We often think of Mars as a barren wasteland of red dust and sand. However, new data from Mars Express show that Mars is actually teeming with rich colors from reds to yellows and even greens.
Mars is often referred to as the Red Planet, due to the characteristic hue of its orb in the sky. Up close, however, the planet is actually covered in all manner of colours – from bright whites and dark blacks to yellows, reds, greens, and the cappuccino tones seen here.
These differences in colour are visible from telescopes on Earth. They are undeniably visually striking, but also reveal a significant amount about the composition and properties of the surface material itself.
Since Mars had once had volcanic activity, so there are darker surfaces where minerals are said to abound. Furthermore, with evidence that might suggest the presence of water on Mars in the past, this would give the planet a more diverse composition of its surface.
(Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin)