A European Space Agency satellite has detected mysterious green light coming from Mars. Measured by the NOMAD-UVIS instrument aboard the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) satellite, the glow emanates from the night side of Mars and was observed in the planet’s upper atmosphere.
Green glow over Mars. Scientists about the causes
It was initially assumed that the glow was due to oxygen interacting with the upper atmosphere of Mars, since a similar phenomenon was observed in the planet’s daytime glow. However, further analysis revealed a slightly different cause for the phenomenon. “This emission is caused by the recombination of oxygen atoms formed in the summer atmosphere and transported by winds to high winter latitudes, at altitudes of 40 to 60 km in the Martian atmosphere,” explains Lauriane Soret, a researcher at the Atmospheric and Planetary Physics Laboratory of the University of Liege in Belgium belonging to the team that published the discovery cited by ESA.
As researchers explain, at higher altitudes atoms come into contact with CO2 molecules. As a result, an oxygen molecule is produced in an “excited state”, which in turn causes the emission of light that can be observed above the surface of Mars – most visible near the polar regions.
Mysterious glow on Mars important for future missions to the Red Planet
Science media emphasizes that the discovery could help scientists understand the dynamics of Mars’ upper atmosphere and monitor atmospheric flows. It could therefore provide valuable information for future missions to Mars. “These observations are unexpected and interesting for future trips to the Red Planet,” says Jean-Claude Gérard, lead author of the new study and a scientist at the University of Liège.
According to ESA, while orbiting the Red Planet at an altitude of 400 km, TGO was able to monitor the night side of Mars using the NOMAD instrument. The instrument covers a range of light spectrum from near ultraviolet to red light and was aimed at the edge of Mars to better observe the planet’s upper atmosphere. The NOMAD experiment is conducted by the Royal Belgian Aerospace Institute, collaborating with, among others, teams from Spain (IAA-CSIC), Italy (INAF-IAPS) and Great Britain (Open University). The same team had previously observed a similar glow above the surface of Venus.
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
