Science
Related: About this forumCaSSIS mission: The camera capturing Mars' craters and canyons
By Samantha Jagger
BBC News Online
Published3 days ago
SA/ROSCOSMOS/CASSIS
CaSSIS captures craters like this one, which is located in the Mawrth Vallis region of Mars
It is a busy time for Mars at the moment.
This month the Red Planet entered its new year, what is known as Year 36, and it has not long been overtaken by Earth in its orbit of the Sun.
The distance between Earth and Mars constantly changes because of their different speeds around the Sun, therefore the optimum launch window for missions is just once every 26 months.
Many are anticipating the touchdown of Nasa's Perseverance rover - the most sophisticated vehicle ever sent to land on a planet - on 18 February.
However, the Red Planet is already being closely observed.
Since its launch in 2016 and its subsequent orbit insertion around Mars, an instrument named the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) has been used to enhance scientists' knowledge of the planet's surface.
The camera is travelling with the European Space Agency's (Esa) Exomars Trace Gas Orbiter, which is studying methane and other rare gases in the Martian atmosphere.
ESA/ROSCOSMOS/CASSIS
image captionFalse-colour imagery is used by scientists to enrich their findings
More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-55943374
Deuxcents
(15,777 posts)And not turn it or the moon into a dump station like we have disrespected Earth.
Docreed2003
(16,817 posts)I hope I'm not the only one who misread craters as "critters" in my head