Feb 22, 2021 10:31 PM EST
New research has shown that contact between dust particles on Mars probably causes electrical discharges analogous to lightning. The sparks, though, are humble relatives of the mighty bolts of Earth and pose no threat to the rovers nor to potential human explorers.
(Photo : NASA via Getty Images)
Dust Clouds
Mars has so many fine dust clouds that almost the entire planet will often be enveloped, disrespectfully interrupting our best views. Scientists have wondered since the days of the first landers, despite the absence of rain clouds, if these particles could move electrons while bumping into each other, creating electric fields large enough to cause powerful discharges.
Feb 23, 2021 05:00 AM EST
Close Distance
(Photo : Wikimedia Commons)
This Sunday, watch out for a spectacular show in the early morning skies. In one of rare occurrences, planets mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the crescent moon will be close and bright enough to be seen by the naked eye on early morning of July 19.
Besides Earth s sister planet Venus, Mars is the second nearest planet to Earth, with an estimated distance of 225 million miles from the farthest and closest points in its orbit. The main parallels are in the axis, length of the day, and seasons between the two planets. They vary considerably from each other in other ways.
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11 history-making Mars Perseverance rover moments, captured on camera
In the days following Perseverance’s Mars touch-down, NASA’s latest rover has been busy sending images back to Earth. Perseverance will look for signs of past microbial life and provide important information that will help scientists prepare for future human exploration on the Red Planet.
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A Slow Descent This high-resolution still image is part of a video taken by several cameras as NASA’s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars on 18 February 2021. A camera aboard the descent stage captured this shot.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Eagle-eyed view of Perseverance