NASA’s Curiosity rover documented an extraordinary spectacle on Mars: a powerful solar storm illuminating the Martian surface. Curiosity, developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), has been the cornerstone of Mars exploration.
Solar Maximum: Epic Solar Storms and Martian Auroras
Solar maximum is a phase of the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle during which solar activity, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), is at its greatest. This phase is characterized by an increase in the number of sunspots and storms, driven by the Sun’s magnetic field. When the Sun entered solar maximum earlier this year, anticipation grew for intense solar storms to hit Mars..
NASA prepares a global strategy to mitigate the effects of solar storms on Mars
This period of maximum solar activity has turned NASA’s Mars explorers and orbiters into invaluable cosmic observerscapturing a series of solar flares and CMEs that have not only reached Mars, but have also ignited Martian auroras.
On May 20, the storm released a burst of energy so intense that caused the appearance of white specks, similar to snow, in the black and white images captured by Curiosity’s navigation cameras. These white streaks and specks were created by charged particles that collided with the cameras.
May 20 marked an important milestone. Amid the frenzy of the solar storm, a critical window opened to delve into the mysteries of deep space and anticipate radiation challenges for future missions to Mars. An exceptionally intense X12 solar flare (X-class solar flares are the most powerful) caused a rapid bombardment of at a speed close to that of light.
At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, analysts meticulously monitor this celestial spectacle, pointing out the dangerous influx of charged particles.
If astronauts had accompanied Curiosity to Mars, they would have faced radiation levels similar to 30 chest X-rays.
Data from Curiosity’s Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) are essential for design protection strategiessuch as the use of natural formations, such as cliffs or lava tubes, to protect against radiation dangers on future manned missions.
How do new spacecraft improve our knowledge of Mars?
MAVEN, short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, is a spacecraft launched on November 18, 2013 and began orbiting Mars on September 21, 2014. Managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and operated by Lockheed Martin Space, MAVEN has been instrumental in studying the atmosphere of Mars for almost a decade.
Recent data from spacecraft from Mars Not only are they aiding future planetary expeditions to the Red Planet, but they are also enriching findings from NASA heliophysics missions such as Voyager, Parker Solar Probe, and the upcoming ESCAPADE mission.. ESCAPADE’s two small satellites, scheduled to launch in late 2024, will orbit Mars and provide an unprecedented dual perspective on space weather that will exceed MAVEN’s current capabilities.
As MAVEN approaches its 10th anniversary on Mars in September 2024, Their contributions remain invaluable to understanding atmospheric and space weather phenomena on the Red Planet..
News reference:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “NASA Watches Mars Light Up During Epic Solar Storm” https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/planets/mars/nasa-watches-mars-light-up-during-epic-solar-storm/
