NASA's MAVEN spacecraft captures stunning ultraviolet views of Mars.
NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft captured ultraviolet photos of Mars during the southern hemisphere's summer season and then again after the northern hemisphere had passed the farthest point in its orbit from the sun. The photos offer stunning views of the planet's changing seasons, with purple areas representing the ozone in Mars' atmosphere, and white and blue areas representing clouds or haze in the planet's sky. The warmer temperatures of summer cause the southern polar ice caps to shrink, which releases carbon dioxide and causes the atmosphere to be thicker. Studying these systems will offer a better look into how the Red Planet has evolved over time.