UAE's Hope probe sends back new images of Mars

The new pictures beamed from space show atomic hydrogen surrounding the Red Planet

The Hope probe has shared new images from its journey in the orbit of Mars. Emirates Mars Mission

The UAE's Hope probe has shared new images of Mars, as it continues its journey of discovery around the Red Planet.

The craft sent back two images to Earth of atomic hydrogen – hydrogen that is separated into separate atoms rather than existing in  molecular form – surrounding the Mars, taken on April 24 and April 25.

The UAE made history on February 9 when the Hope probe successfully entered the orbit of Mars.

It became only the fifth nation – and the first in the Arab world – to achieve this.

On February 14, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre received the craft's first close-up image of Mars, in what was described as a "defining moment" in UAE history.

It was taken from an altitude of 24,700km above the Martian surface. The impressive image showed Olympus Mons, the Solar System's largest volcano, at sunrise.

The latest pictures taken by the probe's ultraviolet spectrometer were shared by Dubai Media Office on Wednesday.

"This is the first mission to any planet that has been able to make images from different points of view over the course of a day," Dubai Media Office said.

The probe will collect data on the meteorological layers of Mars, so scientists can study how the upper and lower layers interact with one another – providing the first complete picture of the planet’s atmosphere.

The spacecraft will search for connections between current Martian weather and the ancient climate of the Red Planet.

This will give scientists deeper insight into the past and future of Earth and the potential for humans to live on Mars and more distant planets.

The mission is due to last for two years, but could be extended until 2025.

The UAE's landmark Mars mission: