Martian night sky, undercurrents surging.
At night, the Martian sky shimmers under ultraviolet light
The latest ultraviolet observations of the Red Planet highlight complex circulation patterns in the Martian atmosphere, including weird regular noctilucent pulses invisible to the naked eye. The atmospheric effects of these pulses and luminescence are not yet fully understood, but their presence reminds us that the atmosphere of Mars is very complex.
The "night glow" of the Martian atmosphere under ultraviolet light. Source: NASA/Mars Atmospheric and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN)/Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Colorado-Baud(CU)/Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
The latest ultraviolet observations of the Red Planet reveal complex cyclical patterns in the Martian atmosphere, including regular nocturnal pulses that are invisible to the naked eye.
A new study suggests that the complex movements of the Martian atmosphere can be observed through ultraviolet light, but only at night in certain seasons. These pulses and luminescence are not fully understood, but their existence is a reminder of the existence of a complex atmospheric system on Mars.
The research was made possible thanks to the Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Imager (IUVS) aboard nasa's Mars Atmospheric and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN) spacecraft, and the latest results have been published in Geophysical Research and the journal Space Physics. The MAVEN spacecraft has been in orbit on Mars since 2014. The Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) provides a whole new perspective on observations of the Red Planet, revealing previously undiscovered patterns of the Martian atmospheric circulation.
The new paper, led by Nick Schneider of the University of Colorado's Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), analyzes data from an ultraviolet spectrometer on Mars for two consecutive years (about 687 days on Earth in a year on Mars). By studying Mars from an ultraviolet perspective, the researchers were able to visualize the effects of wind and waves on a global scale in the Martian atmosphere.
Schneider explained in a NASA press release: "The MAVEN image gives us the first comprehensive understanding of the motion of the atmosphere in the middle of Mars, an area where the air flow carries gases between the lowest and highest layers, which is important for their research."
The reason for the "night glow" seen in the Arctic, the spiral shape, remains a mystery. Source: NASA/Mars Atmospheric and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN)/Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Colorado-Baud(CU)/Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
These fantastic phenomena, known as atmospheric tides, form in the recombination of nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the middle layer of the Martian night hemisphere (the middle layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere). By observing Mars in ultraviolet light, scientists were able to see changes in wind direction in different seasons that affected the "night glow" in the atmosphere. Studies have shown that these atmospheric tides around the planet are also affected by solar heat and topographic disturbances caused by the huge volcanoes of Mars.
In fact, volcanic mountainous areas on Mars produce some very fascinating weird phenomena, such as the large elongated clouds that regularly appear over Arsia Mons (located near the Martian equator, about 20 kilometers high).
"MAVEN's major discoveries about atmospheric loss and climate change reveal the importance of these massive circulation patterns that transport gases from the surface of Mars to the edge of space," explains Sonal Jain, LASP scientist and co-author, in a press release.
Interestingly, atmospheric pulses happen exactly three times a night, but only in spring and autumn. Scientists have also documented inexplicable air waves and swirls over the winter polar region, as well as some unusual bright spots over the winter poles.
Causes of the "night glow" phenomenon. Source: NASA/Mars Atmospheric and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN)/Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Colorado-Baud(CU)/Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
In these bright areas, the gas is pushed downward by vertical winds, thus entering areas of higher atmospheric density. NASA's Press Release Center says this helps speed up chemical reactions related to nitrogen oxidation, providing energy for ultraviolet light to glow. Ultraviolet light production occurs mainly at altitudes of 40 miles (64 kilometers) above the surface, with some plaques as high as 600 miles (965 kilometers) in diameter.
These ultraviolet rays should not be confused with the strange green light of Mars— the oxygen molecules (visible to the naked eye) that sunlight excited in the upper atmosphere. For humans on the martian surface, the nightly "night glow" is invisible. In the future, Martian colonists can enjoy the "night glow" through ultraviolet filters, which will be a great pleasure of living on Mars. This kind of sky-viewing pastime is roughly similar to watching the Northern Lights on Earth. It's clearly a spectacular sight, with these chain-like glowing patches will travel through the Martian night sky at speeds of up to 180 mph (290 km/h).
BY: George Dvorsky
FY: Milo_Guo
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