While there are many factors that make the red planet similar to Earth, it also provides a hostile environment for you to appreciate the features of our planet more.
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In a new video shared by NASA, scientist Mark Lemon tries to explain how Mars resembles Earth and why a red planet is a world without a rainbow.
In April last year, the Perseverance rover detected a rainbow-like event on the red planet, sparking widespread controversy on social media, prompting NASA to release a tweet: “Is this a rainbow on Mars? No, not a rainbow. Possible.” Here, rainbows have light reflected from spherical droplets, but there is not enough water to condense, and the atmosphere is too cold to allow liquid water into the red planet’s atmosphere. “
He pointed out that the curve shown in the picture taken by the diligent spacecraft was “glowing in the camera lens”.
How is the rainbow formed?
According to scientist Lemon, the formation of rainbows requires more than water, which is the only basic substance. The rainbow is formed when the rays of sunlight enter a spherical drop, are reflected from behind and travel toward the human eye.
Lemon explained that, unlike ice, liquid droplets are formed into spheres by the surface tension of water because they are collected together. And snow does not form rainbows because it has a complex shape. The clouds of Mars are below freezing. You are not getting any liquid droplets that can create rainbows, i.e. not enough water.
Due to the complex structure of the rainbow it is impossible to form from ice, and Mars clouds are no exception.
Why is Mars without a rainbow?
Lemon says a drop of water is needed to form rainbows, and that Mars’ clouds are below freezing and there is not always enough water. Despite the tiny droplets, the scientist revealed that they are 20 times smaller than human hair and 10 times smaller than water droplets in the Earth’s clouds.
Many asked: Rainbow on Mars? No. Rainbows are not possible here. Rainbows are made of light reflected from spherical water droplets, but there is not enough water to condense here, and it is too cold for liquid water in the atmosphere. This arc is a lens flair. pic.twitter.com/mIoSuilJW
– NASA Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 6, 2021
In a video released by the American Space Agency, Lemon explained that rainbow formation droplets must be at least ten times larger, and that it is useless to create rainbows even if there is snow on Mars clouds.
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For an Earth-like event on Mars, the red planet has clouds when the season is right, along with clouds of dry ice and carbon dioxide.
Also, storms and winds are constantly blowing around clouds and dust. “The weather is still a big part of looking for rovers on Mars. But sorry for deceiving you, Mars has Earth-like weather but no rainbow,” Lemon said.
Although there is no rain or rainbow on Mars, it has some other spectacular views, including the largest volcano in the solar system.
Source: phys.org + NASA
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