Sunsets are something we usually take for granted because they happen without fail every day. Of course, it’s not just on Earth that this phenomenon occurs. Planets like Mars and Uranus also have sunsets, although they look different than what you might expect. We know that because NASA has released a simulation that shows just that.
A Future On Uranus
This simulation came about after Dr. Geronimo Villanueva expressed an interest in organizing a mission to Uranus. He’s hopeful that travel to the planet will be possible in the future, although not without plenty of support. That’s why he teamed up with James Tralie of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to show the public why Uranus is worth exploring. He figured that if people could see the beauty of the planet’s sunset, he’d get their support.
Creating The Simulations
Villanueva used his understanding of Uranus’ atmosphere to work out what a sunset would look like there. The result was far bluer than what we’re used to, and it’s certainly something special. Wanting the public to have more to to marvel at, the scientist also repeated the simulation for Earth, Mars, Venus, and Titan. The results varied, with Venus’ sunset a pale yellow while Mars’ was grayer and browner in color. As for Titan, it was much bolder with more of a yellow/orange glow.
A Point Of Comparison
It’s difficult to say for sure if these simulations are 100% accurate, given we can’t actually reach planets like Uranus yet. However, Villanueva believes that what he’s created offers a good point of comparison if we do ever make it that far. If a craft goes out there and returns with images that look different, we’ll know that there’s more we have to learn about Uranus’ atmosphere.
Although we can only appreciate these planets’ sunsets through a simulation, maybe us or our ancestors will get to experience them for real one day.