Three views of an escaping atmosphere (click image for larger view), obtained by MAVEN’s Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph, are shown here. By observing all of the products of water and carbon dioxide breakdown, MAVEN’s remote sensing team can characterize the processes that drive atmospheric loss on Mars. These processes may have transformed the planet from an early Earthlike climate to the cold and dry climate of today.
MAVEN is NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft.
More information about NASA’s Mars Exploration Program.
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Filed under: Mars
