NASA's MAVEN spacecraft reveals stunning ultraviolet views of Mars



NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission has acquired stunning views of Mars in two ultraviolet images taken at different points along our neighboring planet's orbit around the sun.


The images show how the Martian atmosphere responds to changes in seasons and solar activity. They also reveal the diversity of clouds and ozone in the upper atmosphere.

© NASA/LASP/CU Boulder

MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars. The mission's combination of detailed point measurements and global observations provides a powerful way to understand the properties of the upper atmosphere¹.


MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument captured the remarkable ultraviolet views. According to NASA, the instrument has been designed to measure ultraviolet wavelengths ranging from 110 to 340 nanometers, which fall outside of the visible range.


One image was taken in July 2022, during the southern hemisphere's summer season when Mars was closest to the sun. The other image was taken in January 2023, after Mars' northern hemisphere had passed the farthest point in its orbit from the sun.



© NASA/LASP/CU Boulder

The images show that when Mars is near perihelion (closest to the sun), the atmosphere is more active and variable, with more clouds and ozone. When Mars is near aphelion (farthest from the sun), the atmosphere is more stable and uniform, with less clouds and ozone.



The images also show how solar storms can affect the Martian atmosphere. In November 2022, MAVEN observed a Martian light show caused by a major solar storm that hit the planet. The storm ionized and excited atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating auroras that were visible in ultraviolet light.


MAVEN was launched in November 2013 and entered orbit around Mars in September 2014. The spacecraft has enough fuel to operate through 2030. In early 2019, MAVEN was shifted to a lower orbit to prepare it to take on additional responsibility as a data-relay satellite for NASA’s Mars 2020 rover.



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