NASA’s Curiosity Rover Captures Stunning Natural Phenomenon on Mars for the First Time!

Mars is often thought of as a dry, red desert. However, NASA’s Curiosity rover has recently shown us something unexpected: colorful clouds in its skies. New images reveal striking iridescent clouds glowing in hues of red, green, and even rainbow colors as they float above the Martian ground.

These captivating photos were taken on January 17, during a 16-minute snapshot of Curiosity’s mission on its 4,426th Martian day. Using its powerful Mastcam, a high-resolution camera, Curiosity captured noctilucent clouds, which shine during twilight when sunlight bounces off ice crystals high in the atmosphere.

This phenomenon is similar to the “mother-of-pearl” clouds we see on Earth, where ice crystals create beautiful color displays. On Mars, these clouds go unnoticed during the day but light up spectacularly at sunset, giving the sky a surreal glow.

So, what are these clouds made of? Unlike most Martian clouds, which contain water ice, these iridescent ones are primarily composed of frozen carbon dioxide. They float at altitudes between 37 to 50 miles (60 to 80 km) above the surface, with some vaporizing at lower altitudes due to warming temperatures.

The Martian atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide—about 95%. Yet, clouds formed from frozen CO₂ are quite rare. Mark Lemmon, an atmospheric scientist, notes that these clouds typically appear only in early autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, making them a seasonal treat.

Interestingly, Curiosity also captured water-ice clouds in the same images, hovering around 31 miles (50 km) high, adding even more variety to the Martian skies.

This isn’t the first time these clouds have been spotted. NASA first noticed them in 1997 during the highly successful Pathfinder mission. Curiosity documented iridescent clouds for the first time in 2019, and it has seen them regularly since then, marking the fourth Martian year of observations.

“The first time I saw those iridescent clouds, I thought it was some sort of error. Now, it’s so predictable that we plan our observations because they show up around the same time every year,” says Lemmon.

Each new sighting helps scientists learn more about the size and growth rate of the cloud particles, enhancing our understanding of Mars’ weather and atmosphere.

One question still lingers: why haven’t these twilight clouds been seen elsewhere on Mars? While Curiosity has spied them multiple times in Gale Crater, NASA’s Perseverance rover, currently exploring Jezero Crater, has not. Similarly, Pathfinder found them north of the equator in Ares Vallis, yet these clouds remain missing in other Martian locations.

Lemmon hypothesizes that gravity waves, disturbances in the atmosphere that cool the air, might explain why these clouds form in some areas but not others. But, because Martian gravity waves are not well understood, researchers continue to investigate.

The latest stunning images came from Curiosity’s left Mastcam, despite a broken filter wheel creating a circular frame. In addition to exploring clouds, Curiosity is investigating geological features like the Gediz Vallis channel and heading toward areas with boxwork formations, intricate patterns formed by groundwater that look like webs when viewed from above.

Recently, the rover also examined an impact crater known as “Rustic Canyon”. By studying erosion patterns and rock compositions, scientists aim to uncover materials that could shed light on Mars’ ancient history, potentially revealing whether life once thrived there.