Mars Rover Perseverance Captures First Clear Image of Martian Aurora
In a groundbreaking discovery, NASA's Perseverance rover has captured the first-ever image of an aurora on Mars. The dim green glow was observed on March 18, 2024, and the findings were shared in the May 16 issue of Science Advances.
Until now, non-Earth auroras have only been seen by spacecraft orbiting from above. Mars' sky had previously only revealed auroras with wavelengths of light that are not visible to the human eye. However, the new image from Mars is fuzzy, compared to many Earthly aurora photos, due to the rover's cameras performing less well at night.
The particles that prompted the observed Martian aurora likely arrived with the shock front of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the sun. The team received word that a CME was headed for Mars days before it arrived, allowing them to alert Perseverance to scout for auroras.
Auroras can appear when charged particles from space interact with a planet's atmosphere. Mars, unlike Earth, does not have a global magnetic field that concentrates auroras near its poles. Instead, Mars' crust is magnetized in patches, allowing auroras to appear all over the planet.
An aurora from Mars' southern hemisphere, the most magnetized part of the planet, might look particularly strong. This is because the southern hemisphere experiences stronger geomagnetic activity due to the planet's tilt.
The dim green glow of Martian auroras as described by Wiens, a planetary scientist at Purdue University, hints that future astronauts may observe Martian auroras with their own eyes. The discovery of Martian auroras opens up a new chapter in our understanding of Mars' atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind.
This historic event marks a significant milestone in the exploration of Mars and our solar system. The Perseverance rover, which has been exploring Mars since February 2021, continues to surprise and amaze us with its discoveries.
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