Mars rover films magnificent Martian clouds soaring over the red desert
NASA spotted Martian clouds that look awfully Earth-like.
The space agency recently posted atmospheric footage that the Curiosity rover captured late last year. This car-sized robot landed on Mars almost a decade ago and is exploring the planet's more than 3-billion-year-old Gale Crater.
In the first GIF below, we can see clouds passing directly above the rover, explained NASA. The clouds are almost 50 miles high, and likely composed of carbon dioxide as opposed to water.
In the second GIF, the soaring clouds cast shadows on the dry Martian desert.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / York University
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / York University
Compared to Earth, the Martian atmosphere is quite thin. Its volume is about 1 percent of Earth's and largely composed of carbon dioxide, making it a profoundly inhospitable place for any potential human visitors.
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Mars' atmosphere, though it can still support fascinating extraterrestrial clouds today, wasn't always so thin. Over billions of years, its atmosphere diminished, but planetary scientists suspect the atmosphere was once thick enough to sustain a warm world — with flowing water.
Mark was the science editor at Mashable. After working as a ranger with the National Park Service, he started a reporting career after seeing the extraordinary value in educating people about the happenings on Earth, and beyond.
He's descended 2,500 feet into the ocean depths in search of the sixgill shark, ventured into the halls of top R&D laboratories, and interviewed some of the most fascinating scientists in the world.
