A Rusty Sunset on Mars
Explanation:
On Mars,
sunsets can appear salmon pink.
The unusual color is partly due to
rust:
oxidized iron from
Martian
dust circulating in the
Martian
atmosphere.
Clouds appear
in the morning and evening, but usually evaporate in the midday Sun. A day on
Mars lasts 24.6 hours -
very similar to Earth's, but a Martian year lasts
almost twice as long as an Earth year. The
above panorama by
Mars Pathfinder,
shown mirror-inverted, was released last Friday by the
Imager team.
Mars Pathfinder has now successfully completed all the goals of
its planned mission. Nevertheless, the
Sagan Memorial Station spent the weekend
recharging its batteries, anticipating the possibility of still more
productive weeks
of exploration ahead.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
