Gone are the days we call Mars the "Red Planet." Astronomers may need to revise this long-known nickname after NASA's recent findings.
NASA space probe MAVEN recently captured photos of Mars that revealed what seemed to be a kaleidoscope of colors that gave the first look of Mars' nightglow.
As reported by Space, "night glow" refers to a phenomenon in which a planet's sky faintly glows, even without external light. On Mars, however, it is the effect of nitric-oxide emissions.
The emissions are produced when the ultraviolet rays of the sun break down carbon dioxide and nitrogen molecules Mars's day side. High-altitude winds spread the surviving atoms all over the planet. On Mars's night side, the atoms flow down to lower altitudes, where nitrogen and oxygen atoms fuse and produce nitric oxide. The energy that results that its combination creates is released as UV light or ultra violet light.
According to Express, a video from the MAVEN space probe was also taken recently that showed the winds whirling around forming different colors of cloud formation across its surface with a purple tint on its southern area.
Mars will still be the "Red Planet" to us non-professionals and non-astronomers though because the photos and videos were taken using ultra violet light to reflect ultra violet colors to protect the human eyes' sensitivity.
All thanks to MAVEN, more and more discoveries were unraveled about Mars. MAVEN's main goal, according to Solar System Exploration, is to give insight into the history of Mars' atmosphere and climate, liquid water, and planet habitability by regulating how volatiles from the Martian atmosphere have escaped into space over time.
There may be life on Mars and everyday NASA is one step closer into new discoveries.
