What is an aurora? The northern lights explained
Dancing across the skies in vibrant ribbons of color, auroras are one of nature’s most magnificent natural phenomena.
A round of epic solar storms that have impacted the solar system in recent months has led to auroras across Earth, but spacecraft far from our planet also recorded impacts, leading to extraordinary opportunities to study the phenomena.
Imagery from Mars showed rovers and orbiters studying the Red Planet encountered a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), causing auroras and increasing radiation to levels never observed before by Martian spacecraft.
NASA said the most significant solar event occurred May 20, when a solar X12-class flare erupted from the Sun. The event unleashed a barrage of X-rays, gamma rays and charged particles toward Mars, which is nearly 150 million miles from the Sun.
“So much energy from the storm struck the surface that black-and-white images from Curiosity’s navigation cameras danced with ‘snow’ — white streaks and specks caused by charged particles hitting the cameras,” NASA scientists stated.
‘EXTREME’ SOLAR STORM TRIGGERS NORTHERN LIGHTS AS FAR SOUTH AS FLORIDA FRIDAY
Solar storm seen from a rover on Mars (NASA)
Implications for manned missions to Mars
The space agency estimated that the radiation was about 8,100 micrograys in size, equivalent to the exposure of 30 chest X-rays.
If astronauts had been on the Red Planet, the exposure would not have been immediately deadly but would have led to severe health implications.
Data gathered during the recent events is expected to help scientists plan for an eventual landing on the Martian surface and provide agencies with insights into the conditions astronauts may encounter.
“Cliffsides or lava tubes would provide additional shielding for an astronaut from such an event,” Don Hassler, an investigator at the Southwest Research Institute’s Solar System Science and Exploration Division, said in a statement. “In Mars orbit or deep space, the dose rate would be significantly more.”
Encounters with solar storms are not new. In fact, a solar flare in 2003, which was estimated to be an X45, zapped a radiation detector on the spacecraft Odyssey.
Unlike on Earth, where the magnetic field protects the planet from charged space particles, Mars is thought to have lost its protective shield long ago, which allows impacts and auroras across the entire planet.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this active region on the Sun continues to erupt, meaning even more solar storms at both Earth and Mars over the coming weeks,” Hassler stated.
MARS BEING BLASTED BY SOLAR ENERGY POSSIBLY CREATING GLOBAL AURORAS
The purple color shows auroras on Mars detected by the ultraviolet instrument aboard NASA’s MAVEN orbiter in May 2024. (NASA)
Solar maximum
The Sun is in a period of peak activity known as a solar maximum, which is expected to continue into 2025 as part of Solar Cyclone 25.
A solar cycle is a sequence that the Sun’s magnetic field goes through every 11 years, where the field flips, but during the process, produces solar storms.
An increase in solar activity has been tied to effects on Earth, such as auroras and impacts on communications as well as electrical grids.
WHAT IS A GEOMAGNETIC STORM?
Watch: Intense solar flare erupts from the sun
Imagery from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured imagery of a powerful solar flare bursting from the sun. (Courtesy: NASA SDO)
Dr. Sarah Adams is a scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to all. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
