A maioria das nuvens marcianas paira não mais do que cerca de 37 milhas (60 quila´metros) no canãu e são compostas de gelo de a¡gua.
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)
Pontos de curiosidade Nuvens iridescentes (madrepanãrola). Crédito: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
Os dias nublados são raros na fina e seca atmosfera de Marte. As nuvens são normalmente encontradas no equador do planeta na anãpoca mais fria do ano, quando Marte estãomais distante do Sol em sua a³rbita oval. Mas um ano marciano completo - dois anos terrestres - os cientistas notaram nuvens se formando sobre o rover Curiosity da NASA antes do esperado.
Este ano, eles estavam prontos para comea§ar a documentar essas nuvens "precoces" desde o momento em que apareceram pela primeira vez no final de janeiro. O resultado são imagens de pequenas nuvens cheias de cristais de gelo que espalham a luz do Sol poente, alguns deles brilhando com cores. Mais do que apenas exibições espetaculares, essas imagens ajudam os cientistas a entender como as nuvens se formam em Marte e por que as recentes são diferentes.
Na verdade, a equipe do Curiosity já fez uma nova descoberta: as nuvens que chegam mais cedo estão, na verdade, em altitudes mais altas do que o normal. A maioria das nuvens marcianas paira não mais do que cerca de 37 milhas (60 quila´metros) no canãu e são compostas de gelo de a¡gua. Mas as nuvens que Curiosity capturou estãoem uma altitude mais elevada , onde faz muito frio, indicando que provavelmente são feitas de dia³xido de carbono congelado ou gelo seco. Os cientistas procuram por pistas sutis para estabelecer a altitude de uma nuvem, e sera£o necessa¡rias mais análises para dizer com certeza quais das imagens recentes do Curiosity mostram nuvens de gelo e quais mostram as de gelo seco.
As estruturas finas e onduladas dessas nuvens são mais fa¡ceis de ver com as imagens das ca¢meras de navegação em preto e branco do Curiosity. Mas são as imagens coloridas da Mast Camera do rover, ou Mastcam, que realmente brilham - literalmente. Vistos logo após o pa´r do sol, seus cristais de gelo captam a luz fraca, fazendo com que parea§am brilhar contra o canãu que escurece. Essas nuvens crepusculares, também conhecidas como nuvens "noctilucentes" (latim para "brilho noturno"), tornam-se mais brilhantes a medida que se enchem de cristais e escurecem depois que a posição do Sol no canãu cai abaixo de sua altitude. Esta éapenas uma pista útil que os cientistas usam para determinar a que altura estão.
Ainda mais impressionantes são as nuvens iridescentes, ou "madrepanãrola". "Se vocêvir uma nuvem com um conjunto de cores pastanãis cintilantes, éporque aspartículas da nuvem são quase idaªnticas em tamanho", disse Mark Lemmon, um cientista atmosfanãrico do Instituto de Ciência Espacial em Boulder, Colorado. "Isso geralmente acontece logo depois que as nuvens se formaram e todas cresceram na mesma proporção."
Essas nuvens estãoentre as coisas mais coloridas do Planeta Vermelho, acrescentou. Se vocêestivesse observando o canãu ao lado de Curiosity, poderia ver as cores a olho nu , embora fossem desbotadas.
“Sempre fico maravilhado com as cores que aparecem: vermelhos, verdes, azuis e roxosâ€, disse Lemmon. "a‰ muito legal ver algo brilhando com muitas cores em Marte."