|
|
|
"Cloudy Sky" on Mars - Sol 16
|
Caption NASA:"This is the first image ever taken from the Surface of Mars of an overcast sky. Featured are stratus clouds coming from the North/East at about 15 miles per hour (6,7 meters/second) at an approximate height of 10 miles (about 16 Km) above the Surface. The "you are here" notation marks where Earth was situated in the sky at the time the image was taken. Scientists had hoped to see Earth in this image, but the cloudy conditions prevented a clear viewing. Similar images will be taken in the future with the hope of capturing a view of Earth. From Mars, Earth would appear as a tiny blue dot as a star would appear to an Earthbound observer. Pathfinder's imaging system will not be able to resolve Earth's moon.
The clouds consist of water ice condensed on reddish dust particles suspended in the Atmosphere. Clouds on Mars are sometimes localized and can sometimes cover entire regions, but have not yet been observed to cover the entire Planet. The image was taken about an hour and forty minutes before sunrise by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) on Sol 16 at about 10° up from the Eastern Martian Local Horizon".
|
|
(Dettagli)
