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ScienceQuiet 6d · day 8

Mars Express captures purple swirls at south pole ice cliff

ESA spacecraft reveals striking mineral and frost formations at Thyles Rupes, revealing Mars's hidden color palette beyond rust red.

newest coverage 6d agosummary written 7d ago4 pieces474 likes & upvotes11 comments MastodonBluesky

What to know

  • Mars Express captured striking purple, pink, and red hues at Thyles Rupes near Mars's south pole, revealing the planet's hidden color palette beyond typical rusty tones.
  • The purple coloring results from volcanic minerals, carbon dioxide frost, atmospheric dust, and morning light interacting with the landscape.
  • The 1-km-tall cliffs formed billions of years ago through ancient tectonic processes as Mars's cooling interior contracted and deformed the crust.

European Space Agency (ESA) Space agency operator

Mars Express captures purple swirls at south pole ice cliff
esa.int

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump posts

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Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 5:46 AM ET
  1. 1

    Cliffs formed by ancient Martian tectonic activity

    Thyles Rupes's rocky cliffs reach over 1 km tall and formed through tectonic processes when two parts of Mars's crust pushed together, causing one to rise above the other. This occurred billions of years ago as Mars's cooling interior contracted and deformed the crust. Unlike Earth, present-day Mars lacks active tectonics.

    “Mars isn't always red. New images from Mars Express reveal striking purple swirls near the planet's south pole.”
    — ESA, Space agency · source
    • esa.int

      Mars isn't always red. 💜 New images from Mars Express reveal striking purple swirls near the planet's south pole. 🔗 esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Purple_swirls_on_the_Red_Planet @science.esa.int

      esa.intBluesky7d ago474▲view on Bluesky ↗
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    • DaveWhittle@mastodon.social

      ESA - Purple swirls on the Red Planet https://www. esa.int/Science_Exploration/Sp ace_Science/Mars_Express/Purple_swirls_on_the_Red_Planet

      DaveWhittle@mastodon.socialMastodon6d agoview on Mastodon ↗
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  2. background

    Scientists explain the purple coloring at Thyles Rupes — The purple hues result from multiple factors: darker tones come from volcanic material rich in mafic minerals like olivine and pyroxene; paler areas are covered by carbon dioxide frost deposits that persist even during Martian spring; and the overall berry-purple tone stems from a combination of soft morning light, atmospheric dust, frost, and mixed ice and dust across the terrain.

  3. 2

    Mars Express reveals purple-hued ice cliff at south pole

    New images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft show Thyles Rupes, a prominent ice cliff near Mars's south pole, displaying striking purple, pink, and red swirls. The image was captured by the spacecraft's High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC).

    • #^ Purple swirls on the Red Planet This image shows a prominent ice cliff near Mars’s south pole. With striking swirls of purple, pink and red, it’s a far cry from the colour palette we usually associate with the Red Planet.

      spaceinfo@libera.siteMastodon8d agoview on Mastodon ↗
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    • This image shows a prominent ice cliff near Mars’s south pole. With striking swirls of purple, pink and red, it’s a far cry from the colour palette we usually associate with the Red Planet. Purple swirls on the Red Planet

      esa@squeet.meMastodon8d agoview on Mastodon ↗
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