The iridescent cloud reveals new clues about ice formation in the Martian atmosphere (no little green men, sorry).

The Sun sets differently on Mars. Part of that is due to its distance from the star (an average of 142 million miles versus Earth’s roughly 93 million miles), but it also has to do with the planet’s atmosphere. A great example of the effects can be seen in the Red Planet’s noctilucent clouds.

"I'll always remember the first time I saw those iridescent clouds and was sure at first it was some color artifact."

NASA astronaut Suni Williams reacts to spacewalk record, extended stay in orbit and more 09:27. New images captured by NASA's Curiosity rover show colorful clouds in the sky over

NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured breathtaking images of iridescent clouds drifting across the Martian sky, revealing a celestial spectacle unlike anything seen before. These clouds, composed of frozen carbon dioxide ice,