A new map of Mars shows the Red Planet in stunning detail, revealing a wealth of interesting geological features visible from orbit.
The high-resolution map can help scientists answer a variety of questions Mars Including how it has become a dry, arid and barren landscape despite once having an abundance of liquid water.
The Mars map was created by a team of scientists led by New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Space Science Centre (opens in new tab). The researchers used data collected from Mars’ orbit Emirates Mars Mission (Emm), also known as Hope or Al-Amal.
Related: New Martian water map reveals Red Planet’s history
The map shows the Red Planet through the eyes of Hope’s state-of-the-art onboard imaging system, the Emirates Exploration Imager (EXI), and is a testament to the UAE’s growing influence in science. In a statement, NYUAD wrote (opens in new tab) It hopes the new Mars map will inspire UAE youth to pursue careers in STEM fields.
“We plan to make our map available for the entire planet as part of a new and improved atlas of Mars, which we are working on, and will be available in both English and Arabic when published,” said Dimitra, group leader and research scientist at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). Dr. Atri statement. “Hopefully this accessibility will make it a great tool for researchers to learn more about Mars and showcase the possibilities that the space sector can offer to the UAE.”
To create the map, Atri and team took more than 3,000 observations from EXI taken over one Martian year, which here equals two years. the world, and stitches them together to create a color composite. The resulting map shows many of the Red Planet’s major geological features in high resolution.
The map reveals polar ice caps, mountains and long-dormant volcanoes, as well as the remnants of ancient rivers, lakes and valleys that overflowed with liquid water some 3.5 billion years ago. As such, the map could help planetary scientists better understand how the Martian climate has changed over billions of years resulting in the dry and barren world we observe today.
“The Complete Mars Map brings us one step closer to achieving EMM’s ambitious mission goal of providing the UAE and the Arab world with a complete global picture of the Martian climate,” added Atri. “More than 30 previous spacecraft have only managed to capture a snapshot of Martian weather, while EMM will follow seasonal changes throughout a Martian year.”
The map also reveals the early history, allowing scientists to study the distribution of impact craters across the planet’s dry surface. the asteroid Bombardment of Mars. Such a combination of EXI images can help researchers better understand the early conditions of turbulence solar system When space rock impacts were much more common than they are today.
The Hope Orbiter is the first interplanetary mission for the UAE and the entire Arab world. Launched in 2014 by leaders of the United Arab Emirates, the spacecraft was launched from Japan on July 20, 2020. After nearly seven months of travel, Hope reached Mars orbit on February 9, 2021.
“The Hope probe is helping researchers build this global picture of the planet because of its strategic location,” Atri said. “Asha orbits Mars in an elliptical orbit that allows it to observe from farther away than any other spacecraft. This strategic position is helping researchers build a global picture of the planet.”
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