The iridescent cloud reveals new clues about ice formation in the Martian atmosphere (no little green men, sorry).

"I'll always remember the first time I saw those iridescent clouds and was sure at first it was some color artifact."

Latin for “night shining,” noctilucent clouds (also known as twilight clouds) are responsible for Earth’s vibrant red, orange, and purple dawn and dusk skies. If the conditions are just right, they sometimes even take on an iridescent,

At the surface, Mars is a desolate, barren world with a rocky landscape, massive dust storms and extreme temperature swings. However, a rover recently captured a splash of color in the sky as rare clouds drifted overhead.