The secret of Mars' strange aurorae was revealed

Scientists have carefully studied the discrete and strange aurorae of Mars seen across the planet to find out why they occur in the absence of the planet's magnetic field.

In a new study, physicists say that the properties of upstream solar winds interacting with the magnetic fields of the crust in the southern hemisphere of Mars greatly affect the formation and properties of discrete aurorae on the planet.

Earth where aurorae is visible near the poles, discrete aurorae of Mars can be seen at night all over the planet. The study, led by Zachary Girazian, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Iowa, studied discrete aurora physicists, a luminous phenomenon in the sky that occurs mainly during the night in the southern hemisphere of the Red Planet.

While scientists were aware of the existence of separate aurorae on Mars, which also occur on Earth, they were skeptical about how they formed. This ambiguity is due to the fact that Mars, unlike Earth, does not have a universal magnetic field. The magnetic field is the main cause of the formation of discrete aurorae, also known as the northern and southern lights on our planet.

• Aurora was first identified in a comet

Physicists now claim that discrete aurorae on Mars are caused by the interaction between the solar wind (the constant jet flow of charged particles from the sun) and the magnetic fields created by the crust in the southern latitudes of Mars. . Scientists have discovered that this nature is a local interaction between the solar wind and the magnetic fields of the crust, leading to discrete aurorae.

Graphic design of NASA's Maun satellite
Credit: NASA/GSFC

Gerazian noted: "This is the first It is a detailed study of how solar wind conditions affect the aurorae on Mars. "Our main finding is that within the strong crustal region, the incidence rate of aurora depends more on the orientation of the solar wind magnetic field, while outside the strong crustal region, the higher incidence rate depends on the dynamic wind pressure of the solar wind."

The findings come from more than 200 discrete aurorae observations on Mars by NASA-led Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. Also one of the tools used to make these observations is the solar ion wind analyzer, which is led by Jasper Halekas, another author of the study.

Girazian stressed: It's exciting to explore aurora borealis on Mars. "The database of discrete aurora borealis observations we have from Maun is the first of its kind that allows us to understand for the first time the main features of aurora borealis."

• See the magnificent view of the aurora borealis in Babak Tafreshi's spectacular video

Cover photo: Graphic design of discrete aurorae on Mars
Credit: UAE Space Agency/Asian Lite

Source: SciTechDaily