NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft has captured breathtaking ultraviolet images of Mars, providing scientists with a unique perspective of the planet’s atmosphere and surface features. The images were taken by MAVEN’s Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument in 2022 and 2023, when Mars was at opposite ends of its elliptical orbit around the Sun.
By measuring wavelengths outside the visible spectrum, the IUVS instrument provides insight into the Martian atmosphere. The images are rendered with varying brightness levels of three ultraviolet wavelength ranges represented as red, green, and blue. Atmospheric ozone appears purple, while clouds and hazes appear white or blue. The surface can appear tan or green, depending on contrast and detail.
The first image was taken in July 2022 during the southern hemisphere’s summer season. Argyre Basin, one of Mars’ deepest craters, appears at bottom left filled with atmospheric haze. The deep canyons of Valles Marineris appear at top left filled with clouds. The southern polar ice cap is visible at bottom in white, shrinking from the relative warmth of summer. Southern summer warming and dust storms drive water vapor to very high altitudes, explaining MAVEN’s discovery of enhanced hydrogen loss from Mars at this time of year.
The second image is of Mars’ northern hemisphere and was taken in January 2023 after Mars had passed the farthest point in its orbit from the Sun. The rapidly changing seasons in the north polar region cause an abundance of white clouds. The deep canyons of Valles Marineris can be seen in tan at lower left, along with many craters. Ozone, which appears magenta in this UV view, has built up during the northern winter’s chilly polar nights.
MAVEN launched in November 2013 and entered Mars’ orbit in September 2014. The mission’s goal is to explore the planet’s upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and interactions with the Sun and solar wind to explore the loss of the Martian atmosphere to space. Understanding atmospheric loss gives scientists insight into the history of Mars’ atmosphere and climate, liquid water, and planetary habitability. The MAVEN team is preparing to celebrate the spacecraft’s 10th year at Mars in September 2024.
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