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science1d ago
A Solar Superstorm Blasted Mars—and Its Atmosphere Freaked Out
Gizmodo.com and 1 more
- Mars experienced a major ionospheric surge during the May 2024 solar superstorm, with its lower ionosphere expanding to about three times its normal height.
- New reference data reinforces that solar plasma and energetic radiation from AR3664 contributed to the ionospheric changes observed at Mars.
- Researchers confirmed a radio occultation approach using Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter to probe atmospheric layering during the storm.
- The storm caused temporary glitches for orbiters, but their radiation‑resistant designs enabled a rapid recovery.
- Findings advance understanding of how solar storms deposit energy and particles into Mars's atmosphere, shaping its evolution and past atmospheric loss.
- The study highlights Mars's lack of a protective magnetosphere, making its solar-storm response fundamentally different from Earth's.
- Continuous, high-resolution monitoring of Mars's ionosphere during solar peaks is emphasized as crucial for future mission planning and science.
- The Space.com reference notes that the May 11, 2024 Earth storm also impacted Mars, with two orbiters experiencing radiation exposure and electronics glitches.
- The Space.com piece includes direct quotes from ESA researchers, underscoring the timing and technology enabling dual-orbiter observations of the storm at Mars.
- The combined analysis of radiation, particles, and CME material reveals electrons flooding the Martian atmosphere to record levels, illustrating extreme space-weather coupling.
- The study reinforces that solar storms can influence radio signal propagation on Mars, a consideration for future exploration and communication planning.
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