Mapping Mars' Upper Atmosphere
- Visualizations by:
- Walt Feimer
- View full credits
Principal Investigator Bruce Jakosky talks about MAVEN’s science observations at Mars.
Watch this video on the NASAexplorer YouTube channel.
For complete transcript, click here.
High above the thin Martian skies, NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft is carrying out a mission: determine how Mars lost its early atmosphere, and with it, its water. While previous Mars orbiters have peered down at the planet’s surface, MAVEN is spending part of its time gazing at the stars, looking for subtle changes in their color as they dip through the limb of Mars and set below the horizon. Such stellar occultations reveal what the atmosphere is made of, and how its composition varies with altitude. MAVEN’s observations are providing the most detailed picture of the Mars upper atmosphere to date, helping scientists understand how Mars turned from a warm and wet planet in its youth, into the forbidding desert that we see today.
For More Information
See NASA.gov
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Animators
- Walt Feimer (KBRwyle) [Lead]
- Brian Monroe (USRA)
- Chris Smith (KBRwyle)
- Michael Lentz (KBRwyle)
Data visualizers
- Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC)
- Kel Elkins (USRA)
Editor
- Dan Gallagher (KBRwyle)
Scientist
- Bruce Jakosky (LASP)
Producer
- Dan Gallagher (KBRwyle)
Videographer
- Rob Andreoli (AIMM)
Production assistant
- John Caldwell (AIMM)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Tapes
This visualization originally appeared on the following tapes:- None
You may also like...
Loading recommendations...