A picture taken by the Hope probe for the spring season in the northern part of Mars. Photo: Dubai Media Office
A picture taken by the Hope probe for the spring season in the northern part of Mars. Photo: Dubai Media Office
A picture taken by the Hope probe for the spring season in the northern part of Mars. Photo: Dubai Media Office
A picture taken by the Hope probe for the spring season in the northern part of Mars. Photo: Dubai Media Office

UAE

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid shares new image of Mars taken by Hope Probe

UAE spacecraft provides insights into Red Planet's turbulent atmosphere

Sarwat Nasir
Sarwat Nasir

October 09, 2021

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has shared a new picture of Mars taken by the Hope Probe.

He said on Saturday that data Hope had gleaned showed larger-than-expected amounts of oxygen on the Red Planet.

The UAE has also begun sharing the data it obtained with scientific centres around the world.

The image was of the northern parts of Mars.

Hope’s mission is to study the upper and lower atmosphere of the planet. The Emirates Mars Mission team will reveal more findings in the coming weeks.

The orbiter has also sent back thousands of images that help the scientific community understand more about the Martian surface.

The Data includes a breakthrough finding that there is more oxygen in the Martian atmosphere than expected.

The image shared on Saturday shows the spring season in the northern part of the planet, with the Tharsis Montes region that hosts three large shield volcanoes clearly visible on the left.

After entering orbit on February 9, the probe started capturing scientific data on the levels of gases present in the planet’s upper atmosphere. The gases include hydrogen, oxygen and carbon monoxide.

The first set of data has been published online and is available for free download.

The latest findings show atomic oxygen and carbon monoxide are more abundant in the atmosphere than had been thought.

The data shows dramatic variations in the concentrations of both gases.

“These observations contain features that were completely unexpected and we believe will have far-reaching consequences for our existing models of the Martian atmosphere and our understanding of its behaviour,” said Hessa Al Matroushi, the lead scientist at the Emirates Mars Mission.

“We simply hadn’t anticipated structures of this magnitude and complexity.”

Existing data had shown that the planet’s atmosphere was extremely thin and was being stripped away, with oxygen and hydrogen escaping and making it impossible for life to exist.

Research collected by the Emirates Mars Mission will help to build a stronger model of the atmosphere of Mars and its interaction with solar radiation.

It may also help scientists to understand why and how Mars, which may have once supported ancient life, continues to lose its atmosphere.

The new observations also suggest unusual levels of atmospheric turbulence because of the high density of atomic oxygen.

“It was so unexpected that we initially thought the structures might be artefacts in the image, caused by contaminating light from longer wavelengths that the instrument is designed to reject,” said Justin Deighan, the deputy science lead of the mission.

“We had expected to observe a relatively uniform emission from oxygen at 130.4 nanometres across the planet and yet here we are, faced with unpredicted variations of 50 per cent or more in the brightness.

“The science team is currently refining their models to come up with a robust interpretation of these findings. It’s very exciting to be challenged this way. This is exactly the type of science the mission was designed to pursue.”

The first image of Mars as taken by the UAE's Hope probe, which arrived at the planet on February 9.
The first image of Mars as taken by the UAE's Hope probe, which arrived at the planet on February 9.
This image taken by the Hope probe's ultraviolet spectrometer (one of its three scientific instruments) shows sunlight reflecting off the extended cloud of atomic hydrogen gas that surrounds the planet Mars. The sunlight is visible only as a dark disk hidden inside the fog of gas. The Emirates Mars Mission team said that no other mission have made such kind of recordings before.
This image taken by the Hope probe's ultraviolet spectrometer (one of its three scientific instruments) shows sunlight reflecting off the extended cloud of atomic hydrogen gas that surrounds the planet Mars. The sunlight is visible only as a dark disk hidden inside the fog of gas. The Emirates Mars Mission team said that no other mission have made such kind of recordings before.
The UAE's Hope probe captured a high-resolution photo of Mars.
The UAE's Hope probe captured a high-resolution photo of Mars.
The Hope probe has shared new images from its journey in the orbit of Mars.
The Hope probe has shared new images from its journey in the orbit of Mars.
This image was taken by the infrared spectrometer, another instrument on the Hope probe, from an altitude of about 15,000 kilometres. The image shows the surface temperature (left), centred on the Tharsis region of Mars. Dawn can be seen towards the right side. The low surface temperatures observed are due to the dusty nature of the Martian surface. An elevated nighttime atmospheric temperature at 25 km altitude (right) is also observed over the Tharsis region.
This image was taken by the infrared spectrometer, another instrument on the Hope probe, from an altitude of about 15,000 kilometres. The image shows the surface temperature (left), centred on the Tharsis region of Mars. Dawn can be seen towards the right side. The low surface temperatures observed are due to the dusty nature of the Martian surface. An elevated nighttime atmospheric temperature at 25 km altitude (right) is also observed over the Tharsis region.
These images were captured by the eXploration imager, a high-resolution camera on the Hope probe. The red channel clearly shows the dark and light features of the Martian surface, while the water ice clouds stand out in the ultraviolet channel.
These images were captured by the eXploration imager, a high-resolution camera on the Hope probe. The red channel clearly shows the dark and light features of the Martian surface, while the water ice clouds stand out in the ultraviolet channel.
Hope probe sent back an image of the Cerberus Fossae, an area on the planet known for 'Marsquakes'.
Hope probe sent back an image of the Cerberus Fossae, an area on the planet known for 'Marsquakes'.
Surface and atmospheric temperature readings collected by the UAE's Hope probe.
Surface and atmospheric temperature readings collected by the UAE's Hope probe.
Discrete aurora on Mars captured by UAE's Hope probe
Discrete aurora on Mars captured by UAE's Hope probe
Discrete aurora on Mars captured by UAE's Hope probe
Discrete aurora on Mars captured by UAE's Hope probe

The data will help scientists to understand why and how Mars, which may have once supported ancient life, lost most of its atmosphere.

Three instruments on the spacecraft have made the collection of scientific data possible.

The ultraviolet spectrometer has been measuring particles that have been escaping from the planet, while the infrared spectrometer has been building images at different infrared wavelengths.

Hundreds of high-resolution images of the planet have been taken by the exploration imager, using specific filters to help scientists learn about things such as ice in the atmosphere, small water ice particles, ozone and dust storms.

Scientists with the Emirates Mars Mission team will share details on the latest findings during the International Astronautical Congress, taking place in Dubai from October 25 to October 29.

The UAE became the first Arab country to send a probe to Mars when Hope started orbiting the planet in February.

The mission is part of the UAE's ambitious and expanding space programme which this week announced its intention to visit Venus and explore seven asteroids in the Asteroid Belt.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Updated: October 10, 2021, 4:55 AM`
Sheikh Mohammed bin RashidMars