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‘Martian sky pulses in ultraviolet light at night’, NASA tweets. Shares mesmerising GIF

“It’s like Mars has its own Aurora Borealis!” wrote a Twitter user while commenting on the post.

Updated on: Aug 8, 2020, 17:45:31 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
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A GIF created using images taken by NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft has now created a stir among people on Twitter. Posted by the space agency’s Twitter profile which shares information related to the Red Planet, the clip is a sight to behold.

The GIF was shared on NASA Mars Twitter profile. (Twitter/@NASAMars)
The GIF was shared on NASA Mars Twitter profile. (Twitter/@NASAMars)

“It’s not a strobe light at a nightclub, but data from the @MAVEN2Mars spacecraft reveal that the Martian sky pulses in ultraviolet light at night. The results are being used to illuminate complex circulation patterns in the Martian atmosphere,” NASA tweeted and shared the GIF.

Since being shared, the post has gathered close to 800 likes and more than 200 retweets. People also shared many comments on the post.

“Why doesn’t Earth’s atmosphere illuminate like this?” asked a Twitter user. To which, NASA replied, “Airglow also happens in Earth’s atmosphere, sometimes with visible light that can be seen clearly from orbit. It’s sometimes visible from the ground as well, though it’s so often so faint that only cameras will detect it.” The space agency’s tweet is complete with two beautiful pictures:

“Whaaaa..... oh we learn something every day about that planet!” expressed another. “It’s like Mars has its own Aurora Borealis!” shared a third.

From expressing wonder to replying with a touch of hilarity, here’s what others tweeted:

What do you think about the post?

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More