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X-ray view of the Red Planet EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY NEWS RELEASE Posted: December 15, 2003
All bodies in our Solar System, including planets such as Earth and Mars, emit X-ray radiation. As far as we know, there are several possible sources of this radiation. One of the main sources is thought to be 'fluorescence emission'. X-rays from the Sun hit atoms of elements such as oxygen in the atmosphere of the planet, and this radiation is re-emitted as so-called 'characteristic' radiation which identifies those specific elements. This image from XMM-Newton, recorded as part of a study by Dr K. Dennerl (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, Germany) shows X-ray fluorescence emission from the atmosphere of Mars, mainly from oxygen. All of these emissions tell us something about the interaction of radiation with the planet's atmosphere and its environment. The study of Mars in X-ray wavelengths brings together the work of two very important ESA missions XMM-Newton and Mars Express. Both are crucial to our understanding of our nearest planetary neighbour, demonstrating the coherence of the ESA Science programme.
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Mars Rover mission patch A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is now available from the Astronomy Now Store. Choose your store:U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide  Exploring Mars  Astronomy Now is pleased to announce the publication of Exploring Mars. The very best images of Mars taken by orbiting spacecraft and NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers fill up the 98 glossy pages of this special edition!Choose your store:U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Columbia Report  A reproduction of the official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven. Choose your store:U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Mars Panorama  DISCOUNTED! This 360 degree image was taken by the Mars Pathfinder, which landed on the Red Planet in July 1997. The Sojourner Rover is visible in the image. Choose your store:U.S. Apollo 11 Mission Report  Apollo 11 - The NASA Mission Reports Vol. 3 is the first comprehensive study of man's first mission to another world is revealed in all of its startling complexity. Includes DVD!Choose your store:U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Rocket DVD  If you've ever watched a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg Air Force Base or even Kodiak Island Alaska, there's no better way to describe what you witnessed than with this DVD.Choose your store:U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Current Shuttle Mission Patch  The official embroidered patch for shuttle Endeavour's flight to finish building Japanese section of the space station.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREHubble Patch  The official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREAres Patch  The Ares Project will develop two new rockets to launch astronauts back to the Moon under NASA's Vision for Exploration. The Ares 1 will employ a single space shuttle solid rocket booster to loft the Orion crew capsule. The gigantic Ares 5 will haul the equipment and cargo needed for such lunar voyages. This is the Ares emblem.U.S. STORE Project Orion  The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.U.S. STOREFallen Heroes Patch Collection  The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.U.S. STOREWORLDWIDE STOREGet e-mail updates Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop (privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose).
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