Tianwen-1 takes photos of Mars as a red crescent lit by sunlight!

China’s Tianwen-1 spacecraft has captured stunning images of Mars in the shape of a red crescent lit by sunlight in deep space.

The images were taken separately over the northern and southern hemispheres of Mars with a medium-resolution camera on Tianwen-1, China’s first interplanetary mission. The result is two remarkable snapshots that show the illuminated eastern hemisphere of Mars, including surface features and the faint edge of the Martian atmosphere. The images were taken about 11,000 kilometers from Mars.

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The southern hemisphere was captured on March 16, while the northern hemisphere was captured with the same camera on March 18.

Tianwen-1 is currently located in the orbit of the polar poles of Mars, which brings it closer to its surface at 280 km and up to 59,000 km, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). ).

The orbit allows the spacecraft to pass over the candidate primary landing site for the mission rover.

The spacecraft’s high-resolution camera collects detailed images of the target landing site in preparation for an attempt to land the spacecraft in May or June, according to the CNSA.

Tianwen-1 reached Mars on February 10, just a day after the United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft, and a week before the launch of NASA’s Perseverance rover.

Source: Science Live

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