Mars auroras reveal miniature version of Earth's magnetic engine
NASA scientists have discovered that auroras on Mars form through a process similar to Earth's, involving magnetic reconnection. Data from the now-concluded MAVEN mission provided the evidence for this miniature magnetic engine.
Why it matters
Understanding planetary magnetic fields helps scientists better comprehend atmospheric loss and the evolution of planets.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source This illustration depicts charged particles from a solar storm stripping away charged particles of Mars' atmosphere, one of the processes of Martian atmosphere loss studied by NASA's MAVEN mission. Credit: NASA/GSFC NASA MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission scientists have uncovered a key puzzle piece in understanding certain types of auroras on Mars, finding that they form in a similar way to Earth–based auroras.
Results published in Nature Communications show the same mechanism that circulates and catapults charged particles into Earth's atmosphere is happening at Mars on much smaller scales because of differences in the two planets' magnetic fields.
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