A NASA (United States Space Agency) is preparing to study how solar storms can affect the surface of Mars. The research will be used to prepare trips to the planet in the future, both by robots and astronauts.
The decision to carry out the study was also motivated by the Sun. The star is at its peak of activity in 2024 — which happens every 11 years and generates phenomena such as solar eruptions and coronal mass ejections, releasing radiation into the depths of space.
Therefore, astronomers found this phenomenon an opportunity to study the effects of this energy flow on the atmosphere of the Red Planet.
Solar flares are gigantic explosions on the Sun’s surface, and coronal mass ejections happen when bubbles of gas are released violently and without warning. When a series of these events erupt, we can call it a solar storm.
On Earth, these phenomena are not felt because the Earth’s magnetic field protects us from the effects of these storms. However, Mars lost its magnetic field a long time ago, leaving it vulnerable to these types of explosions from the Sun.
These studies will help determine what kind of radiation protection astronauts will need when they land on the Red Planet in the future.
Furthermore, analyzes of the Sun’s peak activity can also help explain why Mars went from being a hot and humid planet — similar to Earth — to the frozen desert it is today.
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