The Intellectual Clouds of Mars

The weathered and layered face of Mount Mercou looms within the foreground of this mosaic from the Curiosity Mars rover’s Mast Digicam. Made up of 21 particular particular person photographs the scene turned into recorded appropriate after sunset on March 19, the three,063rd martian day of Curiosity’s on going exploration of the Crimson Planet. Within the martian twilight excessive altitude clouds restful shine above, reflecting the sunshine from the Solar under the local horizon just like the noctilucent clouds of planet Earth. Although water ice clouds plug during the skinny martian atmosphere, these wispy clouds are additionally at low altitudes and can also be peaceable of frozen carbon dioxide, crystals of dry ice. Curiosity’s Mast Cam has additionally imaged iridescent or mother of pearl clouds adding subtle colours to the martian sky.