NASA Space Technology
Space
If you were standing on Mars as it was hit by a solar flare, you might be able to see an aurora just like on Earth
By Alex Wilkins
The Perseverance rover is exploring Mars
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASAs Perseverance rover has spotted an aurora on Mars that would have been visible to humans. This first sighting of its kind suggests that future astronauts visiting the Red Planet could be in for a light show.
Astronomers have observed aurorae, the light produced when particles or radiation hits a planets atmosphere, on Mars since 2005, but all of these displays have only been detected in the form of ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the naked human eye. These mostly come from oxygen in the atmosphere being energised by charged…
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