Colorful Water Clouds Over Mars
Explanation:
One place where water can be found on
Mars is in
clouds.
In the
above picture colorful
water clouds are
visible just after sunrise in and around a maze of
canyons known as
Noctis Labyrinthus (the labyrinth of the night).
Scientists don't yet know, however, why these
clouds formed, and why some stick to the
canyons.
One exciting possibility is that water sometimes
condenses in
shaded regions
of the
canyons, only to
evaporate into clouds when exposed to the
morning Sun.
Water in any form on the
Martian surface
might be important to sustaining life and
possible future human exploration.
Viking Orbiter 1, which visited
Mars in 1976, took the
above picture.
The region shown is about 100 kilometers across.
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.
