Mars. Optical image of the planet Mars (bright orange,centre left) in the constellation Virgo. North is at top. The bright blue/white star to the right of Mars is Spica (Alpha Virginis). Mars is the fourth planet out from the Sun,and takes 687 days to complete one orbit. It appears a reddish colour from Earth as its surface is mainly covered by a red rocky desert. The red colour comes from rust-like compounds formed from the iron-rich soil. Spica is the 16th brightest star in the sky (excluding the Sun). It is a very luminous star which lies around 220 light years away | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Sanford, John |
Taille de l’image : | 3634 px × 2480 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |