The first snapshots from two orbiters currently dancing a waltz around Mars reveal completely different perspectives on the Red Planet. Today, India鈥檚 MOM (Mars Orbiter Mission) spacecraft 鈥� also called Mangalyaan, meaning Mars Craft 鈥� (see below) with the message 鈥渢he view is nice up here鈥�.
(Image: ISRO)
Meanwhile, NASA鈥檚 MAVEN spacecraft sent back four views of Mars: three images taken in different wavelengths of ultraviolet and a fourth picture, made from combining the others.
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The blue version shows ultraviolet light from the sun scattered by hydrogen gas, stretching thousands of kilometres above the planet鈥檚 surface. In the green image, sunlight is primarily reflected off oxygen, covering a smaller area than the cloud of hydrogen. The red picture shows ultraviolet sunlight reflected from the planet鈥檚 surface, revealing a bright spot in the lower right that is due to either polar ice or clouds.
(Image: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado; NASA)
MOM and MAVEN鈥檚 success in reaching the Red Planet means we now have seven robonauts exploring Mars. Odyssey, Express and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are observing the planet from orbit while Curiosity and Opportunity are on the ground roving its surface.
