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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Curiosity views iridescent cloud

Curiosity views iridescent cloud
Curiosity views iridescent cloud NASA's Curiosity Mars rover captured this panorama of a feather-shaped iridescent cloud just after sunset on Jan. 27, 2023. The scene is comprised of 28 individual images and was released by NASA on March 6, 2023. Studying the colors in iridescent clouds helps scientists learn about the size of particles within the clouds and how they grow over time. While most Martian clouds hover no more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) above the ground and are composed of water ice, these clouds appear to be higher in elevation, where it’s very cold. That suggests these clouds are made of carbon dioxide, or dry ice. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS