Researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi have used the Hope probe’s data to measure the surface temperature of Mars more extensively.
The new study measured the surface temperature of the entire planet, including its daily and seasonal variations.
Nasa orbiters and rovers have made such measurements before, but Hope’s unique placement in Mars' orbit – which is much higher up than others – allows it to see various parts of the planet during different times of the day.
The findings were published in the Monthly Reviews of the Royal Astronomy Society, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, on August 12.
Hope is the first Arab spacecraft to journey to Mars.
Built by Emirati engineers, along with three US universities, it has been orbiting the planet since February 9, 2021.
Dimitra Atri, research scientist at the NYUAD's Centre for Space Science and the lead author of the study, told The National that they used Hope’s infrared spectrometer instrument, also called EMIRS, to make the measurements.
“We, for the first time, measured the surface temperature of the entire planet, and its daily and seasonal variations, using data from the UAE's Hope probe,” he said.
“Due to Hope's unique orbit, we, for the first time were able to measure the temperature at all local times for most of the planet.
“This was not possible earlier because other orbiters are at a highly elliptical orbit and unlike Hope, they only measure a very small fraction of the planet at once.
“While doing the analysis, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of data, so much so that we were able choose any point on the planet and get the daily and seasonal variation of temperature.”
The researchers found that the average surface temperature of Mars ranges between 140 Kelvin to 280 Kelvin, or -133°C to 7°C.
The observations by Hope were compared with data from Nasa’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, which are deployed on the Red Planet’s surface.
“Since I already work with both of these rovers, I knew that Curiosity's REMS instrument and Perseverance's MEDA instrument also continuously measure the surface temperature of Mars at Gale crater and Jezero crater, respectively,” Dr Atri said.
“So, I decided to compare the temperature we measured from the orbit with measurements from the surface.
“Overall, we found an excellent agreement among the three missions.”
Colder nights on Red Planet
However, Hope’s data showed that Mars could be colder at night than previously thought.
Dr Atri and his team are currently doing more research to determine whether these specific findings were accurate, or if there were factors that interfered with the measurements.
“There are some minor discrepancies, which we are trying to resolve and will lead to better estimation of global temperature data from Hope,” he said.
Mars has a very thin atmosphere and cannot retain heat. For decades, scientists have been trying to understand how the planet lost its atmosphere, making it impossible for it to host life.
Four sets of data captured by the Hope probe, totalling 118.5 gigabytes, have been released to the public since it arrived on Mars.
The observations have also helped Dr Atri create an atlas of the Red Planet, which aims to show how Mars changes over time.
The Atlas was released in English and in Arabic.
In December, the orbiter tracked a massive dust storm on Mars for more than two weeks, helping to show how quickly they can spread across the planet.
The rapidly evolving regional dust storm in late December had expanded to a size of several thousand kilometres.
Dust storms on Mars cause extremely turbulent weather. They can be up to 30 kilometres high and cover the entire planet.
The storms can be seen from space, making the planet appear as a bright ball of red.
Scientists hope that by studying them they can gain further insight into how they are drying out the planet by helping Martian water escape the planet's atmosphere.
Hope used a high-resolution camera and an infrared spectrometer to document the storm’s growth and dissipation.
The instruments revealed the thermal conditions of the planet’s surface and lower atmosphere, giving details about the geographic distribution of dust, water vapour, water and carbon dioxide ice clouds.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
if you go
More from UAE Human Development Report:
Imperial%20Island%3A%20A%20History%20of%20Empire%20in%20Modern%20Britain
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Charlotte%20Lydia%20Riley%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Bodley%20Head%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20384%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
MAIN CARD
Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari
Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam
Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni
Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
