IT Home June 8th News, NASA announced yesterday that its 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter took a historic photo, clearly recording the rare scene of the giant Mars volcano Arsia Mons penetrating the clouds before dawn.
This photo was taken on May 2, and the top of the volcanic Alcia peak gradually appeared from the clouds.
IT Home searched public information and learned that the volcano was about 12 miles high (about 20 ) is twice as high as the highest volcano on Earth (the height of about 6 miles / 9 kilometers) at a height of 2000 miles.
This is the first time that humans have photographed a Martian volcanic landscape from the perspective of the planetary horizon, which simulates the observation angle of astronauts overlooking the earth from the International Space Station. This historic record has attracted widespread attention, especially in the field of Martian atmospheric and geological research.
NASA Goddard Space Center planetary scientist Michael Smith noted: "These horizon images reveal significant seasonal differences, providing new clues for studying the evolution of Mars' atmospheric evolution."
This shooting is the fourth result of Odyssey's launch of the Mars Horizon High Altitude Imaging Program in 2023. To obtain images, the probe rotated 90 degrees in orbit, allowing its Thermal Radiation Imaging System (THEMIS) camera to record dust and water ice clouds in the Martian atmosphere.
As the southernmost volcano of Tharsis Montes, Mount Alcia is 20 kilometers high (about 2 times that of the highest volcano on Earth). The clouds penetrated at its peak belong to the equatorial cloud belt formed during the aphelion of Mars. "The choice to shoot Mount Alcia was the expectation that its peak could break through the morning clouds, and the results were exciting," said Jonathon Hill, head of camera operations at THEMIS and Arizona State University.
The Odyssey has become the longest-running interplanetary orbit mission since its launch in 2001. The THEMIS camera can detect the underground water ice area of Mars through the infrared band, and can also analyze the surface composition of Phobos and Deimos. Relevant atmospheric data are of great value for studying Mars weather patterns, sandstorm mechanisms and future landing missions.
