Explore the fascinating weather patterns on the Red Planet — and why Martian clouds are nothing like ours.
We often picture Mars as a dusty, barren world — but the planet has an atmosphere, and with it comes clouds. While they don’t form as frequently as Earth’s clouds, they do appear, and they behave very differently in the thin Martian sky.
The most common clouds on Mars are made of carbon dioxide ice, forming high in the atmosphere at altitudes of around 50 to 80 kilometers (30 to 50 miles). These clouds are wispy, thin, and often only visible just after sunset or before sunrise — similar to Earth’s noctilucent clouds.
Closer to the Martian surface, you can also find water-ice clouds. These form when the temperature drops and moisture condenses, much like clouds on Earth, although they are much less dense and less frequent. They tend to appear in the morning near the equator and in cooler regions.
Thanks to Mars rovers and orbiters, scientists have been able to track and photograph these clouds from different angles — even creating time-lapse videos that show them drifting across the Martian sky.
Martian clouds may not bring rain, but they do add depth and motion to an otherwise still and dusty world — another reminder that Mars is more dynamic than it seems.