For the first time, European scientists have discovered water vapor and ozone in the atmosphere of Mars, also known as the Red Planet.
In January 2006, the Mars Express probe from the European Space Agency (ESA) entered orbit around the Red Planet, ranging from 50 to 150 km above its surface. The onboard research instruments collected and relayed a wealth of new information back to Earth, including stunning surface images of Mars.
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| The Mars Express probe from the European Space Agency (Photo: clubs) |
The probe also detected bright emissions at night from nitrogen monoxide (NO) at altitudes of 70-100 km within Mars’ atmosphere.
Snow and ice have also been discovered at the southern polar cap of Mars at the end of summer.
The scientific instruments aboard the Mars probe have mapped the mineral distribution across most of the Martian surface. It was found that all minerals present on Earth are also found on the Red Planet; however, carbonate salts (H2CO3) were not detected, even though these salts are very common on Earth in the form of coal and petroleum.
