NASA has revealed a surprising discovery on Mars that promises to grab everyone’s attention. Spaceship Epicknown as the longest mission in Mars orbit, has completed its 100th return to the Red Planet. To celebrate this achievement, the mission team shared Stunning panoramic view of Mount Olympus, the highest volcano in the solar system.This image, taken in March, is remarkable for its clarity, detail and width. A new perspective on the vast Martian landscape.
Mount Olympus Mons is located near the equator of Mars, Its base is 600 km long and rises 27 km into the sky. Astronomers discovered this month morning coat From frost that temporarily covers the summit of the volcano, a phenomenon that provides new clues about the circulation of ice from the poles in the arid Martian environment.
According to NASA, the latest image of Mount Olympus reveals A blue-white strip indicates the presence of dust. In the Martian atmosphere at the time of capture. Additionally, a thin purple layer indicates a mixture of atmospheric dust and frozen water clouds. At the top edge of the image, a blue-green band indicates the location of ice clouds that rise up to 30 miles into the Martian sky, the scientists explain.
Panoramic view of Mount Olympus
To get this amazing panoramic image, scientists commissioned the spacecraft Epic to rotate slowly, allowing its camera to point toward the Martian horizon. This is similar to the method used by astronauts on the International Space Station to take views of Earth, but in this case it gives us A unique perspective of Mount Olympus.
Jeffrey Plaut“We usually look at the Odyssey project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California,” explained Mount Olympus In narrow strips from above, but by turning the spacecraft toward the horizon, In one picture we can see the majestic height of the volcano. Above the Martian landscape.” This image is not only visually stunning, but also provides invaluable scientific data.
By taking images at different times of the Martian year, scientists can analyze them. How does the Earth’s atmosphere differ during its four seasons?Each mission lasts between four and seven months. These types of studies are essential to better understand atmospheric and climatic processes on Mars.
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The latest image of Mount Olympus is not an isolated achievement, however. The result of a long process of exploration and learning.It all started in 2008, when NASA’s Phoenix mission landed on Mars. Odyssey, which serves as a link between the Phoenix lander and Earth, took the opportunity to test its camera pointed at the Martian horizon.
“The mission is a great success,” recalls Steve Sanders, a spacecraft operations engineer at Lockheed Martin Aerospace.We decided to turn on the camera and see what it looked like.“Based on those experiences, we designed a sequence that kept the camera’s field of view centered on the horizon as we orbited the planet.”
Launched in April 2001 and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Odyssey mission represents a redemption story for NASA. After the failure of the Mars Climate Orbiter in 1998 and the Mars Polar Lander in 1999, Odyssey achieved the first success in Mars exploration in the 21st century.
Upon entering orbit in October 2001, Odyssey was instrumental in revealing water ice deposits just beneath the surface of Mars, a potentially vital resource for future manned missions. In addition, the probe mapped large areas of the planet, including craters that provide valuable data on Mars’ geological history.
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