In game changing science news, it turns out that the ‘red planet’ isn’t actually all red.
Yep, believe it or not, parts of Mars have just been revealed to be blue.
New images from NASA’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, currently orbiting Mars, have revealed some of Mars’ most surprisingly colourful regions, reports the i100.
And the vibrant images reveal Nili Fossae, Mars’ northwest region, to be one of the most stunning – and bright blue – parts of the planet.
The reason behind the unexpected colour is because the Nili Fossae bedrock is exposed, with the exception of a few sand dunes. Mars’ famous red appearance is down to the red dust which covers the majority of the Martian surface, which means beautiful blue/beige sites like this are very rare.
According to RT, the variety of colors is produced by the presence of minerals – such as carbonate, aluminum smectite, hydrated silica, and iron oxides – in Mars’ crust.
Apparently, the next step is for the Orbiter to inspect the region further in search of signs of life that may once have existed there.
A NASA spokesperson explained:
Nili Fossae Trough is a huge crack in the surface of Mars. The region has one of the largest, most diverse exposures of clay minerals [that] contain water in their mineral structure and may preserve organic materials. Scientists are excited about studying such deposits to understand past environments that could have supported life.
We bet scientists weren’t feeling blue when they saw these images! (Sorry…)
