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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Swiss Alps, Martian Sky
APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 18 Feb, 2021 | Image Credit & Copyright: Jens Bydal

Posted on 02/18/2021 3:04:05 PM PST by MtnClimber

Explanation: Taken on February 6, this snowy mountain and skyscape was captured near Melchsee-Frutt, central Switzerland, planet Earth. The reddish daylight and blue tinted glow around the afternoon Sun are colors of the Martian sky, though. Of course both worlds have the same Sun. From Mars, the Sun looks only about half as bright and 2/3 the size compared to its appearance from Earth. Lofted from the surface of Mars, fine dust particles suspended in the thin Martian atmosphere are rich in the iron oxides that make the Red Planet red. They tend to absorb blue sunlight giving a red tinge to the Martian sky, while forward scattering still makes the light appear relatively bluish near the smaller, fainter Martian Sun. Normally Earth's denser atmosphere strongly scatters blue light, making the terrestrial sky blue. But on February 6 a huge cloud of dust blown across the Mediterranean from the Sahara desert reached the Swiss Alps, dimming the Sun and lending that Alpine afternoon the colors of the Martian sky. By the next day, only the snow was left covered with reddish dust.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 02/18/2021 3:04:05 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 02/18/2021 3:04:20 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; America_Right; Art in Idaho; AZ .44 MAG; ...
Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌


3 posted on 02/18/2021 3:04:51 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Except that it is Switzerland.


4 posted on 02/18/2021 3:17:58 PM PST by Beowulf9
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To: MtnClimber

After today’s successful landing of the Perseverance rover,
in the next few days, we will see what it really looks like.


5 posted on 02/18/2021 3:48:33 PM PST by Repeal The 17th (Get out of the matrix and get a real life.)
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To: Repeal The 17th

I Hope lots of great photos are taken. It is planned to cover a lot of area.


6 posted on 02/18/2021 4:16:07 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

"Sahara Sand Turns Snow Orange"


7 posted on 02/18/2021 4:44:00 PM PST by ETL (REAL Russia collusion! DEMOCRAT-Russia collusion!! China-Russia collusion! Click ETL...)
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To: MtnClimber; All






8 posted on 02/18/2021 4:49:28 PM PST by ETL (REAL Russia collusion! DEMOCRAT-Russia collusion!! China-Russia collusion! Click ETL...)
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To: MtnClimber

Amazing!


9 posted on 02/18/2021 5:43:47 PM PST by PistolPaknMama
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To: MtnClimber

There’s a ski lift!........They ski on Mars?.......................


10 posted on 02/19/2021 5:06:16 AM PST by Red Badger (SLEAZIN' is the REASON for the TREASON .................................)
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