THE same enormous sunspot that caused the most spectacular display of solar energy in decades on Earth has triggered another record-breaking storm on Mars.
Fascinating video captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft shows an X12 solar flare – the most powerful type – kicking up debris across the Red Planet’s barren landscape on May 20.
Days earlier, the same eruption caused a geomagnetic storm on Earth that brought auroras to Florida, Texas and other southern regions rarely seen.
The power of the storm was so intense that it caused what appeared to be white spots of “snow” in black and white navigation images from cameras on Mars.
Earth’s magnetic field protects us by channeling particles toward the poles and creating polar auroras, which we typically see as bright green and pink lights.
However, Mars regularly experiences widespread auroras when struck by solar particles because it does not have a magnetic field.
May’s solar storms were caused when the X12 flare triggered a massive coronal mass ejection, which sent very hot solar plasma toward Mars at millions of miles per hour, according to Live Science.
Scientists jumped at the chance to study video of this rare event and the debris it kicked up.
Researchers using NASA’s MAVEN orbiter, the Mars Odyssey 2001 orbiter and the Curiosity Mars rover say they have captured valuable data to help us better understand Mars and plan future manned missions.
“We actually got the full range of space weather on Mars from May 11-20, from big flares, CMEs and an extreme burst of solar energy particles, and we’ve only begun to scratch the surface by analyzing the The May 14 eruption really delivered on its promise,” Ed Thiemann, a heliophysicist at the University of Colorado, told Live Science.
“The flare significantly inflated and heated Mars’ atmosphere as predicted, and the resulting CME did indeed produce auroras,” he added.
A FRONT ROW SEAT FOR THE STARS
MAVEN – short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution – had an impressive view of the spectacular energy on Mars.
The craft’s Solar Power Particle Instrument measured the aurora-generating energy and helped scientists recreate the event.
“This is the largest solar energy particle event MAVEN has ever seen,” said Christina Lee, MAVEN’s space weather manager at UC Berkeley.
“There have been several solar events over the past few weeks, so we’ve seen wave after wave of particles hitting Mars.”
Another instrument, the Radiation Assessment Detector developed by Curiosity, detected the most energetic particles reaching the surface of Mars.
RAD showed the incredible radiation generated by the particle storm – around 8,100 micrograys.
THE STRONGEST SOLAR STORM IN YEARS
If a person stood following for the rover, it would be like taking 30 chest x-rays at once.
This is the largest surge detected in Curiosity’s 12 years on Mars.
Odyssey’s Star Camera was briefly knocked offline by the energetic particles, but it still collected data and X-rays with its high-energy neutron detector.
(Energy particles) are like a light drizzle that rains incessantly on the surface, all the time.
Tamitha Skov
“The ‘dots’ and ‘stripes’ seen in the camera aboard Curiosity are not far removed from what astronauts see when their eyes are bombarded by radiation storm particles,” retired researcher Tamitha Skov of the Aerospace Corporation and professor of space weather at Millersville. University of Pennsylvania, told Space.com.
“In fact, astronauts aboard the ISS often describe seeing ‘fireworks’ when they close their eyes during radiation storms.”
“This is because an energetic particle deposits energy when it passes through a camera’s CCD sensor or the retina of the eye, causing a false signal,” she explained.
Scientists say this level of radiation is not fatal to humans, but future visitors to Mars will need adequate protection.
SAFER GALACTIC TRAVEL
Solar storm data will also help scientists understand how to protect astronauts from solar storms.
“Cliffs or lava tubes would provide additional protection to an astronaut from such an event,” said Don Hassler, RAD principal research scientist, in a NASA press release.
“In Mars orbit or deep space, the dose rate would be significantly higher,” he added.
Facts about Mars
Here’s what you need to know about the Red Planet…
- Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun
- It is named after the Roman god of war
- The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth, but due to the difference in gravity you could jump there three times higher than here.
- Mars is mountainous and home to the highest known mountain in the solar system called Olympus Mons, which is three times taller than Everest.
- Mars is considered the second most habitable planet after Earth
- It takes 687 Earth days for the planet to orbit the Sun.
- The planet has a diameter of 4,212 miles and an average distance from Earth of 140 million miles.
- Martian temperatures can vary wildly, reaching as high as 70F/20C or as low as -225F/-153C.
In addition to human safety, solar storms could affect food production on Mars.
“Since the growth plants requires sunlight, energy and lots of space, it will be difficult to grow enough food in lava tubes or caves, even if the colonists are able to provide enough artificial light to support their growth. said Skov.
“Unlike Earth, Mars’ atmosphere is so thin that energetic particles can penetrate all the way to the ground. This means that radiation storms, in one form or another, are an ongoing problem there.”
“They look like a light drizzle that keeps falling on the surface, all the time,” she added.
As the sunspot faces Mars again, scientists are eager to learn more about this incredible solar event.
“This same group of sunspots is still active and rotating toward Mars this week, and could provide more events to help us understand the evolution and loss of the Martian atmosphere,” Thiemann said.