A Rusty Sunset on Mars
			
		
		
		
			On Mars, 
sunsets can appear salmon pink. 
The unusual color is partly due to 
rust: 
oxidized iron from 
Martian 
dust circulating in the 
Martian 
atmosphere.  
Clouds appear 
in the morning and evening, but usually evaporate in the midday Sun.  A day on 
Mars lasts 24.6 hours - 
very similar to Earth's, but a Martian year lasts 
almost twice as long as an Earth year.   The
above panorama by 
Mars Pathfinder, 
shown mirror-inverted, was released last Friday by the 
Imager team.  
Mars Pathfinder has now successfully completed all the goals of 
its planned mission.  Nevertheless, the 
Sagan Memorial Station spent the weekend 
recharging its batteries, anticipating the possibility of still more 
productive weeks 
of exploration ahead.