Images captured by NASA’s curiosity Rover have shown rare rainbow clouds in the Martian sky. These structures seen in the planet’s twilight were seen at high altitude, where sunlight still reaches them despite the night on the surface. The images were taken using one of the Rover’s onboard cameras on 17 January, in which the individual frames were stitched together to make videos from time to time. Scientists are analyzing these cloud patterns to achieve insight into the atmospheric processes and climatic conditions of Mars.
Details of conclusions
A Report NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory (JPL) expanded that carbon dioxide was seen floating these high -height clouds, 60 and 80 kilometers above the surface. Cold temperatures at these heights cause condensation of carbon dioxide, forcing specific cloud structures. Before evaporating at a distance of about 50 kilometers, some crystals of ice were seen descending, where the temperature begins to rise.
As Informed By Space.com, this is the fourth Martian year in which curiosity records these cloud formations. The incident was first seen in 1997 by NASA’s Pathfinder Mission, which captured images from a place north of the Martian equator.
Expert analysis on martian clouds
In a statement by NASA by NASA, atmospheric scientist Mark Lemon at the Space Science Institute in Colorado commented that the first scene of these rainbow clouds was initially considered a color discrepancy. He highlighted that his seasonal repetition has allowed researchers to predict their appearance and planning observation.
Last year, scientists produced Mars’s most broad cloud map, compiled from two decades of data collected by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express Orbiter. The study classified a series of cloud formations, including patterns not seen on Earth. Planetary Geologist Daniella Tirsh at the German Aerospace Center at the time commented that Martian Badal demonstrates significant diversity.
Unanswered questions about cloud formation
Overviews have been limited to specific areas so far, in which no dignity clouds have been detected by the firm Rover, which landed in Jazero Crater in 2021. This has inspired scientists to question that make some areas more favorable for their formation.
Lamon reported that carbon dioxide was not expected to be condensed in ice at these heights, which suggests an unknown cooling mechanism at work. He pointed to atmospheric gravitational waves as a possible factor, although his role in the Martian season pattern is uncertain. Further studies are planned to better understand these cloud structures and their implications for the planet’s climate.
