Hues of red planet | NASA captures never-seen ultraviolet photos of Mars' changing seasons

Do you know how Mars looks like when it changes the seasons?

In the images captured byNASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft, Earth's neighbour can be seen changing its attributes as the seasons change on the red planet.

These photographs were taken during the summer season of the southern hemisphere when Mars was closest to the sun.

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Subsequently, in January 2023, after Mars' northern hemisphere had reached the farthest point in its orbit from the sun, MAVEN photographed the planet once again.

Understanding Mars photos of changing seasons

The purple regions in the images represent the presence of ozone in Mars' atmosphere, while the white and blue areas indicate the occurrence of clouds or haze in the planet's sky. The surface of Mars appears tan or green in these new images.

NASA officials stated that observing the planet in ultraviolet wavelengths allows scientists to gain valuable insights into the Martian atmosphere and observe surface features in extraordinary ways.

Similar to Earth, Mars also rotates on a tilted axis, resulting in the experience of four distinct seasons. However, due to the longer Martian year, the seasons on Mars are approximately twice as long as those on Earth.

When Mars' southern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, the planet orbits closest to it, leading to significantly hotter temperatures during the southern summer compared to the northern summer. This temperature increase causes heightened turbulence, stronger winds, and larger dust storms in the southern hemisphere.

The warmer temperatures of summer prompt the shrinkage of the southern polar ice caps, subsequently releasing carbon dioxide and leading to a thicker atmosphere.

MAVEN detects hydrogen loss from Mars

MAVEN, launched in November 2013 with the purpose of studying the planet's atmospheric gases, has also detected an increase in hydrogen loss from Mars during this time of the year.

This phenomenon is likely a result of dust storms propelling water vapour to high altitudes.

By studying these systems, scientists can gain a better understanding of the evolutionary history of the Red Planet.

Also watch |This study suggests ancient Mars was also hit by climate change

NASA officials have said that comprehending atmospheric loss provides valuable insights into Mars' past atmosphere and climate, the existence of liquid water, and the potential for planetary habitability.

NASA's MAVEN mission will soon mark its 10-year anniversary since entering Mars' orbit in September 2014.

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