Mars nightside ultraviolet emission from nitric oxide
Mars nightside ultraviolet emission from nitric oxide
This image of Mars’ nightside shows ultraviolet emission from nitric oxide (abbreviated NO). The emission is shown in false color with black as low values, green as medium, and white as high. These are the first such images obtained at Mars. Nightglow is a common planetary phenomenon in which the sky faintly glows even in the complete absence of external light. These emissions track the recombination of atomic N and O produced on the dayside, and reveal the circulation patterns of the atmosphere. The splotches, streaks and other irregularities in the image are indications that atmospheric patterns are extremely variable on Mars’ nightside. The portion of the globe without data lies on the dayside, making NO emission from recombination undetectable. The inset shows the viewing geometry on the planet. MAVEN’s Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph obtained this image of Mars on May 4, 2016 during late winter in Mars Southern Hemisphere. (Courtesy NASA/University of Colorado-LASP/MAVEN-IUVS)
