above And specialists are trying to determine the exact height. The difference can be explained by the cloud formation of the red planet: streams consist of icy waters and it is likely that those recently observed are made of Frozen carbon dioxide (Dry snow).

Clouds are listed as noctilucentes (Illuminated at night, in Latin), as their ice crystals capture fading sunlight and thus Shine brighter Just as the sky gets dark when the sun goes below the height of these clouds, it begins an eclipse.

Curiosity is capable of Foreman This kind of cloud with black and white navigation cameras and MastCam color device.