The Curiosity Rover He has been unraveling secrets of the surface of Mars. But it has not been fixed On the ground this timebut in heaven.
Strange clouds. NASA has published this week A hypnotic recording taken on January 17 with the Mastcam Chamber of Rover Curiosity during the Sun number 4,426 of the mission.
What we see are bright and bright clouds that move gently through the sky of Mars. However, they are not clouds like those of the earth. They are nightly clouds dyed of reddish and greenish tones that aroused the interest of scientists since the first time the Martian robot looked at the sky.
What his color tells us. As on Earth, this type of clouds is called “noctilucent” because they shine during twilight, the transition from day to night, thanks to the light dispersed by the west sun. The difference is that, on Mars, these clouds can be composed of water or carbon dioxide ice.
The iridescent clouds, whose colored flashes remind of the naches, are specifically those that are formed from the carbon dioxide ice, which condenses at high altitudes, between 60 and 80 kilometers on the Martian floor. A team from the Institute of Space Sciences of Boulder, in the United States, He analyzed thoroughly from Curiosity images In a recent study.
What their movements tell us. These clouds are not only different from the color, but also the shape and height to which they move. While carbon dioxide formations rise and produce colorful flashes, water ice are white feathers that move to lower altitudes, around 50 kilometers, and dissipate when they heat up as they approach the surface .
Studying the size and growth of cloud particles helps astronomers understand how planet.
The incombustible curiosity. The observations of the Curiosity Rover have been key to understanding the physics of the Martian atmosphere. The images were obtained using one of the two Mastcam color modules, specifically the 34 mm camera, although it currently has the partially blocked filter wheel.
Even in years, Curiosity continues to obtain valuable data and continues its journey towards new areas of interest, such as channels and craters that could hide clues about Mars. But when he looks at heaven he also opens a window to better understand atmospheric dynamics and the climate of the red planet.
Image | NASA-JPL
In Xataka | All DNA bases and 14 of 20 amino acids: NASA has found molecules linked to life in Bennu samples