Escuche esta historia
--:--
2:27
NASA manages to capture images of the clouds of Mars
Martian clouds are probably frozen carbon dioxide
After several years of searching for these clouds, the Curiosity rover finally managed to capture pictures of this cloudiness in the small and delicate atmosphere of Mars.
NASA describes these clouds as "soft puffs of ice crystals." In the photographs you can see a grayish cloudiness that greatly resembles the clouds of planet Earth.
Since 2012, Curiosity has been on Mars collecting information for NASA. A few years ago, It had already photographed a few clouds, but after waiting for two years, the weather conditions for the formation of the right clouds were met.
Clouds are not common on Mars, although they typically form at the planet's equator during the planet's 'winter' time.
Last Mars year (a couple of Earth years ago) NASA noticed the clouds appearing earlier than expected, so this time they scrambled to photograph them.
Martian clouds are probably made of frozen carbon dioxide.
On Mars, clouds are created at altitudes of around 60 kilometers from the surface. However, those recently photographed by Curiosity are located higher.
According to experts, this is because it was formed earlier than expected, but they also take other factors into consideration.
The clouds are thought to be made not of water ice, but of frozen carbon dioxide.
A variety of cloud characteristics allow NASA experts to establish its position and composition.
If the clouds are bright, it is because the light passes through the small ice fragments that are in them.
This brightness is what allows us to know with approximation the altitude of the clouds, according to other factors, such as when it is happening and the location of the sun at the moment.
On the other hand, the specialists also managed to see iridescent clouds of some pastel colors on the Martian planet.
This type of cloud is formed when the crystalline fragments of the cloudiness all have the same size because they were created at the same time.
As a result, Martian clouds take on green, bluish, reddish, and purple colors.
One of the main objectives of 'Curiosity' on Mars is to carry out studies of the planet's atmosphere, which for experts turns out to be interesting and curious.
After finishing its main mission a few years ago, and having far exceeded it considering the useful life of the rover, NASA is now taking the opportunity to carry out other investigations.
The 'Curiosity' rover is one of the most lucrative rover ever sent into space, collecting a ton of data for ground-based research.
