NASA’s Europa Clipper Captures Mars in Infrared

https://www.nasa.gov/missions/europa-clipper/nasas-europa-clipper-captures-mars-in-infrared/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nn202519 On its recent swing by Mars, Europa Clipper took the opportunity to capture infrared images of the Red Planet. The data will help mission scientists calibrate the spacecraft’s thermal imaging instrument so they can be sure it’s operating correctly when the spacecraft arrives at the Jupiter system in 2030. The mission’s sights are set on Jupiter’s moon Europa and the global ocean hidden under its icy surface. A year after slipping into orbit around Jupiter, Europa Clipper will begin a series of 49 close flybys of the moon to investigate whether it holds conditions suitable for life. A key element of that investigation will be thermal imaging — global scans of Europa that map temperatures to shed light on how active the surface is. Infrared imaging will reveal how much heat is being emitted from the moon and where the ocean is closest to the surface.