ESA reveals Mars' "Purple Siren" with ExoMars orbiter discovery
The European Space Agency (ESA) has published images of the "Purple Siren," captured by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter on the surface of Mars. This unusual formation was located in the Terra Sirenum region of Mars. Scientists have some understanding of what may have caused its formation.
3:17 PM EDT, August 12, 2024
"It is just an optical illusion – there are no mythological mermaids or seas on the martian world today. Mars is currently a desert world that used to be covered by rivers, lakes, and possibly oceans some 3.5 billion years ago. A cold era began when Mars lost its magnetic field and could no longer hold its own atmosphere, leading to water evaporating, freezing, or becoming trapped within the surface."
The "Siren" of Mars
Thanks to advanced cameras operating in various electromagnetic bands, especially the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS), ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter detected an unusual purple formation on the surface of Mars. The orbiter spotted it in 2022 in a dried-up riverbed in the Terra Sirenum region of Mars in its southern hemisphere. According to researchers, the formation occurred due to the deposition of sodium chlorides.
The "Purple Siren" is not the only interesting discovery made by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. One of the orbiter's most impressive discoveries is the evidence of large quantities of iron, magnesium, and aluminum in the Mawrth Vallis valley on Mars.
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter also contributed to discovering an unprecedented green glow on Mars, resulting from oxygen emission. Scientists had predicted for years that a similar phenomenon might occur on Mars, but only thanks to this orbiter was it successfully observed. The green glow is a result of the dissociation of carbon dioxide into oxygen due to solar radiation. These observations are an important step in understanding atomic and quantum physics, and they also allow a better understanding of the atmosphere of the Red Planet.
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter helps understand Mars
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission has provided scientists with valuable insights into Mars. Thanks to the data obtained by this orbiter, new elements were discovered on the planet's surface, and atmospheric phenomena that were previously theoretical were observed. These discoveries are vital in further research and preparations for future missions to Mars and help to better understand our Red Planet.
