✨Mars’ Auroras Work More Like Earth’s Than We Thought
NASA scientists have discovered that some of Mars’ auroras are formed through the same magnetic process that creates Earth’s northern and southern lights.
On Earth, this process is known as the Dungey cycle. When the Sun’s magnetic field connects with Earth’s magnetic field, it accelerates charged particles into the atmosphere, creating brilliant auroras.
Using data from the MAVEN mission, researchers found that a smaller version of this same process also occurs around Mars’ ancient crustal magnetic fields, producing localized auroras.
Source: NASA | MAVEN Mission