Morning and afternoon on Mars
Wish to see what a day on Mars would possibly appear to be? Then you definately’ll take pleasure in this new launch from NASA. On June 13, 2023, NASA shared this colorized model of a panoramic picture of the Martian panorama. The left facet of the picture represents a Martian morning, whereas the suitable facet is a Martian afternoon. The Curiosity rover is leaving an space of the purple planet known as the Marker Band Valley and took this picture trying again on the area. You’ll be able to see the tracks of the rover within the Martian soil.
Curiosity took the morning picture on April 8 at 9:20 a.m. native time, and the afternoon picture the identical day at 3:40 p.m. Doug Ellison of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California deliberate and processed the photographs. Ellison said:
Anybody who’s been to a nationwide park is aware of the scene seems completely different within the morning than it does within the afternoon. Capturing two instances of day supplies darkish shadows as a result of the lighting is coming in from the left and the suitable, such as you may need on a stage. However as a substitute of stage lights, we’re counting on the sun.
It’s at the moment winter on Mars, which implies much less airborne dust. Ellison added:
Mars’ shadows get sharper and deeper when there’s low dust and softer when there’s a lot of dust.
Figuring out the panorama
Within the picture, we see Curiosity within the foreground. The selfie captures the rover’s three antennas and nuclear energy supply. The white circle at backside proper is the Radiation Evaluation Detector, or RAD. It measures the quantity of radiation it’s receiving on the floor. This measurement supplies necessary information for ensuring future astronauts will be safe on the purple planet.
Within the picture, Curiosity stands within the foothills of Mount Sharp. Mount Sharp is a 3-mile (5-km) excessive mountain inside Gale Crater. And Gale Crater is the place Curiosity initially landed in 2012. Marker Band Valley is residence to salty minerals, the place Curiosity discovered proof of an ancient lake.
Time for Curiosity to move on to its subsequent journey!
Backside line: A brand new picture from the Curiosity rover depicts morning and afternoon on Mars. The colorized picture represents one day on the purple planet.
Read more: Evidence for ancient river on Mars in new rover images
