Astronomy Picture Of The Day: Mars Colors!!!

 

#NASA, #Space, #astronomy, #διάστημα,

Although Mars is usually called the Red Planet, a new image from ESA’s Mars Express shows it with swirls of purple, yellow, and orange in Arcadia Planitia. The colors come from variations in surface minerals, dust grain properties, and how sunlight hits the terrain. The purplish tones correspond to areas with high silicate content and lower iron content, while yellow and orange shades reveal coarser, lighter dust or oxidized rock materials. Windblown dust and dust devils (small whirlwinds on Mars) further mix and redistribute surface particles, creating color gradients and subtle hues in the scene. The Rothko-like patchwork captures a mix of lava flows, craters, and yardang ridges (wind-eroded shapes) in the region, with darker muddy red bands overlaid by brighter dunes or dust cleansed by wind action. Atmospheric haze and blowing dust add a slight blur and color wash over parts of the image. Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin