NASA's Curiosity rover shares mesmerising footage of colourful clouds shimmering over Mars

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured these drifting noctilucent, or twilight, clouds in a 16-minute recording on Jan. 17. (Image: NASA)

NASA’s Curiosity rover has once again captured stunning Martian skies. The latest images reveal twilight clouds shimmering in red and green hues. These high-altitude formations are made of frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice.

Iridescent Clouds in the Martian Sky
Curiosity’s Mastcam captured the mesmerising images on 17 January. The images, taken over 16 minutes, show noctilucent clouds glowing at sunset. These clouds, also called “mother-of-pearl” clouds, create a rainbow effect. The phenomenon occurs when sunlight scatters through icy particles.

Mars’ clouds form from either water ice or carbon dioxide ice. Dry ice clouds only appear at high altitudes and colder temperatures. Scientists estimate them to be between 60 to 80 kilometres high. Some plumes fall lower before evaporating due to rising temperatures.

Cloudgazing... on Mars! @MarsCuriosity captured these colorful clouds drifting across the Martian sky. The iridescent, carbon dioxide ice formations offer clues about Mars' atmosphere and weather: https://t.co/HAp2FDFjhk pic.twitter.com/DEWV477X01
NASA (@NASA) February 11, 2025

Twilight Clouds and Martian Weather
Twilight clouds were first spotted by NASA’s Pathfinder in 1997. Curiosity captured them in 2019, marking its first iridescent cloud images. The rover has now documented this phenomenon for four Martian years. Scientists believe these clouds provide insight into Mars’ atmosphere.

Curiosity’s images help researchers study cloud formation and particle growth. A key mystery is why carbon dioxide twilight clouds appear only in certain areas. Scientists suspect atmospheric cooling from gravity waves plays a role. However, the exact cause remains unknown.

Curiosity’s Latest Observations
Curiosity recently explored an impact crater named "Rustic Canyon." The 20-metre-wide crater has eroded significantly over time. Scientists study such craters to uncover buried materials and organic molecules. These findings help researchers understand Mars’ ancient environment.

The rover continues its journey on Mount Sharp in Gale Crater. It is now moving towards an area with unique rock formations. NASA’s team hopes further studies will reveal more about Mars’ past.