NASA reveals new ultraviolet images of Mars

at recent days , NASA It released ultraviolet images of Mars taken by the Maven space probe. According to the space agency, the images can help better understand the Red Planet.

The technique was made between July 2022 and January this year, using Maven’s Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer, and measures wavelengths between 110 and 3300 nanometers (corresponding to a millimeter divided by a millionth or billionth of a meter). This measurement is outside the range visible to the human eye.

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The purple areas are the ozone layer in the Red Planet’s atmosphere, while the white and blue are the clouds and haze in the sky. “By observing the planet in ultraviolet wavelengths, scientists can gain insight into the Martian atmosphere and visualize surface features in a fascinating way,” NASA said at the time.

Different seasons on Mars

Just like Earth, Mars has four different seasons, but they are twice as long as those on our planet, because a Martian year is equivalent to about two years on Earth.

The first image shows summer in Mars’ southern hemisphere, the period when the planet is closest to the sun. It is possible to see Argyre Planitia, one of the largest basins on the planet, composed of asteroids and filled with atmospheric haze, and Valles Marineris.

The second image shows the Northern Hemisphere during winter, with several white clouds and purple amalgam (a metal alloy in a liquid state, like mercury) of ozone in the Arctic. NASA scientists said the data included with the images enhance understanding of Mars’ climate history.

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