Solar Flare That Showed Auroras Also Affected Mars | Release #233

Did everyone manage to observe the auroras last month?

It has been discovered that the solar flare, which created auroras across the world including Japan, also significantly impacted Mars. NASA's rover 'Curiosity' is capturing particles from the sun falling on Mars using its navigation camera.

Curiosity landed on Mars 12 years ago and has now measured the highest radiation levels to date. This data is crucial for calculating the radiation exposure astronauts will face on future Mars missions. 

Over the past month, solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME) have continuously reached Mars. On May 20, 2024, a very powerful solar flare was observed. X-rays and gamma rays, traveling at the speed of light, were directed towards Mars, followed by charged particles released by the CME.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center tracked these particles, which appeared as white spots on Curiosity's camera.

Measurements by Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) recorded the highest spike in radiation levels ever reached on Mars. If astronauts had been standing next to the rover at that time, they would have been exposed to radiation equivalent to 30 chest X-rays.

NASA plans to land astronauts on Mars in the 2030s, making radiation levels on Mars crucial data.

The sun is a star with an 11-year cycle of activity, currently approaching the peak of its 25th cycle. This has led to an increase in sunspots, flares, and CMEs. The solar storm from May 10 to 12, 2024, caused power grid disruptions and radio communication outages on Earth, allowing beautiful auroras to be observed worldwide.

The Mars orbiting probe 'MAVEN' observed auroras on Mars. Christina Lee, MAVEN's space weather lead, stated, "This was the largest solar high-energy particle event MAVEN has observed to date."

The observations by 'Curiosity' and 'MAVEN' revealed the impact of solar flares on Mars. Future space exploration is becoming increasingly exciting.