NASA Observes First Visible-Light Auroras at Mars
a year ago
- #Aurora
- #NASA
- #Mars
- On March 15, 2024, a solar flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun led to stunning auroras across the solar system, including at Mars.
- NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover detected auroras from the surface of Mars for the first time, opening new possibilities for auroral research.
- Auroras on Mars differ from Earth's due to the lack of a global magnetic field, with SEP auroras occurring when solar particles hit the Martian atmosphere.
- The Perseverance rover's SuperCam spectrometer and Mastcam-Z camera were used to observe SEP auroras in visible light for the first time from Mars' surface.
- Cross-mission coordination between Perseverance, MAVEN, and ESA’s Mars Express confirmed the detection of auroras and the presence of solar energetic particles.
- Future Martian astronauts may be able to see green auroras similar to those on Earth, enhancing our understanding of Mars' atmosphere and space weather.
- The MAVEN mission and Perseverance rover are part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, contributing to preparations for human exploration of Mars.