Perseverance captures a sunrise with high clouds on Mars

March 24 () –

NASA’s Perseverance rover recently captured drifting clouds before sunrise on mars, as he continues his search for signs of ancient life on the Red Planet.

Mars is a dry and dusty planet, but billions of years ago water likely pooled and flowed in many areas of its surface, providing a potential home for microbes to live.

The new cloud images, released on the mission’s Twitter accountwere taken with one of the rover’s navigation cameras just before Martian dawn on March 18. That was the 738th Martian day, or sol, of the Perseverance mission; a sun is slightly longer (24 hours, 37 minutes) than a day on Earth.

Dusty and cold, sure – but Mars has a certain, raw beauty.

Dawn at the Red Planet, with high clouds floating by. Take time to look up.

Full image: https://t.co/lOIB0GBraf pic.twitter.com/bYreLdR2Fc

— NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) March 23, 2023

NASA started in 2022 a citizen science project to investigate Martian clouds, which are composed of carbon dioxide, also known as dry ice. Studying clouds provides a window into conditions in the planet’s middle atmosphere, at approximately 50 to 80 kilometers of altitude.

Perseverance recently arrived at a new area dubbed “Berea,” where it is about to take a closer look at an intriguing layered rock, the mission reported. it’s a statement. Perseverance and the Ingenuity helicopter are exploring an ancient river delta in Jezero Crater that may have supported ancient life. The aircraft has already covered 11 kilometers in 48 flights and is still operational.