In a breathtaking glimpse beyond Earth’s horizons, NASA has revealed a jaw-dropping image from Mars, one that captures a volcano towering nearly twice the height of any peak on our planet. The photograph, snapped at dawn by NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter, offers an ethereal view of Arsia Mons, a massive Martian volcano rising through the planet’s early morning cloud cover. This surreal shot not only showcases the raw beauty of Mars but also opens a fascinating window into its volatile geological history and atmospheric behaviour.

A giant revealed above the clouds

NASA’s long-running Mars Odyssey orbiter, which has been studying the Red Planet since 2001, recently captured a spectacular image of Arsia Mons, a colossal volcano stretching 20 kilometres into the Martian sky. The shot, taken on May 2, used the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) and displays the volcano emerging from a green-hued haze in the upper atmosphere at dawn. At 120 kilometres wide, Arsia Mons’ summit caldera also dwarfs many of Earth’s volcanic formations.

To put its enormity in perspective: Arsia Mons is nearly double the height of Mauna Loa, Earth’s largest volcano, which stands 9 kilometres above the seafloor in Hawaii.

“We picked Arsia Mons hoping we would see the summit poke above the early morning clouds. And it didn't disappoint,” said Jonathon Hill of Arizona State University in Tempe, operations lead for THEMIS.

The science behind the image

This volcano, part of the Tharsis region, is the southernmost and cloudiest of the three major volcanoes located there. The presence of dense clouds is not unusual, especially during aphelion, the time when Mars is farthest from the Sun. According to NASA, "Understanding Mars' clouds is particularly important for understanding Martian weather and how phenomena like dust storms occur."

To capture such rare visuals, the Odyssey orbiter performs a 90-degree rotation while in orbit, an unusual manoeuvre that allows its surface-focused camera to photograph the horizon instead. This technique helps researchers observe dust and water-ice clouds layered across Mars’ atmosphere and detect their seasonal changes.

“We’re seeing some really significant seasonal differences in these horizon images,” said planetary scientist Michael D. Smith of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’s giving us new clues to how Mars' atmosphere evolves over time.”

Why it matters

The image of Arsia Mons isn’t just visually stunning; it’s scientifically valuable. It offers insights into the planet’s climate, atmospheric dynamics, and geological structure. These revelations come at a time when researchers are more invested than ever in decoding Mars, especially as future manned missions and exploration programmes edge closer to reality.

Source: Free Press Journal.