ABU DHABI: NYU Abu Dhabi research scientist Dimitra Atri, from the Center for Space Science, and his team have unveiled a map of Mars, using images captured by the Emirates Exploration Imager.
The EXI is an advanced imaging system aboard the Emirates Mars Mission currently orbiting the planet, the Emirates News Agency reported on Thursday.
The new color composite map combines more than 3,000 observations over two years, which have been processed together.
The Mars Map captures the planet’s regions and features in high resolution, including polar ice caps, mountains, volcanoes, remnants of ancient rivers, lakes, valleys, and impact craters.
The map will also help scientists learn about major climatic shifts that can fundamentally alter planets, WAM reported.
The map is the result of the UAE’s significant scientific advances and will aim to inspire more young people in the country to pursue STEM careers.
Atri said: “We plan to make our map available to the entire planet, as part of the new and more advanced ‘Atlas of Mars’ which we have been working on, and [which] will be available in both English and Arabic once published.
“The hope is that this accessibility will make it a great tool for researchers and also students to learn more about Mars, and showcase the possibilities that the space sector in the UAE can offer.
“More than 30 previous spacecraft have only managed to capture a snapshot of the Mars weather, whilst EMM will follow the seasonal changes throughout a Martian year.
“The Hope probe is helping researchers to create this global image of the planet due to its strategic position.
“Hope circles Mars in an elliptical orbit that allows it to observe from much further away than any other spacecraft. This strategic position is helping researchers to create a global image of the planet.”
EMM is the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission and was commissioned by the UAE’s leaders in 2014.
The spacecraft was launched from Japan in July 2020 and entered Mars’ orbit on Feb. 9, 2021.
