What if we could use #Earth as a key to unlock #Mars’ past?
What if satellite data from our own Planet could confirm what orbiters have long suggested about the Red Planet’s ancient waters?
A recent study led by Agenzia Spaziale Italiana-ASI, published in Remote Sensing, has done just that. By comparing spectral data from Mars, collected by NASA’s CRISM instrument aboard MRO, with Earth observations of ASI-PRISMA satellite developed by OHB Italia S.p.A. as Prime Contractor, researchers have validated the presence of #water-related minerals on the Martian surface. Carbonates, sulfates, clays—signatures of past water activity, appear unmistakably in both datasets. The link is clear, the findings compelling.
Why does this matter? Because interpreting Martian spectra isn’t simple at all.
By focusing on paleo-lake regions on Earth, the study bridges the gap between planetary and terrestrial science. Spectral fingerprints of#minerals detected by PRISMA have been mapped onto CRISM’s data, revealing an astonishing match. This means that what we recognize on Mars isn’t just a hypothesis: it’s a validated reality. The same mineralogical patterns that point to ancient lakes on Earth are mirrored in Martian basins.
This work makes an incredible step forward in understanding Martian mineralogy but also strengthens collaborations between planetary and Earth scientists to refine our techniques for space exploration.
Moreover by comparing #spectralsignatures from known terrestrial materials with those detected on other planetary surfaces, it could improve our ability to identify composition, geological processes, and environmental history.
And PRISMA? With its unparalleled ability to capture spectral details, it has set new #standards in Earth observation and planetary analog studies. Its data are now proving invaluable in decode Mars’ past.
This is science at its finest: connecting worlds, refining methods, and expanding the frontier of exploration and knowledge.
Earth and Mars: two planets, one approach, endless discoveries.
Read more on ASI website | https://lnkd.in/d5P7Ms-C
#PRISMA #OHBItalia #SpaceExploration #MarsResearch #RemoteSensing #EarthObservation #HyperspectralImaging #PlanetaryScience #ASI
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