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Martian clouds – on Earth

Cloud formation on Mars requires a much higher humidity than cloud formation on Earth.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have managed to recreate Martian clouds in a three-storey cloud chamber in Germany.

The world’s largest cloud chamber, a former nuclear reactor, was filled with an atmosphere of nitrogen or carbon dioxide and a sand storm was recreated to seed cloud formation.

At the extremely low temperatures - around minus 85 degrees Celsius - that are present on Mars, clouds require a very high humidity of 190% to form.

Read more at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

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