APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
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.
A Martian Sunset
Explanation: You've had a hard day rolling past Martian rocks , so now just relax your APXS and enjoy the Martian sunset. The above pictures taken by Mars Pathfinder highlight how clouds vary during the end of a Martian day. The atmosphere on Mars is much thinner than on Earth and dominated by carbon dioxide rather than nitrogen . Clouds on Mars can be water or carbon dioxide based, depending on conditions , whereas Earth's clouds are all water based. At night the temperature at Sagan Memorial Station will dip from about -15 degrees Celsius (+4 Fahrenheit) to -77 degrees Celsius (-107 Fahrenheit). Temperatures only this cold won't bother Sojourner .
| Date | August 1, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit: IMP Team, JPL, NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |