NASA's Curiosity Rover Captures Stunning Video Of Colourful Clouds On Mars

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared a breathtaking video of colourful clouds in the Martian sky. Captured by the Curiosity Rover, exploring the Red Planet, it used its Mastcam to record a 16-minute video of these colourful clouds on January 17, 2025.

Although the composition of the atmosphere is different, Mars has its own seasonal weather pattern, just like Earth. Despite having a similar appearance to our planet, the Martian clouds contain dry ice or frozen carbon dioxide, said the space agency.

According to NASA, the photos show the latest observations of twilight clouds, also known as noctilucent clouds (Latin for "night shining"). The clouds display red and green hues caused by the scattering of light from the setting sun.

Cloudgazing... on Mars! ☁️
@MarsCuriosity captured these colorful clouds drifting across the Martian sky. The iridescent, carbon dioxide ice formations offer clues about Mars' atmosphere and weather: https://t.co/HAp2FDFjhk pic.twitter.com/DEWV477X01

— NASA (@NASA) February 11, 2025

Sometimes, they can form a range of colours known as iridescent or "mother-of-pearl" clouds, which cannot be seen during the day and are only visible in the evening and when the clouds are quite high.

NASA also mentioned that Martian clouds are made of either water ice or carbon dioxide ice. Carbon dioxide makes up over 95% of Mars' atmosphere. These clouds can form at altitudes of around 31 miles (50 kilometres) above the surface before evaporating due to rising temperatures, the agency said.

The twilight clouds were first seen on Mars by NASA's Pathfinder mission in 1997. The Curiosity Rover captured the first-ever images of iridescence in the clouds in 2019.

Mark Lemmon, an atmospheric scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said he believes certain regions of the planet are more likely to form clouds. Gravity waves, which cool a planet's atmosphere, could be a factor, he added.

The Curiosity Rover, which landed on Mars in 2012, was sent to study the planet's soil, rocks, and atmosphere to understand its climate and geological history. It was specifically tasked with finding out if life could have ever existed on Mars.