IMP and the Atmosphere: Clouds over Ares Vallis 

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The first color IMP image of an overcast sky above Ares Vallis. Taken on Sol 16, approximately one hour and forty minutes before sunrise.  The image was originally released in false color (below).  We think of the Martian sky as being red, but early in the morning water ice clouds are lit by the sun without much interference from the dusty sky, leaving us with a grayish blue tinted sky.  

	Sol 15 Water ice clouds in the early morning sky.
	Sol 16, one hour and forty minutes before sunrise This image was taken in an attempt to image the Earth from Mars, but the view was blocked by unexpected clouds. Click to see a larger image.
	Sol 16 forty minutes before sunrise
	Sol 39, one hour and twenty minutes before sunrise
	Sol 39, forty minutes before sunrise.  These water ice  clouds are about 10 to 15 km above the surface.
	Sol 39, thirty five minutes before sunrise  the blue water ice clouds in the image are probably about 10 to 15 km above the surface of Mars, and are only seen in the morning.

Sol 20 

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Sky Image Archive • Sun and Moons • Clouds • Sunset • Sunrise

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