Bizarre & wonderful · Earlier selection
Mars Express reveals a surprisingly purple polar landscape
ESA’s latest Mars Express feature shows how light, dust and frost can give a landscape near the south pole pink and purple tones.
Published on 16 September, the image report describes icy terrain and the Thyles Rupes cliffs. The colours do not mean Mars has suddenly changed colour, and the geological processes discussed took place long ago. Our illustration is a concept; the mission imagery is available at the source.
GO TO THE SOURCE
ESA ↗ (opens a new tab)Primary institutional report or research paper, independently condensed. Findings and proposals are attributed to the source, with their limitations; no source prose, charts or photography reproduced.
AI-assisted original summary, checked against the linked source on 20 Sept 2026, 01:33 BST. Illustration is AI generated and does not document the event.
Report an error or rights concern