European Space Agency’s Mars Orbiter ExoMars Detects Strange Green Glow Above Martian Atmosphere
The first astronauts to explore the north and south poles of Mars in the future may hike across dusty ice under the weird green light emitted high in the Martian atmosphere layer.
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars orbiter ExoMars recently made a groundbreaking discovery, detecting a strange green glow above the atmosphere around Mars’ south pole during the long polar night. This green light comes from oxygen atoms reuniting high in the Martian atmosphere, releasing energy in the process.
The ExoMars probe observed a bright green light over the South Pole of Mars, resembling a nightglow or airglow, particularly during the late winter season on the Red Planet.
According to planetary scientist Jean-Claude Gerard of the University of Liège in Belgium and his colleagues, the recent discovery was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. The researchers noted that the nightglow on Mars might even be bright enough for future polar explorers to witness it on a clear night.
Nightglows are a common phenomenon in the solar system, with every planet with a magnetic field and atmosphere experiencing their own version of auroras. On Mars, the nightglow is the result of oxygen atoms combining to form oxygen molecules high in the atmosphere, emitting a green light as they release energy in the process.
While nightglows also occur on Earth, they are typically not bright enough to be visible from the ground. However, astronauts aboard the International Space Station can witness Earth’s nightglow by looking towards the horizon from space.
The discovery of the green glow above Mars adds to the growing body of knowledge about the Red Planet’s atmosphere and could pave the way for future exploration and research missions to Mars’ polar regions. As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of Mars, the possibilities for further exploration and discovery remain endless.