A naukri.com initiative
Nasa
4d
316
Image Credit: Nasa
NASA Observes First Visible-light Auroras at Mars
- NASA's Perseverance Mars rover made history by detecting green auroras for the first time on Mars on March 15, 2024, during a solar storm.
- Unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field leading to different types of auroras such as solar energetic particle (SEP) auroras.
- SEP auroras on Mars occur when energetic particles from the Sun interact with the Martian atmosphere, causing it to glow across the night sky.
- NASA coordinated with various teams to capture visible images and spectra of the SEP aurora from Mars' surface during the solar storm.
- The team strategically selected a strong Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) to trigger visible-light auroras on Mars for observation.
- Data from Perseverance and MAVEN's instruments confirmed the presence of solar energetic particles during the aurora observation.
- The successful detection of these auroras opens up new possibilities for future auroral research and potential observations by astronauts on Mars' surface.
- NASA's Perseverance and MAVEN missions played crucial roles in observing and understanding these phenomena, aiding in preparing for human exploration of Mars.
- This collaborative effort highlighted the importance of cross-mission coordination in capturing unique astral events like the green auroras on Mars.
- The observed 557.7 nm emission from solar energetic particles suggests that future Martian astronauts might witness similar auroras during their missions.
Read Full Article
19 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app