Abu Dhabi Yas Island turns red in anticipation of UAE's Hope Probe reaching Red Planet
Mars appears as an orange-red star due to the rust in Martian rocks
Abu Dhabi: In anticipation of Hope Probe’s arrival in Mars, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s premier leisure and entertainment hub, lit up in red as the spacecraft is set to enter the Red Planet’s orbit on Tuesday (February 9).
Key attractions across Yas Island turned scarlet, including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, CLYMB Abu Dhabi, Yas Plaza Hotels, as well as Etihad Arena, and W Abu Dhabi — Yas Island.
Why is Mars red?
Mars is also called the ‘Red Planet’ because it appears in the sky as an orange-red star. The planet’s appearance is actually due to rust in the Martian rocks. There are a some places on Earth that can give us a glimpse of the Martian environment, including the Death Valley in California, Haughton Impact Crater in Canadian High Arctic and volcanoes in Hawaii.
Hope Probe will study the weather system of Mars, monitoring, for the first time, weather changes throughout the day, across the planet and during all seasons. It will observe weather phenomena such as dust storms, as well as changes in temperature and atmosphere that will reveal the causes of Martian surface corrosion. Hope Probe, the first Arab interplanetary mission, is now in its most critical stage as the spacecraft is set to enter Mars orbit on Tuesday at 7.42pm (UAE time).
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The Hope Probe's arrival on Mars will make the UAE only the fifth country or entity in the world to reach the Red Planet, after the United States, former Soviet Union, China, India and the European Space Agency. UAE will also be the third country to accomplish the feat on its first attempt.