NASA's InSight captured a beautiful image of a Mars sunset
This is no ordinary sunset! NASA’s InSight mission recently captured this picture of a sunset on Mars:
When we think of Mars, we typically think of its red- and orange-colored sky. So why are we seeing a beautiful blue sunset in this picture?
The reason is because the light from the Sun scatters based on what’s in the atmosphere. On Mars, there are dust storms blowing soil into the air, which scatters red light and gives Mars its red sky. But when the Sun sets, the red light scatters even further and blue light filters through.
It's the same situation on Earth, except flipped. Blue light is scattered during the day – resulting in our blue sky – and during sunsets, the light scatters even further to filer through a wonderful mix of reds and yellows. It's the result of our planet's own unique atmosphere!
Interested in learning more about Mars and the planets of our solar system? Catch a show this weekend in LSC’s Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium, the biggest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. Click here for showtimes and to see what’s playing.
