(ORDO NEWS) — The Perseverance rover photographed the effect of a halo around the Sun.
A halo is an atmospheric phenomenon in which a luminous halo appears around a light source (usually the Sun).
Basically, they arise due to ice crystals in the upper layers of the troposphere, at altitudes of 5-10 kilometers. Halos are of different types and depend on the shape of the crystals that gave rise to them.
Now a similar atmospheric effect has been recorded on Mars. The phenomenon itself was observed on December 15, 2021, but an article with his study was published only now.
The halo on Mars appears as a circle within 22 degrees of the Sun and has been observed in cold and cloudy weather.
According to scientists, it could be created by ice ice crystals in the form of hexagonal prisms (or columns), measuring up to more than 11 micrometers in length and in diameter.
The crystals were originally located at altitudes of 40–50 kilometers, and during the observation period they could descend to heights of 3–12 kilometers.
In order for such a halo to form, it is necessary to supersaturate the atmosphere with water, and therefore they rarely appear on Mars.
They are probably most often seen in the middle of summer in the northern subtropical regions.
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