FP TrendingMar 23, 2021 16:07:26 IST
A car-sized rover that landed on Mars on August 6, 2012, better known as the Curiosity Rover, has captured spectacular views of clouds traversing the Martian surface. Shot with cameras attached to the top of Curiosity, the five-minute fragment shows clouds over the surface of Mars. The film was captured on March 19, 2021 and was shared by North Carolina State University scientist Dr. Paul Byrne.
According to a report in the Independent, five minutes of time was captured by the navigation camera on Curiosity in eight individual images stitched together. The “noctilucent” clouds on Mars in the video can be lit by the sun even during the night due to their high altitude.
Clouds in the sky, passing gently above them.
On Mars, Friday, March 19, 2021. pic.twitter.com/jJpemPefIV
– Professor Paul Byrne (@ThePlanetaryGuy) March 20, 2021
The clouds seen in the video appear to move in the same way as those on Earth. But the report states that, due to the huge difference in the atmosphere of the two planets, the clouds must be formed in different ways. Mars ‘s atmosphere is thinner than Earth’ s. While the atmosphere that surrounds our home plant is rich in nitrogen and oxygen, Mars’ s atmosphere is full of carbon dioxide, European Space Agency said.
Comparing the atmosphere of Mars and Earth. Image: ESA
Snow was discovered on the surface by a Phoenix surface in 2008, according to an Independent. But unlike Earth, snow on Mars is formed by carbon dioxide. The thin feel of Mars causes light clouds to form above the surface, and the clouds on Earth are relatively thick. The dust created when space debris hits the planet’s atmosphere is also believed to be responsible for the formation of clouds.
The Red Planet, considered ‘other’ worlds that humans could live in the future, is half the size of Earth.