Sunsets on other planets: NASA simulations

Visiting another world is extraordinary by any measure, yet two of the first things we have done with our cameras upon arriving were pointing at Earth and watching the Sun set. Unfortunately, in many cases we only have theories and interpretations at our disposal, but planetary scientist Gerónimo Villanueva of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center created a series of computer models of sunsets on other planets, which also includes two videos.

NASA has obtained truly fabulous images in recent decades. I always remember Earthrise, captured by the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, and the moving Pale Blue Dot, accompanied by the wonderful words of Carl Sagan. The Solar System is full of planets and secrets, enough to occupy our exploration efforts for hundreds of years. I admit that the times of science can be a bit... frustrating, if you will. But those images push us and encourage us to achieve more.

Something as powerful as looking at Earth from another world is witnessing a sunrise or sunset. In May 2005, the Spirit rover captured a fabulous image of the Sun sinking on the Martian horizon, and with that the question was installed: What would a sunset on other planets be like? Fortunately, planetary scientist Gerónimo Villanueva of Goddard Space Flight Center created a series of simulations while designing computer models for a possible mission to Uranus. The most striking example is that of a sunset on that planet, due to the interaction of sunlight with its atmosphere. If you want to know more, or download a copy of the video for educational use, you can visit the original NASA article here.

(Editor's note: The compression artifacts appear to be natural to each simulation.)