Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2024 December 3
     [2]Ice clouds are seen over the surface of Mars on the upper right.
    Toward the lower left is a bright spot in the sky which is likely the
    Sun setting through Martian dust. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                        Ice Clouds over a Red Planet
    Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL-Caltech, [5]Kevin M. Gill; Processing:
                          [6]Rogelio Bernal Andreo

   Explanation: If you could stand on Mars -- what might you see? You
   might look out over a [7]vast orange landscape covered with rocks under
   a dusty orange sky, with a blue-tinted [8]Sun setting over the horizon,
   and odd-shaped water clouds hovering high overhead. This was just
   [9]the view captured last March by NASA's rolling explorer,
   [10]Perseverance. The [11]orange coloring is caused by [12]rusted iron
   in the Martian dirt, some of which is small enough to be [13]swept up
   by winds into the atmosphere. The blue tint near the setting Sun is
   caused by [14]blue light being preferentially scattered out from the
   [15]Sun by the floating dust. The light-colored clouds on the right are
   likely composed of [16]water-ice and appear high in the [17]Martian
   atmosphere. The shapes of some of these clouds are [18]unusual for
   Earth and remain a topic of research.

                    Tomorrow's picture: driveway sunspots
     __________________________________________________________________

      [19]< | [20]Archive | [21]Submissions | [22]Index | [23]Search |
   [24]Calendar | [25]RSS | [26]Education | [27]About APOD | [28]Discuss |
                                    [29]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [30]Robert Nemiroff ([31]MTU) & [32]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([33]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [34]Specific rights apply.
            [35]NASA Web Privacy, [36]Accessibility, [37]Notices;
                A service of: [38]ASD at [39]NASA / [40]GSFC,
                         [41]NASA Science Activation
                           & [42]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2412/MarsClouds_Perseverance_2048.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://apoapsys.com/about
   6. https://www.facebook.com/DeepSkyColors/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180404.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200802.html
   9. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1108810870821013
  10. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
  11. https://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/69-Why-is-Mars-reddish
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231107.html
  14. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/blue-sky/
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  16. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/mars-water-ice-clouds-are-key-to-odd-thermal-rhythm/
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Mars
  18. https://bgr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/scared-surprised-cat-face.jpg
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241202.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  25. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  28. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241203
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241204.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  32. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  33. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  38. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  41. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  42. http://www.mtu.edu/