The Shining Clouds of Mars
Explanation:
The weathered and layered face of
Mount Mercou looms in the foreground
of this mosaic from the Curiosity Mars rover's Mast Camera.
Made up of 21 individual images the scene was recorded
just after sunset on March 19, the 3,063rd martian day of Curiosity's
on going exploration of the Red Planet.
In the
martian
twilight high altitude clouds
still shine above, reflecting the light from the Sun below the local horizon
like the
noctilucent clouds of planet Earth.
Though water ice clouds drift through the thin martian atmosphere,
these wispy
clouds are also
at extreme altitudes and could be composed of
frozen carbon dioxide, crystals of dry ice.
Curiosity's Mast Cam has also imaged iridescent or
mother of pearl
clouds adding subtle colors
to the martian sky.
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.
