A powerful solar storm caused an unprecedented expansion of the Martian atmosphere in May 2024, offering latest insights into the Red Planet, according to recent research.
The sun unleashed a significant burst of activity in May 2024, resulting in the largest solar storm to impact Earth in over two decades. However, Earth wasn’t the only planet affected; Mars likewise experienced a substantial impact. A massive solar flare and coronal mass ejection – an eruption of plasma from the sun’s corona – propelled enormous quantities of charged particles toward both planets.
A study published on March 6 in Nature Communications details how this surge of radiation and solar material influenced Mars. The storm originated from an active sunspot region known as AR3664, an area recognized for producing potent flares and emissions.
When AR3664 was directly facing Earth in May 2024, it generated a series of large flares and coronal mass ejections, triggering a massive geomagnetic storm on Earth, potentially the largest this century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This event underscores the interconnectedness of space weather and its potential impact on planetary atmospheres.
Scientists analyzed data collected by two European Space Agency probes, Mars Express (MEX) and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), which have been studying the Martian atmosphere for years. The analysis revealed the extent of the atmospheric expansion caused by the solar storm.
