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A new map of Mars shows the Red Planet in stunning detail, revealing a wealth of fascinating geological features seen from orbit.
High-resolution maps could help scientists answer pressing questions Mars Including how it became a dry, arid and barren landscape even though it was once rich in liquid water.
Mars was mapped by a team of scientists led by New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) space science center (opens in a new tab). Researchers used data collected from Mars orbit UAE Mars Mission (EMM), also known as Hope or Al-Amal.
related: New water map of Mars reveals history of Red Planet
Showcasing the Red Planet through the eyes of Hope’s state-of-the-art airborne imaging system, the Emirates Exploration Imager (EXI), the map is a testament to the UAE’s growing influence in science. NYU wrote in a statement (opens in a new tab) It hopes the new Mars map will inspire young people in the UAE to pursue careers in STEM subjects.
“We plan to make our map available to the entire planet as part of a new and more advanced Mars atlas we have been working on, which will be available in English and Arabic when published,” said NYUAD ) group leader and research scientist Dimitra Atri said in a statement. “Hopefully this accessibility will make it a great tool for researchers and students to learn more about Mars, and showcase the possibilities that the UAE’s space sector can offer.”
To create the map, Atri and team took more than 3,000 observations from EXI for one year on Mars, the equivalent of two years on Earth Earth, and stitch them together to build colored composites. 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 remains of ancient rivers, lakes and valleys that were filled with liquid water some 3.5 billion years ago. Therefore, this map could help planetary scientists better understand how Mars’ climate changed over billions of years, leading to the arid and barren world we observe today.
“The complete Mars map also brings the UAE and the Arab world closer to the EMM’s ambitious mission goal of providing a complete global picture of the Martian climate,” added Atri. “While the previous 30-plus spacecraft could only capture a snapshot of Martian weather, the EMM will follow the changing seasons throughout the Martian year.”
The map also sheds light on the history of early impact craters by allowing scientists to study the distribution of impact craters across Earth’s arid surface asteroid Bomb Mars.Therefore, the synthesis of EXI images can also help researchers better understand conditions in earlier turbulent times solar system Space rock impacts were much more common then than they are today.
The Hope orbiter is the first interplanetary mission of the UAE and the entire Arab world. Commissioned by the leadership of the UAE in 2014, the spacecraft launched from Japan on July 20, 2020. After about seven months of journey, the Nozomi arrived in Mars orbit on February 9, 2021.
“Because of its strategic location, the Hope probe is helping researchers create a global image of the planet,” Atli said. “Kibo orbits Mars in an elliptical orbit, allowing it to observe from farther away than any other spacecraft. This strategic location is helping researchers create a global image of Earth.”
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