The first image of Mars cut by the Al Amal, or Hope spacecraft. The photo was taken at a distance of 15,500 miles from the planet’s surface.
Emirates Mars Mission / Mohamed Bin Zayed
Mars is the place to be this month. Two spacecraft have already orbited the red planet: China’s Tianwen-1 arrived there on 10 February. A day earlier, the United Arab Emirates made history by moves the Al Amal (Hope) spacecraft into orbit Mars and becomes only the fifth land to reach the dusty, barren neighbor of the earth.
The very first Arab interplanetary mission ever has cut some images of Mars during his journey so far, but nothing like what he delivered early Sunday. From a distance of 25,000 kilometers (25,000 kilometers), the probe’s camera – officially known as the Emirates eXploration Imager (EXI) – captured a scenic view of Mars as a yellowed semicircle against the black curtain of space.
Some of the most famous features of Mars are visible in the image. Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, peeks at the terminator, where the sunlight decreases, while the three volcanoes of the Tharsis Montes dazzle under a mostly dust free air.
Olympus Mons is barely visible at the terminator, where night meets day. It is surrounded here in red.
Emirates Mars broadcast
The photo was shared in a tweet by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s factor ruler.
“The transmission of the first image of Mars’ Hope Probe is a turning point in our history and suggests that the UAE is involved with advanced countries involved in space exploration,” tweeted Sunday.
The transmission of the first image of the Hope Probe from Mars is a defining moment in our history and indicates that the UAE is involved with advanced countries involved in space exploration. We hope that this mission will lead to new discoveries about Mars that will benefit humanity. pic.twitter.com/TCM5yHTapH
– م مد بن )ايد (@MohamedBinZayed) 14 February 2021
The Al Amal mission hopes to provide the most complete picture of the Martian atmosphere to date. The range of instruments includes the EXI camera and an ultraviolet and infrared spectrometer. Detailed observations will enable researchers to determine how particles escape from the gravity of Mars and reveal the mechanisms of global circulation in the lower atmosphere.
You can find previous images of the Hope investigation on the Emirates Mars Mission website.
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