The Fate of Mars' Atmosphere
Δημοσιεύτηκε στις 11 Σεπ 2015
There
is plenty of evidence that Mars at one time had an atmosphere that
allowed water to flow on its surface. What happened to it? To find out,
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft is flying high above the Red Planet with a
battery of sensors. While previous Mars orbiters have peered down at the
planet’s surface, MAVEN is spending part of its time gazing at the
stars, looking for subtle changes in their color as they dip through the
limb of Mars and set below the horizon. Such stellar occultations
reveal what the atmosphere is made of, and how its composition varies
with altitude. MAVEN’s observations are providing the most detailed
picture of the Mars upper atmosphere to date, helping scientists
understand how Mars turned from a warm and wet planet in its youth, into
the forbidding desert that we see today.
is plenty of evidence that Mars at one time had an atmosphere that
allowed water to flow on its surface. What happened to it? To find out,
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft is flying high above the Red Planet with a
battery of sensors. While previous Mars orbiters have peered down at the
planet’s surface, MAVEN is spending part of its time gazing at the
stars, looking for subtle changes in their color as they dip through the
limb of Mars and set below the horizon. Such stellar occultations
reveal what the atmosphere is made of, and how its composition varies
with altitude. MAVEN’s observations are providing the most detailed
picture of the Mars upper atmosphere to date, helping scientists
understand how Mars turned from a warm and wet planet in its youth, into
the forbidding desert that we see today.
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