Detection of visible-wavelength aurora on Mars

IF 11.7 1区综合性期刊 Q1 MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES

Science Advances Pub Date : 2025-05-14 DOI:10.1126/sciadv.ads1563

Elise W. Knutsen, Timothy H. McConnochie, Mark Lemmon, Chris Donaldson, Raymond Francis, Carey Legett, Shayla B. Viet, Lauriane Soret, Daniel Toledo, Victor Apéstigue, Olivier Witasse, Franck Montmessin, Rebecca Jolitz, Nicolas M. Schneider, Leslie Tamppari, Agnès Cousin, Roger C. Wiens, Sylvestre Maurice, James F. Bell III, Olivier Forni, Jeremie Lasue, Paolo Pilleri, Tanguy Bertrand, Priya Patel, Susanne Schröder, Shannon Curry, Christina O. Lee, Ali Rahmati

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Mars hosts various auroral processes despite the planet’s tenuous atmosphere and lack of a global magnetic field. To date, all aurora observations have been at ultraviolet wavelengths from orbit. We describe the discovery of green visible-wavelength aurora, originating from the atomic oxygen line at 557.7 nanometers, detected with the SuperCam and Mastcam-Z instruments on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. Near–real-time simulations of a Mars-directed coronal mass ejection (CME) provided sufficient lead-time to schedule an observation with the rover. The emission was observed 3 days after the CME eruption, suggesting that the aurora was induced by particles accelerated by the moving shock front. To our knowledge, detection of aurora from a planetary surface other than Earth has never been reported, nor has visible aurora been observed at Mars. This detection demonstrates that auroral forecasting at Mars is possible, and that during events with higher particle precipitation, or under less dusty atmospheric conditions, aurorae will be visible to future astronauts.

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探测火星上可见波长的极光

尽管火星大气层稀薄，也没有全球磁场，但它仍有各种极光过程。迄今为止，所有的极光观测都是在轨道上的紫外线波段进行的。我们描述了绿色可见波长极光的发现，它起源于557.7纳米的原子氧线，由火星2020毅力号探测器上的SuperCam和Mastcam-Z仪器检测到。近实时模拟火星指向的日冕物质抛射（CME）为探测器安排观测提供了充足的准备时间。这是在CME爆发3天后观测到的，表明极光是由运动的激波锋加速的粒子引起的。据我们所知，从地球以外的行星表面探测到极光从未被报道过，在火星上也没有观测到可见的极光。这一探测表明，在火星上进行极光预报是可能的，而且在粒子降水较多或大气尘埃较少的情况下，未来的宇航员将能够看到极光。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Science Advances 综合性期刊-综合性期刊

CiteScore

21.40

自引率

1.50%

发文量

1937

审稿时长

29 weeks

期刊介绍： Science Advances, an open-access journal by AAAS, publishes impactful research in diverse scientific areas. It aims for fair, fast, and expert peer review, providing freely accessible research to readers. Led by distinguished scientists, the journal supports AAAS's mission by extending Science magazine's capacity to identify and promote significant advances. Evolving digital publishing technologies play a crucial role in advancing AAAS's global mission for science communication and benefitting humankind.