A new video from NASA's Curiosity rover showcases the stunning beauty of twilight clouds on Mars, raising more questions about their formation and distribution.
Jam packed issues filled with the latest cutting-edge research, technology and theories delivered in an entertaining and visually stunning way, aiming to educate and inspire readers of all ages. What do clouds on Mars look like? Well, a new video stitched together from images captured by NASA 's Curiosity rover offers a glimpse. In this video, delicate red-and-green-tinted clouds are seen drifting through the Martian sky in striking patterns that look similar to the ones Earth clouds make.
Studying how and where on Mars these clouds form can help scientists better understand their impact on the planet's climate.This captivating footage features twilight clouds, a phenomenon observed only on Mars. These clouds, composed of carbon dioxide ice, are illuminated by sunlight even when it is night on the planet's surface. The snapshots were collected over 16 minutes and sped up about 480 times to result in the video above, according to a statement released by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).These twilight clouds, which are made of carbon dioxide ice — otherwise known as dry ice — can be seen at the top of the new images. They were floating about 37 to 50 miles (60 to 80 kilometers) above the surface, where it is cooler than at the surface and causes carbon dioxide in Mars' atmosphere to condense into clouds. Some of the ice crystals can be seen raining down on the surface as thick, white plumes before disappearing about 31 miles (50 kilometers) high, where they evaporate due to rising temperatures. This marks the fourth Mars year Curiosity has witnessed the occurrence of these clouds, which typically appear during early fall in the planet's southern hemisphere, according to the JPL statement. They were first spotted back in 1997 by NASA's Pathfinder mission from just north of Mars' equator.'I'll always remember the first time I saw those iridescent clouds and was sure at first it was some color artifact,' Mark Lemmon, an atmospheric scientist at the Space Science Institute in Colorado, who led a study summarizing Curiosity's first two seasons of twilight cloud observations, said in the statement.'Now it's become so predictable that we can plan our shots in advance; the clouds show up at exactly the same time of year.'Curiosity's observations are not the only evidence of Martian cloud diversity. In 2021, the European Space Agency released a map of Martian clouds created, put together from two decades of images captured by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express orbiter. The map cataloged a remarkable variety of cloud patterns occurring on Mars, including some unlike anything seen on Earth. 'Clouds on Mars are just as diverse and fascinating as those we see in our skies on Earth,' Daniela Tirsch, a planetary geologist at the German Aerospace Center, who was involved with the catalog, said at the time.Yet, why the twilight clouds haven't been observed elsewhere on Mars remains a puzzle for Lemmon and other scientists. For example, the Perseverance rover has not detected any twilight clouds since landing in Jezero Crater in 2021, which lies in the northern hemisphere, farther north than Pathfinder's location. Curiosity, too, has primarily observed them in the southern hemisphere. This inconsistency highlights the need for further research to understand the specific conditions that favor twilight cloud formation on Mars.'Carbon dioxide was not expected to be condensing into ice here, so something is cooling it to the point that it could happen,' Lemmon said in the statement. It's possible that certain regions are more prone to forming them, he says, such as areas where ripples in the atmosphere known as gravity waves cool the atmosphere enough to freeze carbon dioxide molecules and 'But,' Lemmon added,'Martian gravity waves are not fully understood and we're not entirely sure what is causing twilight clouds to form in one place but not another.
MARS CLOUDS CURIOSITY ROVER NASA SPACE EXPLORATION ATMOSPHERE SCIENCE
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Captures Colorful Clouds Drifting Over MarsWhile the Martian clouds may look like the kind seen in Earth’s skies, they include frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice.
Read more »
Colorful Clouds Over Mars Captured by Curiosity RoverNASA's Curiosity rover has captured stunning images of colorful clouds in the Martian sky. These noctilucent clouds, composed of frozen carbon dioxide, appear as vibrant hues due to the scattering of sunlight by the setting Sun.
Read more »
This Is the Biggest Werewolf Movie in History (and It’s Not Twilight)Comic Book Movies, News, & Digital Comic Books
Read more »
The Twilight LEGO Set Is Here and It’s Packed With Easter Eggs for SuperfansLEGO has officially released the Twilight-themed set based on a superfan’s submission, and it’s filled with details only the most dedicated fans will recognize.
Read more »
Twilight Fans Can Now Build Their Own LEGO Cullen HouseLEGO has announced a new set based on the iconic Cullen House from the Twilight saga, allowing fans to recreate their favorite scenes from the movies. The 2,001-piece set includes minifigures of Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, Jacob Black, and other beloved characters.
Read more »
Candace Reels: The Colorful World of a Vintage FashionistaCandace Reels, founder of Female Collective, shares her passion for vintage fashion, sustainable shopping, and her love for unique home decor.
Read more »