Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, MARS JWST/GTO team

Webb’s first near-infrared spectrum of Mars, captured by the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) Sept. 5, 2022, as part of the Guaranteed Time Observation Program 1415, over 3 slit gratings (G140H, G235H, G395H). The spectrum is dominated by reflected sunlight at wavelengths shorter than 3 microns and thermal emission at longer wavelengths. Preliminary analysis reveals the spectral dips appear at specific wavelengths where light is absorbed by molecules in Mars’ atmosphere, specifically carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and water. Other details reveal information about dust, clouds, and surface features. By constructing a best-fit model of the spectrum, for example, the Planetary Spectrum Generator, abundances of given molecules in the atmosphere can be derived.

Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute

Image Source: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/early-highlights/mars-is-mighty-in-first-webb-observations-of-red-planet

Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA

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