A new type of cloud discovered from Earth in the upper Martian atmosphere
- 1CNRS/IPAG, Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics in Grenoble (IPAG), Grenoble cedex 9, France (jean.lilensten@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr)
- 2Société de Planétologie des Pyrénées (S2P) 5 rue Gazan, 75014 Paris, France
- 3Commission des Observations planétaires, Société Astronomique de France, 3, rue Beethoven, 75016 Paris, France
- 4Commission des Observations planétaires, Société Astronomique de France, 3, rue Beethoven, 75016 Paris, France
- 5Université Paris-Saclay, LPS (UMR8502), 510 Rue André Rivière, 91400 Orsay, France
- 6Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France
- 7Royal Observatory of Belgium, Avenue Circulaire 3, 1180, Brussels, Belgium
- 8Commission des Observations planétaires, Société Astronomique de France, 3, rue Beethoven, 75016 Paris, France
- 9Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, Centurion, South Africa
- 10University of San Carlos - Physics Department, Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City, Philippines
- 11Hellenic Amateur Astronomy Association, Alopekis 42, 10676, Athens, Greece
- 12Canopus Observatory, Ir-Rabat, Malta
- 13British Astronomical Association, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0DU, UK
- 14Astronomical Society of Australia, PO Box 145 Rubyvale QLD 4702, Australia
- 15Royal Observatory of Belgium, Avenue Circulaire 3, 1180, Brussels, Belgium
- 16Dept. Mathematics / Centre for mathematical Plasma Astrophysics Celestijnenlaan 200B - B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
- 17IMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 8028, Sorbonne Université, 77 av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014, Paris, France
During the 2020 Mars opposition, we observe from Earth the occurrence of a non-typical large-scale high-altitude clouds system, extending over thousands of km from the equator to 50°S. Over 3 hours, they emerge from the night side at an altitude of 90 (-15/+30) km and progressively dissipate in the dayside. They occur at a solar longitude of 316°, west of the magnetic anomaly and concomitantly to a regional dust storm. Despite their high altitude, they are composed of relatively large particles, suggesting a probable CO2 ice composition, although H2O cannot be totally excluded. Such ice clouds were not reported previously. We discuss the formation of this new type of clouds and suggest a possible nucleation from cosmic particle precipitation.
How to cite: Lilensten, J., Dauvergne, J.-L., Pellier, C., Delcroix, M., Beaudoin, E., Vincendon, M., Kraaikamp, E., Bertrand, G., Foster, C., Go, C., Kardasis, Μ., Pace, A., Peach, D., Wesley, A., Samara, E., Poedts, S., and Colas, F.: A new type of cloud discovered from Earth in the upper Martian atmosphere, European Planetary Science Congress 2021, online, 13–24 Sep 2021, EPSC2021-7, https://doi.org/10.5194/epsc2021-7, 2021.
