Image: Red velvet Mars

Like a sprinkle of powdered sugar on a wealthy crimson velvet cake, this scene from the ESA/Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter captures the contrasting colours of vibrant white water-ice towards the rusty crimson martian soil.

This pleasant picture was taken 5 July 2021 and soaks within the view of a 4 km-wide crater in Mars’ north polar area of Vastitas Borealis, centered at 70.6 °N/230.3°E.

The crater is partially crammed with water ice, which can also be notably predominant on its north-facing slopes that obtain fewer hours of daylight on common all year long.

The darkish materials clearly seen on the crater rim—giving it a considerably scorched look—probably consists of volcanic supplies corresponding to basalt.

Most of the encircling terrain is ice free, however has been formed by ongoing aeolian processes. The streaks on the backside proper of the picture are fashioned by winds which have eliminated the brighter iron oxide dust from the floor, exposing a barely darker underlying substrate.

TGO arrived at Mars in 2016 and commenced its full science mission in 2018. The spacecraft is just not solely returning spectacular photographs, but additionally offering the very best ever stock of the planet’s atmospheric gasses, and mapping the planet’s floor for water-rich areas. It will even present knowledge relay companies for the second ExoMars mission comprising the Rosalind Franklin rover and Kazachok platform, when it arrives on Mars in 2023.